Lessons I learned from instructing a belly dance class

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Back in 2010-2011 I taught a belly dance class - rather unwillingly.  Why unwilling you ask?   I had been in a troupe that failed -- and had found these belly dance classes, and met a fantastic bunch of women.  However that instructor ended up moving out of the area.  I tried to interest people in getting together to watch belly dance videos (instructional) - but that didn't go over.  So I did the only thing I could think of to keep this awesome group of people together - so I started teaching as I had experience in a different style than they did.  Well it took them a year to catch up to me, and I had nothing new to show them.  Sure I would have people come and go, drift in and out of the classes but the "core" group remained the same.  At the time they began expressing an interest to move on from my style of teaching we had become good enough friends that we kept in touch and formed our own troupe together. I learned that people take a dance class for all different reasons.  For exercise, for the art of it, or for the hopes to perform.   I learned that some people like to learn routines, and some people like to learn moves.  I learned that some people like to be critiqued, and others will complain when you critique them after they ask you to do so.  I learned that everyone has some amount of body issues.   Dance is a wonderful experience and I hope that you get a chance to take class in whatever style suits you if you feel lead to do so.  Photo: Of me