Veteran dancers - give me advice about advanced study
glitterinmysoup
Posts: 1 Member
I'm a pretty solid intermediate dancer with about 10 years of study. I have some good performance experience - I've been a part of three troupes. I'm not much of a soloist - I like groups. On a scale, if 0 is a someone headed to their first belly dance class and 10 is [insert your favorite awesome professional belly dancer], then I am probably a 5, maybe a 6 on a good day. I think if I worked hard I could be a 7 or an 8. I would really like to find out what that feels like - which is why I am here on MFP, getting serious.
The problem I am having is that I am not able to find challenging instruction locally. I moved to my current location close to 3 years ago and started classes with a talented ATS instructor. I'm a tribal fusion girl, but I like a lot of things about ATS. I took level 1, level 2, and I've been in level 3 for just under 2 years. I could not progress to level 4 (performance prep) because I can only afford one class a week. I had no aspirations of working up to troupe because I can't afford it. So I just kinda hung out in level 3.
My instructor stopped teaching classes in January. I am currently in a 10 week beginner tribal fusion class which will be ending later this month. Everybody can work on the basics, but at this point, it feels like all I've been doing is basics. The tribal fusion instructor is good but I don't know if she intends to offer continued intermediate/advanced classes. She's just been teaching short sessions here and there when she is in the area.
The dance community is pretty limited. It's funny that I moved here from a much smaller town with a belly dance inferiority complex and thought surely everything I could want to study would be here in the Big City. Ha, nope. Turns out, belly dance inferiority complexes make a tiny community work their butts off because they THINK everyone in the bigger cities has access to three times as much. We were like bloodthirsty belly dance piranhas.
Since ATS classes ended I have been getting together with some of the other ATS students for informal practice once a week. These other ladies want to seek performance opportunities and keep their skills sharp. All of us have a common interest in tribal fusion and ITS, so it's fertile ground. The problem is that I am the most skilled, experienced dancer, and the other ladies are looking to me as a dance leader. I don't mind helping, but I do not aspire to be an instructor, I'm not trained in teaching ATS, and they aren't ready for anything fancy. Some of them still need serious work on their ATS steps. Anything I do with them will have to be basic, because they are starting where I was about eight years ago.
I am bummed out because I (selfishly) want a challenging learning environment where I can push my own skills. I want an instructor that way outclasses me and fellow students at my level or better, where I am the one struggling to keep up. I really miss that. It's tough to get excited about class when I get to relearn taxim for what seems like the hundredth time.
My options seem to be DVDs and classes at Datura Online. I am on a budget, so I can't afford both local and online classes. I really like to support local instructors and it pains me to have to go to a recorded class format. I just don't know what other option I have. I do have a local friend who is a former troupemate and we are of similar level. She might be a good local study buddy if our busy schedules line up.
Veteran dancers - how did you bridge this gap and continue your study when you ran out of local options? How did you get past the intermediate wall? Give me examples of your studies and how you kept yourself inspired without classmates and feedback! How did you self-monitor and self-teach? What worked and what didn't?
I could really use some mentoring TLC. Drop it on me, whatever you got. Thank you!
The problem I am having is that I am not able to find challenging instruction locally. I moved to my current location close to 3 years ago and started classes with a talented ATS instructor. I'm a tribal fusion girl, but I like a lot of things about ATS. I took level 1, level 2, and I've been in level 3 for just under 2 years. I could not progress to level 4 (performance prep) because I can only afford one class a week. I had no aspirations of working up to troupe because I can't afford it. So I just kinda hung out in level 3.
My instructor stopped teaching classes in January. I am currently in a 10 week beginner tribal fusion class which will be ending later this month. Everybody can work on the basics, but at this point, it feels like all I've been doing is basics. The tribal fusion instructor is good but I don't know if she intends to offer continued intermediate/advanced classes. She's just been teaching short sessions here and there when she is in the area.
The dance community is pretty limited. It's funny that I moved here from a much smaller town with a belly dance inferiority complex and thought surely everything I could want to study would be here in the Big City. Ha, nope. Turns out, belly dance inferiority complexes make a tiny community work their butts off because they THINK everyone in the bigger cities has access to three times as much. We were like bloodthirsty belly dance piranhas.
Since ATS classes ended I have been getting together with some of the other ATS students for informal practice once a week. These other ladies want to seek performance opportunities and keep their skills sharp. All of us have a common interest in tribal fusion and ITS, so it's fertile ground. The problem is that I am the most skilled, experienced dancer, and the other ladies are looking to me as a dance leader. I don't mind helping, but I do not aspire to be an instructor, I'm not trained in teaching ATS, and they aren't ready for anything fancy. Some of them still need serious work on their ATS steps. Anything I do with them will have to be basic, because they are starting where I was about eight years ago.
I am bummed out because I (selfishly) want a challenging learning environment where I can push my own skills. I want an instructor that way outclasses me and fellow students at my level or better, where I am the one struggling to keep up. I really miss that. It's tough to get excited about class when I get to relearn taxim for what seems like the hundredth time.
My options seem to be DVDs and classes at Datura Online. I am on a budget, so I can't afford both local and online classes. I really like to support local instructors and it pains me to have to go to a recorded class format. I just don't know what other option I have. I do have a local friend who is a former troupemate and we are of similar level. She might be a good local study buddy if our busy schedules line up.
Veteran dancers - how did you bridge this gap and continue your study when you ran out of local options? How did you get past the intermediate wall? Give me examples of your studies and how you kept yourself inspired without classmates and feedback! How did you self-monitor and self-teach? What worked and what didn't?
I could really use some mentoring TLC. Drop it on me, whatever you got. Thank you!
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Replies
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Maybe try other class types, especially since you are doing fusion. I've found that mixing up styles sometimes seems to bring something to my performances in other styles. Look around online as well, you can find some free classes. www.freebellydanceclasses.com is one site that I've found that has a variety of different styles.
In your informal practice, even if they ar ebeginners you could try to throw in a handful of more advanced in with the basic moves. That way you get something more out if it as well.
Despite dancing in the 5-10 year range depending how you count some of my off time, I've never become a good dancer largely because I don't think I've ever really focused and made real effort. So my advice is not really based on much.0 -
Find a local pro and ask what she does? Start with your former teacher. Then ask your current teacher if you like her. Also ask her if she can give you more complex variations on the moves she is teaching.
And definitely work with your study buddy. Maybe you could do the practice in the online classes together?
Finally, there is a LOT of awesome dance freely available online. Even if it isn't a class, try copying the moves. A surprising amount of more complex work is just the combinations of what you already know.0
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