This is a list of the various classes and levels that Miramar teaches at various locations near Winchester, VA. If you have a
group of friends that are interested in a particular class, please contact Miramar. She is always looking for new teaching
spaces – her requirements being either a wooden floor or comparable dance floor (not concrete, or tile on concrete) and she
prefers to teach with mirrors if possible.
Also, class time and space are available for additional daytime classes in Cross Junction, VA. so if you do not find an existing
class, please e-mail Miramar to discuss the possibility of a new class forming that can accommodate you and your friends.
Genie Dance: Girls ages 5-10. A special class that teaches the joys of dance and music to young girls. Focus on either
Tribal Odyssey, Veil and/or Gypsy-Tambourine Dance!
Mothers and Infants: Special class for mothers and non-toddling infants. Available private or semi-private basis. Contact
director if interested.
Mothers and Daughters: For mothers and pre-school daughters ages 3-5.
About Miramar's Levels: Dance instructors throughout the US offer various levels of classes based upon their experience
and expertise. There is no codification of Middle Eastern or belly dancing movements that is accepted universally by
teachers in this field. Therefore, there are no set levels. Some teachers will offer a six week course and call it beginning,
followed by an intermediate six week course followed by an advanced class for another six week. I call this the Sha-Zam!!!
Method of Belly Dancing. One week you are a novice, and 18 weeks later you are an advanced dancer? This is part of the
problem in the United States and many other countries where unqualified teachers hang up the their teaching shingles after
taking a six week course. Believe me, it happens. I have taught 1000's of women the art of belly dancing, as well as
authentic folklore dances from various Middle Eastern countries. My class levels reflect my experience and my thoughtful
approach to studying this art form. I will not rush you through my BellyBasics course, and I won't hold you back either.
Students progress at their own rate, but there is so much to learn at the beginning dance level. My advice is to practice,
practice, practice, but not to try and rush through the various levels. I've seen and met women who have studied this dance
form for a couple of years and think they know all there is to know. I've been studying this art form for almost 30 years -
and I'm still learning, still adding to my knowledge base and still studying with my favorite teachers. Middle Eastern dance or
belly dance is a lot more complicated and a lot more in depth than you can ever imagine.
Time Frame = The suggested or average length of time that it takes for a student to complete the various levels with the
assumption that the student is attending class on a regular basis and practicing several times a week at home. Students with
prior dance background such as ballet, jazz, modern, generally will learn Middle Eastern at a faster rate, however, they may
also have difficulty discarding dance styles that may be memorized in their bodies.
ShimmyShape (Beginning Level): There is so much to learn at this level! Focus on learning isolations, Tribelle Chic
(American Tribal Style) Stage 1, beginning veil, hips, traveling steps and zils. Simple choreographies and improvisational
dance are also taught at this level. TIME FRAME: 6 months – 1 yr. Many students will prefer to stay at this level for 1-3
years.
Niles Nymphs (Strong Foundations): This class continues to work on embellishing basic isolations with beautiful arms,
shimmies and traveling steps. Dancers should feel fairly comfortable with the basic isolations before moving on to a Nile
Nymphs class. You may not have the move perfectly, but you understand how the move is broken down. You should be able
to shimmy at this point with the shoulders and hips in an isolated fashion. You should feel fairly comfortable with basic veil
moves and basic zil patterns which we'll continue to work on in this class. We'll work on spinning, travel steps with zills and
more complex choreographies. New Tribelle Chic steps and staging are included. Oftentimes, this class level is combined
with BellyBasics for a multi-level class. New Student Special or Orientation may be required for new students.
TIME FRAME: 6 months - 1 or 2 years.
Palace Pearls (Intermediate): Focus on beautiful technique and expressions, arms, layering isolations, more complex
shimmies and hip work are taught, zills, Tribelle Chic levels 3 & 4, improvisation and choreographies. At this level, you
should be proficient in the topics offered in the two preceding levels. You MUST be able to lead Tribelle Chic and understand
staging concepts as performing Tribelle Chic is a primary goal. Students who are interested in studying at this level are also
expected to adhere to *Miramar’s Inter.-Adv. Level Requirements & Expectations. TIME FRAME: 4 yrs+.
