Finding a Class

If you are trying to find a suitable Middle Eastern Dance class in your area, you have several options:

• Personal recommendation from dance friends who live near you.

• Get your local Adult Education prospectus- many local authorities run classes under various titles- Middle-Eastern dance, belly dance, raqs sharqi, Arabic dance, Egyptian / Turkish / Moroccan / Lebanese / whatever dance.

• Mosaic Arabic Dance Network produces an up to date list of teachers in every magazine, & every teacher who is a member of MADN can list her details there. Click here for some info about Mosaic.

• Try Shira’s worldwide directory of dance teachers. There are quite a few UK teachers named. These are not recommendations as such, simply an information service that Shira provides. Shira’s site is almost always my first port of call if I have a dance query- it is far & away the most comprehensive & informative belly dancing site.

• Other online directories that may be helpful are NADA's Teacher list, Wiggle, the Raqs Sharqi Society and Jacqueline Chapman's directory

• Try asking at local Leisure Centres, Health Spas/Clubs, Dance Studios.

A few hints:

Although some teachers run Drop In classes, many use a structured progressive course, especially those within the Adult Education system. If the course has already started, you may find you have some catching up to do. You may also find it is rather expensive to join a termly class if there are only a few weeks left until the holidays. So it might make sense to wait until the new term starts.

If you are a complete beginner, it really is best to join a Beginners class- don’t be tempted to join an Intermediates class & assume you’ll be able to pick it up. You’ll only get frustrated. Even if you have experience in other dance forms, trust me- Arabic Dance is a whole other ball-game!  You can always move up, if you find you progress well.

You may want to talk to the teacher beforehand, to get a feel of what the class will entail (e.g. "dress code", style of dance taught, technique level, etc.)