Belly Dance Teacher Certification

Belly dance performance costume

If you have an interest in teaching belly dance, significant performing and study experience is often enough of a qualification to find employment as a teacher. Nonetheless, many certification programs for belly dance teaching do exist. Getting certified in teaching belly dance is an excellent way to improve your dance and teaching skills and to add some solid credentials to your dance resume.

Finding a Course

Many dance teachers also perform.

Choose a teacher who has significant experience in teaching as well as performing. Because there exist many styles of belly dance, many master teachers have an eclectic dance background and can teach you a mix of styles. They will teach you about the history and culture of this dance style, so find someone who is knowledgeable about the cultural elements of this dance.

Some certifications focus more on fitness and aerobic moves, which will prepare you to teach in gyms and health clubs whereas other programs may focus more on dance history, cultural education about the origins of belly dance, hands-on teaching techniques for dance teaching and how to teach with props such as veils, finger cymbals, or swords. A thorough, well-rounded certification program will touch on all of these aspects to some extent.

Prerequisites

Swords are common belly dance props.

Once you have found a certification program you are interested in, research the prerequisites. Most programs require experience in belly dance before you sign up for the course. This is important because the master teacher will provide training on how to be a teacher--not spend time teaching you the fundamentals of dance. Sharqui: The Belly Dance Workout is affiliated with the American Council on Exercise (ACE). In order to attain certification in this method, you must have CPR training and be certified with ACE. Suhaila Salimpour's certification requires certification in previous levels of belly dance training before you can take the teacher training course.

The Course

Certain courses last longer than others. Some will be a weekend long, requiring intensive training for three days, a written exam, and/or a practical teaching exam component. Hala's Teacher Training (Halanda Studio) takes place over three days but also offers the opportunity to teach classes at her studio with the teaching skills you have learned in the course. Suhaila Salimpour's certification courses take much longer; you must reach level 5 of her certification course in order to be a certified teacher in the Suhaila Salimpour Belly Dance Method.

Finding a Job

Once you are certified, you will be qualified to teach at gyms, dance studios, community and cultural centers, and corporate health centers or to give lessons from your home. If you want to teach full-time, you will teach at many different locales. Be prepared to travel to different areas throughout the day to teach.

Recertification and Continuing Education

It is important to keep your certification current. Most certification programs require a certain number of continuing education requirements every two years. In order to stay competitive, it is important to continue your own study and learn different styles of belly dance. Studying other forms of dance is beneficial as well, and working with other teachers can inform your teaching style, making you a better teacher.

References

• Sharqui: The elly Dance Workout
• Halanda Studio For Dance and Fitness: Belly Dance Studio Offering Teacher Training
• Suhaila Salimpour Belly Dance Teacher Certification