out your Teacher’s permission / approval. I re- holidays / workshops, so I can’t really comment.
inforce this with fledgling dancers /students that What I do know is that many students have
approach me now, as etiquette is part of profes- been and they have loved it. My only advice to
sional conduct. I was studying prodigiously for students is that they should research the topic
about 3 years before I did my first show. Many of and develop a rounded understanding of what
the musicians from our classes and workshops it is they are trying to gain from the experience
offered me work at weddings and parties. Sura- and what is realistic. This will, at the very least,
ya really nurtured me as a performer. I trained to ensure that the experience meets their expecta-
be a Teacher under Suraya’s auspices for a few tions.
years. My training included 2 evenings a week
at dance class (6 hours), private classes and I am trying to teach my students to question
workshops with musicians. Plus I practiced ev- what they see and what they do. They need
ery night I was so besotted, and my neighbours to be able to make their own way in this dance.
actually asked me to turn the volume up so that This is important for their own growth and devel-
they could hear better! At that stage my career opment as artists. Students need to develop
was still going to be in television, this was a hob- a good solid understanding of the dance style,
by, but I wanted to be the best I could be as I what ever that style is, i.e. Turkish or Egyptian
loved it so much. When I left television in 1991, based. Once you have this basic understanding
or thereabouts, I began teaching actively. you can then identify similarities between belly
dance styles and the differences. All in all this
(Evete) Do you believe that one day their gives the student, and anyone who is involved
will be a formal accredited certification pro- in belly dance, an appreciation of the different
gram that is widely accepted by teachers, styles of the art.
students and performers in the UK (or even
worldwide)? (Evete) Why should students learn belly
dance with you? What makes your curricu-
(Anne) I would like to think that would happen. lum stand out above the rest?
However, my main concern is the benchmark.
For example, how do you get dancers to agree (Anne) Well this is an interesting question as
on one set of dance movements? Also, what’s the implication is that Teachers compete against
happening in Egypt, in terms of dance technique each other. The reality is that many actually
and style, is evolving all the time. Nothing in art collaborate and hold each other in very high
stays static. The hardest part to capture is the esteem. Many students are referred to me by
feeling in the dance. You can’t codify this. You other Teachers and vice versa. It is good for stu-
can judge technique but feeling is very difficult dents to have a very rounded education and this
to judge objectively and fairly. means trying out many different Teachers and
disciplines. In order for a Dancer‘s individual
In Egypt, there is a consensus on what is and style to evolve they need this exposure.
what isn’t belly dancing. The dance is so im-
bued with feminine beauty that this sometimes Students’ needs vary enormously. What I offer is
makes it difficult for the audience to differentiate a good grounding in dance including technique,
or see anything else. This was one of the rea- and interpretation, performance skills, rhythmic
sons that I had created Planet Egypt – to focus variations (as we work with drummers) and cul-
on the dance. The message of our shows is tural awareness – and we also incorporate Ara-
about spirit and soul and not necessarily just the bic language in our classes. All students from
stereotype of what a dancer should look like. the very beginning get used to free style dance
- it’s not just about churning out choreographies
(Evete) What are your views about work- they have to be able to improvise as well. We
shops and learning holidays? How should also explore dance psychology in class as well.
these be used in terms of learning and de-
velopment? When students evolve with me and they need
different challenges because I don’t feel that
(Anne) I haven’t actually attended any learning they are growing enough individually, I refer
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