Teressa-Belly Dance Artist in Toronto

So you’ve discovered the beautiful dance form that is Bellydance…and now, you can’t wait to learn more, perform more and become an amazing dancer! This is fantastic!Now, all you have to do is be a good student, right? But how?

Belly dance takes lots of time, energy, practice, and most of all, commitment. Belly dance is a dance form like any other and thus, takes years of dedication to perfect. Througout my years as a bellydance student and now as an instructor, I’ve gained some knowledge on what it takes to really become a good bellydance student. Here are 5 great tips that are sure to help you on your way to belly dance success:

1. Take as many classes/ workshops as possible: Taking lots of classes is so important to achieving your bellydance goals. One class a week is good, but to really gain a greater understanding of the movements and to constantly drill it into your muscle memory, it is useful to take 2 or more classes per week.When I started bellydance classes, I fell in love and took as many classes as I could (sometimes up to 6 classes a week), and many times, with diverse instructors with a wide range of teaching and dance styles. In addition, it is important to take as many workshops as you can. We are lucky in many ways that bellydance is such a globalized dance form as it means that we are exposed to so many different dancers and teachers from all over the world (especially in Toronto where we are even more spoiled with the wealth of master instructors that come from all over the world, includin Egyptian greats, and favourites from the United States and Europe). Take all of these workshops and really soak up the style and technique of each unique teacher; all of these experiences will form your own unique dance style.
2. Practice, Practice, Practice: This one is near and dear to my heart. As a beginner student of bellydance, I loved the classes, the music, and the movements. I did the above advice, taking every single class that I possibly could, but then I would go home, be content with my classes, and never practice! It took a long time to finally instill a practice ethic in me, but because of it, my dancing has improved exponentially in a much shorter period of time. After each class, practice your new movements right away to instill it into your movement vocabulary; otherwise, you might forget and have to start all over again the following class!
3. Take Notes: Note-taking after your belly dance class will speed up your learning process and help you tremendously. As a beginner, I became obsessed with this dance form and took as many classes per week as I could. This was fantastic, except that I seldom took notes. This is my biggest regret as a student. Now, whenever I am taking dance classes or workshops, I always carry a notebook and pen with me to jot down new ideas, movements, and combinations that I found interesting.Remember, these classes are for you so make the best of them! Also, at the end of class, feel free to ask your instructor to clarify important ideas that you want to jot down; your teachers are your best source to enhance your bellydance knowledge.
4. Try Out Other Dance Styles: Classes in ballet, jazz, modern, Classical Indian, Bollywood, and even hip-hop can be immensely useful for belly dancers. All of these dance forms teach us different ways to utilize our arms, carriage, and legs that can add a lot to belly dance technique. Also, audiences love fusion performances of Belly dance and other dance styles. I found that once I started taking jazz  and ballet classes after becoming a bellydancer, my turn, lines, and poses became much cleaner and my arm pattens stronger and more refined. There is much to be learned from other dance styles, so get out there and explore!
5. Take Your Time and Be Humble: Once we fall in love in bellydance, we sometimes tend to fall hard. I fell in love very quickly and thought that I had become a professional dancer, knowing everything I could possibly need to know about belly dance, after only one year of study!Big mistake! There is so much more to learn and as a great student, one must realize that we are always students!

Sometimes the movements may come easy to us at first and this may make us feel as though we should be dancing at weddings, gala shows, and theatres in no time; however belly dance is a lifelong learning experience. To truly start the process of becoming a professional dancer, we need at least two years of intense bellydance movement training, as well as learning to use props, understanding Arabic music, rhythms, musicality, and stage presence. Take your time, practice, practice, practice, and don’t rush. Remember that you will never know everything about this dance form, but the wonderful thing is that you can keep on learning for the rest of your life!