We are thrilled to announce a significant and exciting update to the Sahara Dance curriculum! As we move into our third decade of excellence in belly dance education, we have revamped our program to better serve our students, foster creativity, and nurture talent. Whether you’re a seasoned dancer or just starting your dance journey, our refreshed curriculum is designed to provide you with an enriching experience.

What’s New?

• The new Sahara Dance curriculum consists of 9 levels – 3 each for beginner, intermediate, and advanced dancers. You’ll see a simplified system of names to more clearly indicate the path students should take through the core levels
• For each beginner and intermediate level, we’ve identified core technique elements that a student needs to be proficient in before moving on to the next level. We hope this will provide greater clarity about what is most important at each level and will aid students in knowing when they are ready to move up.
• For the advanced levels, the focus moves away from learning new technique and shifts to developing as a dancer. We have identified 5 essential elements of the dance, along with the skill level for each, that a student should be able to demonstrate to make progress.
• There is a new focus on building improvisation skills across all levels.
• We’ve updated our cultural context lessons to:
  • • • emphasize more consistent learning of important Middle Eastern rhythms and musical genres
      • ensure basic understanding of common folkloric dance forms
      • provide more historical context
      • incorporate current cultural trends that dancers need to understand.

Fun fact: When Sahara Dance opened in 2002, mahraganat music hadn’t been invented yet! It’s one of the new additions to the cultural context part of the curriculum.

More Details Coming Soon

As we prepare for the fall class session in the coming weeks, we will be publishing more information about the refreshed curriculum, including helpful guidance on how to find the right level. 

In the meantime, mark your calendar for Saturday, September 7 from 1:30 – 4:30, when we will hold mini workshops to demonstrate the new levels. Teachers will be on hand to answer questions and provide placement advice.

Join Us in This Exciting New Chapter!

We are very excited about this refresh as we continue dancing together. We invite you to join us and experience the difference that our enhanced curriculum can make in your dance journey.

For more details, class schedules, and registration information, stay tuned to our newsletter and website.