Classes, Levels, and Rehersals
Whether you're experienced or brand new, we've got a place for you!
Are you new to Middle Eastern, North African, Hellenic, or Turkish dance styles? If so, check any classes labeled level one! Not totally new to MENAHT dancing, but unsure where to start? The Leveled Skills Checklist page explains what incoming students should have some comfort with in order to feel "ready" for the content in that class. Wondering why classes are broken into levels? Simple: we want you to grow, but don't want to just throw you into the deep end! Read more below:
WHY LEVELS?
Breaking classes up into levels helps instill confidence in new dancers by creating space to build fundamental skills. As you progress you'll rely on the skills taught in earlier classes, like climbing up stairs, or a pyramid!
Our mixed level drills sessions are set up to work through skills over time. Level specific classes assume students have certain skills and background knowledge, and jump right in with the next thing.
Pricing Plans
Drop in rates for ongoing classes $15
Class bundles
5 classes: $65
10 week semester registration/class card: $120
*Please check whether drop-in students are accepted with the and confirm class dates before registering.
*Please pay attention to your teacher's missed class policy
*There are no refunds. In outstanding situations, credits may be given
Programs
The Central Bellydance School was created to build community and student engagement through cooperation, rather than competition. While all of our teachers have different styles, we work together to bring a diverse and holistic bellydance education to our students.
These classes teach the building blocks of bellydance, AKA raqs sharki/oryantal dans. You'll be guided to an understanding of everything from posture and technique, to MENAHT rhythms, musicality, and- depending on your goals- performance skills. The levels approach allows us to skip over what students already know, without leaving anyone behind.
Folklore and folk dances are crucial to the understanding of MENAHT dance, and a heck of a lot of fun! These classes are designed to provide an overview of the wide variety of dances of the regions, so you can discover where you want your focus to be. We also strive to go deeper, by bringing in native teachers over the web or for workshops, to give you the real scoop.
Ongoing drills classes are open to dancers who are comfortable with level one technique and information. They give you time to hone your skills and practice things that don't fit into the topic driven leveled classes. Teachers may provide variations to suit a variety of skills and experience levels here. Rehearsals are a chance to prep choreoes and staging with your classmates!
Questions About Levels
Q. How long should I expect to take level one classes?
A. The short answer is: probably a year or more. Lisa's level 1 class is 20 weeks long (broken into 5 week units) but, unless you're a prodigy or spend an unusual amount of time practicing each day, it's expected that you'll repeat it. The class is paced to keep introducing new material each week, but it takes time and practice to develop muscle control and comfort with the moves and concepts, and your teachers want students to develop that comfort to avoid feeling frustrated in level 2.
Q. Instead of having students repeat it, why not just make the level one class slower?
A. A Few students come to level one with previous dance experience or pick things up unusually fast, but the main reason the class doesn't just wait for students to fully perfect a move in one class before moving on is twofold.
1: It takes time to develop the muscle pathways, much of which happens in the time between practicing while your body is rebuilding the muscles and neuro-links you worked. So, drilling the moves for much longer in one session won't speed up that process and only leads to frustration and boredom.
2: Many of the moves we do use small muscles that aren't always part of everyday movement, so drilling fewer moves for longer in class would lead to repetitive movement strain and pulling muscles before they get to develop. Be patient with yourself! With regular practice, you'll get it ^_^.
Q. Can I skip level one if I have previous dance experience?
A. Bellydance has many differences from Western dances, including posture, musicality, relationship to the audience, and aesthetics. If you have only practiced Western styles, like ballet, ballroom, or tap, you might make it through the level one class more quickly, but it is recommended you start there. If you have previous bellydance or other Middle Eastern dance experience, contact one of our teachers. They'll ask about your goals, make sure your technique is solid and good for your body, and check what you know against the skills that we build on top of during the next level of classes.
Q. How do I know if I'm ready to move onto the level two class?
A. Once you feel comfortable doing the movement vocabulary in level one, can find the one in a count of music, have the moves mentally organized in your head (for easier improvisation) or just a feeling of movement qualities, and are familiar with the idea of doing variations on your moves, you can join level two. There is no need to do every move "perfectly", we keep practicing the basic moves, and explore variations in level two, along with starting to learn more about transitions, rhythms, and musicality. In general, your teacher will let you know that a new semester of level 2 is coming up when she sees that you're ready.