Miramar's Danse Arabesque

No special clothing is required, although dance/ballet shoes are recommended. Since belly dance is a form of exercise, you want to wear something you would wear to the gym. Leggings, midriff tops, flowing broomstick skirts, ballet wear, sweats, aerobic wear are suitable.  A hip scarf is recommended for women’s classes. You should be prepared to take class in slippers, bare foot, in ballet or jazz slippers. Sneakers or dance/jazz shoes that
have arch support are only recommended for those who absolutely need to wear them, as they will interfere with the flat/ball use of the feet in belly dancing.

Please bring water in a spill-proof container and remember to either throw it in the trash when you leave or take it with you. You should bring a scarf to tie around your hips. Any type of scarf or sash will do. A belly dance hip scarf with beads or coins is fun and Miramar sells them so please ask her to bring in your favorite color. Depending on
current class content, finger cymbals, veil or other dance props may be needed. Miramar has these items available for sale as well. Finger cymbals called zills are ($12-$16) and a veil ($20-$25) are usually required for 2nd six weeks class. Bring a large towel or mat to use for the stretching portion of class.

Belly dancing is a great way to relieve stress and many students take classes simply for the fun!  Belly dancing is a great way to get in shape, stay in shape and provides a great cardiovascular workout. Miramar includes gentle stretching exercises (simple yoga) to help increase flexibility, relieve tension, increase blood flow, and help work out the kinks! Belly Dancing classes can be like a girl's night out!  Many of Miramar's students have formed lasting friendships in belly dancing class!  An encouraging and supportive
environment is always the goal of Miramar's classes.  Another added benefit is increased energy!  What are you waiting for? Join Miramar today on a wonderful journey in an ancient art form!

Women of all ages can enjoy the benefits of belly dancing - just work at a pace that is comfortable for you.  BellyBasic classes are designed for the beginning level dancer who may have never experienced a dance class in her life.  

No. Belly dancers come in all shapes and sizes. If you are worried about your weight, check with your doctor and get his/her permission to start a belly dance exercise routine. Belly dance provides a great workout for everyone. Do not wait till you are your ideal weight to start. You will learn to love your body and yourself soon after you start classes and belly dancing will help you to get in shape!

Absolutely not. While belly dancing is a great way to get in shape and lose weight - belly dancers do not have to be thin. As a matter of fact, thin belly dancers are not preferred in Egypt!  Turkey maybe - but certainly not in Egypt where the majority of dancers are plump!  In America, especially, many professional dancers are not by any means
thin. Plus the right costume is like Magic - and there are many styles to choose from including those with tummy net covers and gorgeous Beledi dresses that are like evening gowns!

This dance is a very ancient art form whose exact origin was not recorded, although it is believed  it has roots in matriarchal goddess religions. The earliest recorded dances were fertility dances for blessing the land and encouraged both the growth of crops and babies. The dance prepared a woman to be a mother as well as recover from the stress of childbirth and caring for a newborn. The dance is originally believed to have come from Asyria or Egypt and eventually spread throughout North Africa, the Middle East, Mediterranean, and parts of Asia through the trade routes such as the Silk Road.

Belly dance is one of the safest and most regenerative forms of exercise for the health of the spine. Students with mild to severe back problems such as frequent back ache, scoliosis, muscle spasms, sciatica, herniated disks will often experience relief within the first lesson. Some students will recover completely from back pain within months
and more severe cases find it an excellent way to manage pain without the use of harmful drugs. It is always recommended that you check with your doctor first before beginning any exercise program.

You do not have to be Middle Eastern to learn to belly dance. You do not have to have any experience in order to learn the dance. Miramar includes cultural information in her classes and can answer your questions about most aspects of the dance and/or culture. Just ask!

Miramar's classes are taught on a year-round continuous basis.  For classes offered at the various other locations, you can start at any time, at the beginning or in the middle of the month. In BellyBasic classes, there is usually a mixture of students who are brand new to class and advanced beginning level students who have had one session or several. There are many topics to cover in BellyBasics: basic isolations, hip work, traveling steps, basic zills, veil work, improvisation, simple dance choreographies and more. All these topics take time to learn and refine, so repetition is a must. Start class as soon as you are able!

