1. Befriend your body and your inner dancer

• Be patient and kind to yourself, using words of encouragement and gratitude for your healthy body, unique beauty, and good sense of adventure!
• Remember, you’re learning a new language and it takes time to master each word (movement) and construct sentences (combinations).
• With time and practice, you’ll become a fluent speaker and be able to improvise with your own accent and style.
• Enjoy discovering new muscles and finding a new medium for expression and creativity!
• Be gentle with yourself and listen to your body. If anything hurts, please let your teacher know, and modify.
• Cultivate curiosity about the felt sense of moving your body in these ways to best enjoy the sensuality inherent in the dance.
• Just show up however you are; there is no judgment and the dance is always offered for your enjoyment and well-being.
• Give yourself permission to play, make mistakes, look silly, laugh, and enjoy the learning process!

2. Be active in the community

• Come to class in-person or live-streaming! Benefit from the energy of the community, learning from others’ questions, and meeting fellow dancers.
• Ask questions!  Don’t be shy – if you have a question, it’s likely someone else has the same one and would appreciate it being asked. Have fun—you can’t fail the class!
• Make dance friends! Join a performance company and bond through a the shared goal of being on stage together, or just introduce yourself to your classmates.

3. Learn about the cultural context of the art form

• Check out specialty workshops – particularly those that are open to all levels – and explore specific styles or techniques in deeper dive formats.  Teachers will often provide supplemental materials, links and resources to explore topics further.
• Get to know the music! Explore Middle Eastern music in general as well as specific music styles on Amazon Music, Spotify, YouTube and many other places – start by searching for something as simple as “belly dance music” and see where the exploration takes you, or ask your teacher(s) for their favorite playlists.
• Attend performances and shows to support your local belly dancers and experience the dance live! Check out the next Sahara Dance production.
• Seek out resources for learning more about the dance, and follow your curiosity! Check out our specially curated resources on Instagram and Facebook by Maria, our Social Media Manager. 

4. Let your teacher(s) know your dance goals

• Stick with it and share you goals with your teacher(s). Whether you’re dancing simply for fun and fitness, or wish to perform on stage, let your teacher(s) know so you can best benefit from their guidance.
• Ask for assessments and feedback throughout the session.
• Make progress and retain movements by attending classes regularly, and live when you’re able, so you can benefit from teacher feedback.
• Practice between classes with the Sahara Dance curriculum list, class video, and/or video curriculum library (see below).

Sahara Dance Curriculum Videos

Below is the curriculum series of mini-videos to support your home practice :). Each move in the full curriculum is included in bite-sized breakdowns. The lessons are to live drumming on tabla!

Sahara Dance Beginner I Curriculum Overview

Sahara Dance Beginner II Curriculum Overview

Sahara Dance Low Intermediate Curriculum Overview

Sahara Dance Intermediate Curriculum Overview

These mini-videos are a great way to remember movements and learn the rhythms most commonly found in music for belly dance. The videos are designed to accompany the curriculum weekly and the intention is to offer a resource for refreshing your memory for home practice, if you’re inclined :).

Please note, you are not expected to purchase the videos or practice. Belly dance should, first and foremost, be enjoyable!  Come to class regardless and we will review.  Reference the videos only if it’s fun for you.