Levels in Middle Eastern Dance

by Sedonia Sipes ©2007

Students often wonder what “level” they are in the dance at a particular moment in time. Instructional videos, classes, and workshops are littered with labels such as beginner, intermediate, advanced, master, novice, etc. Students usually soon learn that ever teacher and dancer has different definitions of these. Moreover, students commonly under-evaluate or over-evaluate their current skill level. I have heard more than one dance student complain that she had “mastered” an advanced class or instructional video with one instructor, only to find that she struggles in the beginner or intermediate class of a new instructor.

Body parts may not be at the same “level”: Hips may be relatively “advanced” while hands and arms are relatively “beginner”. Upper body posture and strength generally lag behind lower body skills. Or, students may speed ahead in one facet of the dance (such as technical movement), but lag behind in other facets (musical interpretation, cultural knowledge). The following represents my views on what skills, knowledge, and activities are involved with various levels. Keep in mind that, as usual, other opinions may differ.

Absolute Beginner (students taking first semester course):
* See belly dance performances for the first time
* Listen to Middle Eastern music for the first time
* Begin to develop stability, strength and control of core postural muscles
* Begin to develop the 7 points of posture
* Begin to learn basic movements such as unweighted hip articulations, hip circles, horizontal figure 8’s, simple upper body movements, arm and hand undulations, basic shimmy

Beginner (usually first year of study, but may last longer)
* See more dance performances at live events and on video, begin to develop “dance aesthetic” (knowing what the dance is supposed to look like, judging good from bad)
* Become aware of dance styles from different regions (Egypt, Turkey, America, etc), classical vs. folkloric etc (even if you can’t yet tell them apart, you know these disparate styles exist)
* Further develop core postural muscles
* Become comfortable moving to Middle Eastern music, learn a few common rhythms, buy a few CDs and start to listen to them a few times each week.
* Become proficient at basic movements: hip articulations, hip circles, horizontal figure 8’s, simple upper body movements, arm/hand undulations, basic shimmy
* Begin to learn vertical figure 8’s, body undulations, 3/4 shimmy, vibrations, weighted hip articulations
* Begin to learn simple footwork patterns: basic walk, step-ball-change, simple turns.
* Begin to learn historical and cultural information regarding Middle Eastern dance
* For students interested in performing, first performing experience at an amateur venue: student recital, hafla, workshop show, charity work
* Begin to attend special topic workshops locally and regionally
* Begin to learn zills, veil
* Learn a simple choreography

Early Intermediate (may stretch out for several to many years)
* Attending classes or private instruction wherein feedback and correction is given on an individual basis.
* Regular attendance/study of dance performance (live and video)
* Can differentiate Egyptian from Turkish from American dance style, and modern/classical from folkloric forms. Same for musical styles.
* Control of core postural muscles is now automatic. Excellent posture practiced in daily life as well as dance class.
* Proficient execution of basic movements with all points of posture is now automatic.
* Comfortable and familiar with several common Middle Eastern rhythms: maqsum, masmoudi, chifitielli, etc.
* Gain proficiency in more difficult moves: undulations, vertical figure 8’s, upper body shimmies, vibrations, transition between weighted and unweighted hip movements with ease, fast 3/4 shimmy
* Begin to layer and combine movements (e.g. layer shimmy over hip circle or undulation)
* Recognize phrasing in music
* Begin to integrate simple footwork patterns with phrasing patterns common in Middle Eastern music (rule of 4 and its variations)
* Learn more choreographies
* Begin improvisational movement
* Gain proficiency in zills, veil
* Begin to learn a few specific folkloric dances: cane dance (Egypt), Saudi dance, line dances such as debke
* Continue amateur performance experiences, begin to develop stage presence and dynamics.
* Continue special topic workshops several times per year
* Become familiar with the contributions of well-respected American M.E. dancers (Morocco, Ibrahim Farrah, Jamila Salimpour, Shareen el Safy, Sahra Kent, Yousri and Nourhan Sharif, etc)
* Become familiar with the contributions of well-respected Egyptian dancers and teachers past and present (Samia Gamal, Naima Akef, Tahiya Kariokia, Sohair Zaki, Mahmoud Reda, Raqia Hassan, Fifi Abdou). Same for Lebanese or Turkish dancers if your focus is not Egyptian.

Upper Intermediate/Early Advanced (probably lasts many years or decades)
* Familiar with numerous songs and musical pieces used in belly dance (see my list of songs every dancer should know) – you can recognize them by ear, name them, and dance to them.
* Familiar with and can recognize the work of famous 20th century Egyptian musicians and composers (e.g. Farid Al Atrashe, Mohammed Abdul Wahab, Abdel Halim Haifez, Om Kalthoum)
* Familiar with current M.E. musicians popular in America and M.E.
* Familiar with many M.E. rhythms; can dance, interpret, and accent each rhythm
* Can recognize rhythmic, melodic, and mood transitions in a complex piece of classical Oriental dance music (e.g. recognize a fast upbeat introduction with malfuf rhythm, that transitions into heavy exotic maqsum, that transitions into soulful taxim, that transitions into balady improvisation, that transitions into finale with drum solo)
* Can immediately recognize instruments used in M.E. dance, and instinctively interprets them (shimmy for oud, drums; undulations for violin, arms/hands for ney, etc.)
* Dance aesthetic becomes even more finely honed; the music dictates the dance to you according to this aesthetic.
* You now have a decent collection of M.E. music (50-500 CDs), and a reasonable collection of videos for study.
* You are able to pick out costumes that are flattering in style and color to your body type and appropriate for particular dance styles.
* Make your own choreographies and improvisational dances.
* Finger cymbals and veil become automatic extensions of your body.
* You are probably in an “advanced” weekly class, and/or supplementing your training with private coaching, regional workshops, and possibly week-long intensive dance camps.
* You can recognize and describe subtle differences between famous Egyptian dancers such as Dina, Samia Gamal, Fifi Abdu, Mona Saiid, Lucy. Same for Lebanese, Turkish, American dancers
* Have become a polished performer, possibly stepped into professional realm of performing or teaching.

Upper Advanced: According to *my* definitions of levels, “upper advanced” is reserved for very few and doesn’t include myself yet (maybe never). All the points mentioned above become further “owned”. I think dancers at the highest advanced levels have a very broad repertoire in terms of regional styles and folkloric specialties. They have usually traveled to Istanbul, Cairo, or other cultural hotspots in the Middle East, in order to study the dance and culture in situ. They may take up the formal study of Arabic music or Arabic in order to further enhance their dancing. They are probably nationally or internationally renowned instructors who travel broadly to give workshops and private training.

Obviously, knowing where you are on a path requires some understanding of the final destination. Yet, as with any art, one could study Middle Eastern dance for 10 lifetimes and not know it all.