Requirements To Become an Oriental Dance Teacher

In the post The Work Of an Oriental Dance Teacher, I shared with you all the work a Oriental Dance Teacher has. Today, I bring you a more polemic theme: which are the requirements someone should fullfil to become an Oriental Dance teacher? Unfortunately, in Portugal, there is neither a regulamentary entity nor an official course that certificates a Bellydance teacher so, who wants to be one, can be it. However, being a teacher is a profession of great responsability, and requires much knowledge and dedication and it’s not the same as being a professional dancer (someone who performs and receives money for it). That being said, here you have my opinion about should be an oriental dance teacher:

1. The aspiring teacher should have, at least, 6 years of experience, in Oriental Dance. In the actual context, where we have several teachers in Portugal and much more access to information than in years ago, I believe a professional should have, at least, 6 years of continuous dedication (with focus and without breaks in his study), and should only begin with a Level 1 class (basic/beginner).

Aula do Nível 4 no Catarina Branco Oriental Studio, em Outubro de 2020.

2. The aspiring teacher should be structured, methodic and analytical, dedicating time and energy to elaborate his course and his classes in a thorough way, basing on a long study of content and eaching format.

3. Who wishes to be a teacher, should have vast and diversified studies with different teachers in several themes, knowing, in this way, different dance techniques and teaching methods, as well as having gathered information of different sources.

4. Considering the new generation, which in many cases uses competition to present their work, I consider the classification in the professional category could be taken into account as a way of understanding in the dancer has enough level to teach. Since we don’t have a regulation entity and considering the actual context of the Oriental Dance market, in my perspective, I think a possible and valid way of regulating is basing in the opinions of renowned professionals who evaluate the contestants. In my opinion, a dancer who uses the contest as a work tool and who considers start teaching, should only do it if he has already competed several times in the professional category, presenting a consistant and quality work which has reflected, repeatedly, in the final results (namely in the top 5 of the final score).

5. Finally, but the most important thing, I think a dancer should only be a teacher if it’s really generous; someone who, above everything, is in love with teaching and wishes to pass his knowledge to other people. Someone who simply wishes a new challenge in dance or a new income source shouldn’t choose to be a teacher.

And to you, which requirements do you consider an Arabic Dance teacher should fullfil to teach?