If a substitute same level or lower class is available at the various locations that Miramar teaches, than students can make-up a missed class during the same session. The absent student should e-mail Miramar@bellydancewithmiramar within 48 hrs; if student does not have E-mail, phone 540-888-4344. Missed class on the last date of the session may
be made up during the following session provided student is enrolled as full-time student. Workshops, special classes and private lessons are not available for make-ups. If there is no available make-up class offered, then there are no make-up class available. If you missed class when Miramar is teaching a choreography or feel like you are getting
behind, then it is recommended that you take a private lesson to catch up. Full-Time enrolled students may take private lessons at a reduced cost. If you are taking a class at a level that is lower than your own, please resist the urge to improvise and do more advanced movements than what I am teaching, as I find it very distracting for myself
and my students.

Credits are only given when a student must quit taking classes due to severe illness or injury and is not able to return to class. A doctor's written note stating such is required. To receive credit, you need to notify Miramar within one week of your illness or injury and send a doctor's written note no less than two weeks after your illness or injury.
The note needs to be signed by the doctor, include the date of your visit and expected recovery. It must state that you are unable to participate in an activity such as dancing until your recovery date. Once this is completed you will receive your Letter of Credit which must be used consistently starting no less than one week after your recovery date
for group classes. Letter of Credit may not be used for private lessons or workshops, haflas, or other special classes.

Unfortunately, this is one of the most asked and difficult questions for dance instructors. Many teachers try to be nice and have some sort of make up policy, however, it is not the teacher's responsibility to offer make up classes or sessions for students who miss classes. Most teachers hold their classes with a minimum number of students. Operating in a rather rural area, this is the case with Miramar's classes. She would not be able to afford to operate her business if she would have to credit students for classes they miss. In the past, she did this; it made maintaining a studio and paying rent very difficult so she instituted a fair make-up policy. If you check around, you will find that
most classes/courses do not offer make-up classes at all.

Refund Policy: There are no refunds unless a class is cancelled due to low registration. Please do not sign up for a class if you are unsure of your ability to attend classes. If this is the case you may attend class as a drop-in student and pay as you go!  All classes, workshops and services must be paid for in advance and are not transferable or
refundable. You should understand that you are registered for a certain set of dates and that if you miss a class that there are no make-ups unless covered by the Make-Up Policy. Students who are not able to attend class on a regular basis should pay the drop-in prices for classes if that option is available.

Cancellations of class occur when there is lack of enrollment, and in such cases, uncashed checks or PayPal refunds are issued immediately.  Students who have preregistered and provided phone numbers and/or E-mail addresses are notified. In lieu of a refund, you can choose to apply your refund to an upcoming class or workshop.

Once session dates are confirmed; i.e., published on web page and/or sent out by e-mail or in printed form, the dates will not change. On rare occasions, when a teacher is ill or if class is cancelled because of inclement weather, students who have provided their correct phone numbers will be notified immediately, an e-mail stating the class
cancellation is promptly sent out.

An average time is approximately 5 years.  That may seem like a long time, but if you examine the length of time it takes to become a professional in just about anything - you will find it takes years of study.  Students who come to this dance form with extensive dance background, i.e., they grew up studying ballet, tap, and jazz - will progress
much faster than a 40 year old woman who has never studied dance in her life.  A professional belly dancer needs many skills to be successful: ability to isolate the body, how to shimmy many different ways, an aptitude for zil playing, an understanding of Middle Eastern cultures, be able to differentiate between cabaret and folklore, costuming
know-how, stamina to perform for 20-30 minutes without getting winded, and the list goes on and on!

Miramar believes that a teacher of Middle Eastern dance should first be a professional dancer for many years before hanging out her shingle to teach. She estimates 7 years as an minimum time frame for gaining the required expertise and talent  There are too many important concepts that need to be included in dance classes that the novice or amateur performer just doesn't know about because she lacks the necessary experience.  A dance teacher needs to have a knowledge of the body's infrastructure, the major muscles and how the body works.  Knowledge of proper posture and how to instruct students to correct improper posture is a must.  Other important requirements are: knowledge of various genres of Middle Eastern dance including Egyptian Raks Sharqi, Turkish Rom, Lebanese,
Greek, Moroccan, and the many various forms of folklore. A musical ability is an absolute must as you must be able to locate the first beat of a phrase (something that many students seem to have trouble with) and break down music. An ability to dance by improvisation and choreography  is a needed requirement and you must be able to choreography suitable dances for your various student's abilities.  

