Teaching Belly Dance - Paperback

by Pleasant Gehman (Introduction by), Sara Shrapnell (Author)

Are you ready to teach belly dance? Are you looking for ways to change up your teaching techniques? Are you keen to find a fresh approach to bring to your existing classes? This is the book! Sara Shrapnell will help you set up, plan, teach and enjoy your belly dance classes. From exciting games to make learning fun for your students, to understanding the individual needs, desires, and hopes that each dancer brings to class, Sara will help you hone the learning experience to achieve their goals. This book touches on every major aspect of the teaching process including: - Tips for finding the perfect teaching venue - Promoting yourself as your teacher - Planning interesting semesters - Methods for developing comprehensive lesson plans - Understanding your students aims and goals - Providing useful praise and critique - Teaching to a variety of learning styles - Organizing your own events and troupe - Picking music that connects to the learner Also includes a glossary, handouts, and sample waivers. Sara Shrapnell has taught belly dance for more than a decade, presenting thousands of belly dance classes, both in the UK and US. She teaches privates, groups, workshops, and provides coaching for dancers and teachers worldwide. www.LetsBellyDanceUSA.com

Author Biography

Sara Shrapnell is a belly dance writer, teacher and performer. She first appeared on stage as a bump during "Songs from the Shows" in Bridgwater, UK. She studied ballet from three and spent her childhood weekends touring East Anglia as part of a disco dancing troupe. She attended here first belly dance class in 1992, training at first with Tina Hobin and then Afra Al Kahira. In 2000 she graduated from the Al Kahira school of Middle Eastern Dance teaching programme which included a City and Guilds qualification in teaching adults. She then mentored others as they completed the course. Her classes are known for their humor, detailed breakdowns and cultural context. She adapts her lessons to suit the dancers, their needs and aims. Over the years she has taught more than four thousand lessons and performed as a soloist in a huge variety of settings. She has organized workshops, dance days and theater shows in addition to managing three troupes. Students who have studied with Sara have gone on to teach and perform in all styles of belly dance and many have made their living through performance or teaching. Sara is also co-author of the popular stagecraft handbook "Becoming a Belly Dancer - From Student to Stage". Currently teaching in Pleasanton, Dublin and Livermore in the Bay Area, Sara's offers on line and in person mentoring for teachers, students and performers worldwide.