A belly dance instructor explains how to teach the dance safely and effectively through structured curriculum. The speaker shares their approach to moving beyond traditional methods and building a framework that protects dancers while they learn.
The way belly dance was taught was we call this follow the bouncing butt. It's really just follow the leader. No real explanation, no curriculum, nothing. Yeah. And as a result, I got curved because I learned from the women in my family and I had a rotator cuff injury. Nobody taught me to always have your hand slightly forward of the shoulder and not too far back. And so I noticed this also in belly dance classes, traditional classes in New York City, they were teaching the same way. And I was like, being already in a professional dancer. I was a contemporary dancer in New York, and already being a professional fitness instructor, I was like, it doesn't have to be this way. Why can't people learn to dance in an effective and efficient way? It doesn't have to be all about following the leader. And so I gave belly dance a curriculum. And then on top of that, I gave people who wanted to learn how to belly dance an opportunity to sweat.