These classes move at a fast pace and cover large amounts of material and choreographies which must be memorized and then practiced and rehearsed over and over again to make perfect. There are many reasons why:  

1. When students attend on only a partial basis, then the class schedule as to be structured around their schedule which makes it difficult for the teacher and is not fair to the students.  2. On-line Google Drive support is provided for full-time students only, part-time students may possibly receive video support - it depends on a number of factors -please
contact me directly to discuss this. 3.  If one student is permitted to attend on a part-time basis then all students must be allowed to attend on a part-time basis, and it becomes impossible for the teacher to teach at a faster pace, as the teacher must constantly be repeating material that she has already taught but has to reteach to the students who
were not in class. 

Google Drive Video Instruction is provided for FREE for full-time enrolled students. In order to receive the private videos you need to set up a Google Profile e-mail account that you will use to log into YouTube.  If you drop out of class it is possible to continue with YouTube support for a low fee of $20 per month provided you meet certain criteria. Please enquire. If you quit class and do not continue with the YouTube support you will be deleted from the private videos. If you rejoin the class there is a $50 fee to add you back to the private videos as this takes a lot of time and effort.

PLEASE BE ON TIME:  It is important for you to participate in the needed warm-up exercises. If you will be arriving late, please enter the room quietly and position yourself. Take a moment to stretch lightly, especially warming up your neck, back and ankles.  

CLASS BENEFIT: To get the most benefit from dance classes: A. Eat a nutritious meal 1 ½ to 2 hours before a class. This gives you time to digest your food. B. Drink plenty of water before, during and after stretching and dancing. C. Set aside at least 30 minutes 3 x a week to review the basic isolations and stretch afterward.

CLASS NOTES: Notes are e-mailed to students. Please print out the notes and arrange in a notebook.  Please do not forward your notes via email to anyone as they are included in the cost of classes and protected by USA copyright law.

SUGGESTED ATTIRE & YOUR DANCE BAG: Wear informal, comfortable clothes you can move and stretch in such as tights and leotards, leggings and midriff tops, sweats, and Gypsy style broomstick skirts. It is not necessary to bare you midriff; a hip scarf worn straight across the hips is a good tool to help you see if you are doing movements correctly. Ballet slippers or other dance shoes will help protect your feet and make dancing easier and more graceful.  

INJURY OR PAIN: Please notify me of any previous injuries, accidents or health issues before or after class (but not during, I won’t be able to properly respond).  

CLASS MUSIC: Music used in class is provided for educational use only. If you wish to perform to the music in any venue, you need to purchase an original copy of artist’s music. If you hear other music that you like that we don’t use specifically for choreography or tribal performances, I can provide you with contact information to purchase it.  

GENERAL CLASSROOM ETIQUETTE

1. Conduct yourself as you would in any classroom setting. Questions pertaining to the material being taught are welcome - please ask!  Questions not pertaining to class material should be e-mailed to Miramar or asked at a different time. If you do not agree with something that I am doing or requesting in class, please talk with me about this before or after class and not in class. Joking and laughing are encouraged – the class is supposed to be fun!

2. Please resist the urge to answer other student's questions. Your approach or answer may be different from the point the instructor is trying to make.

3.  There is no standardization of ethnic dance movement names so another teacher may call 'it' something else. If you feel a need to help someone understand a move in another way, please offer your help at another time - not class time.

4.  Please use the restroom or get a drink of water at any time.

5. Cell phones should be turned off while in the classroom. Please make any needed calls outside the classroom.

6. Please try not to chew gum while in class. Facial expressions are an important part of Mid-Eastern dance!

7. Please understand that there will be times in class when we will be reviewing material you may already have been taught. You may not always like the ‘topics’ or format being taught.  Please keep your opinions about your dislikes to yourself during class time and discuss them in private with me if you need to. If you are attending a class that is at a lower level than what  you normally take, please resist the urge to improvise and do movements that are more advanced and not what I am currently teaching, as I find it distracts me and the other students in class. Keep in mind that reviewing the
basics is a very good idea, good for your technique and your body!

8. Understand that most everyone is attending class at least partly for stress relief, so positive attitudes help!

9. The studio can not accommodate children, husband, boyfriends and/or pets.

10. Please remove your street shoes before entering the dance room.

11. Please take your empty water bottles home – this cuts down on clean-up.

12. YouTube Support is provided for FREE for full-time enrolled students. It may be provided for part-time and or students who are taking a break from class provided you meet certain criteria. Please enquire.