Special Topics (Intermediate-Advanced levels): This class is similar to Palace Pearls, except Tribelle Chic is usually not
included. Class content is focused on a particular topic of interest for a longer, period of time. Topics generally deal with
authentic, Middle Eastern dance genres such as Egyptian: Raks Sharqi, Saidi, Beledi and/or Turkish: Oryntal or Rom.
Students who are interested in studying at this level are also expected to adhere to *Miramar’s Inter.-Adv. Level
Requirements & Expectations.
Advanced/Professional Sultana Level: This level is only offered on a private or semi-private basis only. Dancers need to
be proficient in the following areas: isolations, hip work, veil work, complex zill patterns, spinning and traveling steps as
offered in the preceding levels. Various topics include: Sword, Double cane, Shamadon, Double Veil, and Dancing on
Glasses. For a complete menu of topic offerings, please see Miramar’s Menu on my web page.
General Information: Intermediate-Advanced level classes cover material much more quickly than lower-level classes and
are intended for students who are looking for a challenge and are serious about improving their dance knowledge and
technique. If your primary interest is in belly dancing as a fun exercise class, this is not the right class for you, even if you're
a long-time student. Please ask Miramar for guidance on the appropriate class for you. For description of classes, please see
above. Please make sure you familiarize yourself with my Refund/Credit policies answered on my FAQ page.
Acceptance: Students are accepted into class with permission of the instructor and usually need to attend either a private or
semi-private lesson with Miramar so she can determine if this would be an appropriate level. If a student has attended class
previously with another teacher, a letter of reference from that teacher which discusses the student’s abilities would be
helpful and may waive the evaluation with Miramar. In addition, students may need to take private lessons to catch up on
material that has already been taught in class.
Topics: Various topics covered will be chosen in consultation with students, taking into account their interests and the
instructor's areas of expertise. Tribelle Chic is included at the Palace Pearls level and sometimes in the Special Topics
classes.
Requirements: Students are expected to make every effort to attend class regularly, on time and with appropriate attire and
materials (zills, canes, veils, etc.). When an absence is unavoidable, students should notify the instructor and ask about taking
a private or semi-private lesson if needed to catch up on missed material. If you know in advance that you will be missing a
class, please E-mail Miramar as soon as possible to notify her.
Students are expected to practice at home. The instructor will provide written notes on movements and choreographies, as
well as suggestions for appropriate practice music. In some cases, particularly where a choreography is being learned for
public performance, the instructor may provide students with a no-frills DVD demonstration at a nominal cost, for personal
use only.
Extended Absence: If students are going to miss more than 3 classes in a 2 month period, or miss a key piece of
information such as a choreography, they may be required to take a Private Lesson with Miramar at the reduced price $35 (1
hr.) to cover the material that they missed. Students who will be away from class for an extended time should plan on taking
at least 1 private lesson a month to cover any missed material. Typically in class students work on technique for months and
months when learning a new topic, before a choreography is taught. So learning just the choreography and skipping the
technique is usually not a good recipe for doing the choreography correctly. Students wanting to return to class will have to
meet this requirement.
YouTube Support: This support is provided for FREE for full-time enrolled students. If you will be taking an extended
absence from class and would plan to return in the future, you may keep up with previously taught class content by
continuing with YouTube support for a low fee of $20 a month. If you do not opt to do this, you will be deleted from private
videos. At a later date, should you return to class there is a $50 fee to be re-added to videos.
Performance Requirements: Various performance opportunities will have requirements including appropriate costume,
regular attendance to class, memorized choreography, and any extra rehearsals.
Miramar's Class Offerings and Levels
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Mothers, Infants & Daughters
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Women’s Dance
Daughters who are at least 16 years old may attend class
with their mothers or older sisters at a discounted price!
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*MIRAMAR'S INTERMEDIATE-ADVANCED CLASS
REQUIREMENTS & EXPECTATIONS
Nile Nymphs, Palace Pearls and Special Topics
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Womens' Dance Class Levels
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