Frequently Asked Questions ("FAQs")about belly dancingDON'T FORGET TO REFRESH OR RELOAD WEB PAGES THAT YOU HAVE VIEWED PREVIOUSLY; OTHERWISE YOU MAY FIND YOURSELF LOOKING AT AN OLD VERSION!!
If you know exactly what you're looking for in this website, enter the word(s) in the box below and click on "Find!". Otherwise, use the navigation buttons (in the left hand column of this and most other pages on the site) to navigate yourself around. Otherwise, click on any of the questions below to get your answer!
Where and when are your regular classes? Do I need to book? How much is each class? Do you have a training video or DVD available; is there one for advanced dancers? Are there any belly dance teachers or events in my area? Are you available for live performances? Do you perform at "Hen Parties"? Where can I buy belly dancing costumes and accessories? Do you have a catalogue of belly dancing costumes and accessories? Do you have any BellyBabies classes running or scheduled at present? Can you hold a workshop in my area? I didn't get to your workshop; can I have my money back? Do you have any residential classes? Do you allow spectators (non-participating) in classes? Where can I find restaurants in London with belly dance performances? I'm a teacher of bellydance or related subjects; can I be listed on your website? Do you provide formal teacher training qualifications? Do you have a training video or DVD available; is there one for advanced dancers?
Do you perform at "Hen Parties"?
It's a lovely idea for a hen-party - I lead quite a
few! My normal fee for a one-hour session is between £150 and £200
plus travel expenses (dependent upon location - I have to travel from north-west
Kent). If you need me to provide the venue, then the fee is per dancer; between
£15 and £35 per head, depending on numbers and on the studio location.
Possible studios would be DanceWorks (Mayfair, London), Beckenham (SE London), or Chislehurst (NW Kent). I am usually able to arrange a venue in other areas,
given sufficient notice. I need dates and numbers asap to be able to give
you a firm quote; I tend to be booked up some way ahead! If I can't do the
date you want, or it's outside your budget; I am able to offer one of my
top-trained students for between £80 and £120. Please
For latest details of workshops (UK & International), and last minute
changes to times/venues, please see the workshops
page
Are you available for live performances?
Yes - more information can be found on the Performances page. - Date and time of day; - Venue (location, type, size; and whether an adequate sound system (with CD drive) is available); - Elapsed time (maximum is normally 2 hours for cabaret work); - Type of function; - Audience type and size (I only perform to mixed or all female audiences); - Any special requirements (for instance, teaching, as opposed to, or in addition to, performing). If my fee range is outside of your budget, I can usually offer a top-trained student of mine for between £80 and £150 (plus expenses).
Please contact me to discuss further.
Do you give private tuition?
Yes - details are on this website on the Private Tuition
page.
Please contact me to discuss further.
Where can I buy belly dancing costumes and accessories? Sadly, there are very few shops catering specfically for belly dancers - shame! These are the ones that I am aware of: Forbidden Fruits Bazaar - Lutterworth, Leics; see www.forbiddenfruitsbazaar.com; The Shimmy Shop - Haverfordwest, S. Wales; see www.baubo.co.uk; Aladdin's Cave - Ellesmere, Shopshire - 01691 624 380. There are some shops in London, like Torus and another in Carnaby Street, which sell stage clothes; some of which can be used as the basis of a costume, if you are good with a needle! Centrally, but more commonly around the suburbs, there are occasional middle-eastern art and craft shops, many of which sell the odd costume or hip-belt, but these are generally tourist rather than practitioner quality.
Several teachers, myself included, do sell some costumes as well as many
other accessories. My stock can be seen at workshops - see the page
Finally, there are lots of bellydance costume shops on the Internet - but do be careful! Most are in third world countries; your money might be at risk; carriage is usually excluded from quoted prices and can be very expensive; and it can be even more expensive if the items delivered don't fit or are not as described and have to be sent back (usually at your cost and with no guarantee of a refund).
Do you have a catalogue of belly dancing costumes and accessories? Sadly, it is not practical for me to produce a catalogue. I supply costumes and accessories just as a service to dancers; and the volume of business would not justify the costs of production. Even if it was financially viable, a catalogue would have limited value, because all of the items I sell are hand made in Egypt, Turkey or Morocco. I always purchase for stock a wide selection of items each time I visit any of these countries; but it is very rarely that I actually get two items the same! Also, of course, fashions in these countries change as rapidly as they do in Europe, so any catalogue would very quickly get out of date.
My stock can be seen at workshops - see the workshops page
Do you have any BellyBabies classes running or scheduled at present?
I do not have a dedicated Belly Babies session running or scheduled in your
area at the moment. However, I have many pregnant women attending my
normal classes and workshops successfully (see
If you attend a local belly dancing class (or undertake a home class using
a video - details are on the
Where and when are your regular classes? Do I need to book in advance?
All regular weekly public classes are drop-in, no
booking required. At Danceworks, Mayfair (nearest station Bond Street)
numbers are limited, so entry is by ticket, which you buy on the stairs from
Ian or myself outside the dance studio. There are public, drop-in class every Monday evening (except bank holidays) in Orpington, Kent (adjacent to orpington Station) and every Thursday evening in Beckenham, Kent (nearest stations Beckenham Junction or West Wickham).
How much is Danceworks membership? Does it entitle me to join any classes? Is there a class fee reduction for Danceworks members? Danceworks membership fees vary - they are always running promotions! In theory, all memberships other than daily attract a "joining fee" of about £50-£60, but currently this is being waived. Daily membership is currently £5. Annual membership, paid monthly by direct debit, is the best value option - at around £8 per month. The worst is monthly, which is £40/month and not good value for money unless you are only in London for a month and want to go to Danceworks at least 9 times. All memberships, including daily, entitle you to attend all classes at Danceworks - but the normal class fee for every class still applies - i.e. there are no class fee reductions for members (however, some other teachers bundle the entrance fee within the class fee - always check at reception if attending a different class). See their website (www.danceworks.net) for the latest info and prices.
Are your classes and/or workshops suitable for complete beginners and/or intermediate and advanced dancers? Do I need to book in advance?
I teach beginners, intermediate, advanced and professional levels for pleasure,
performance and teaching. I normally consider beginners to be up to
18 months and intermediate to be beyond that (with advanced being 5 years
plus). However, all dancers learn at their own rate - some achieve
intermediate within 6 months, whilst others may never really achieve it.
Public classes are drop-in, no booking required; classes in my private studio and all workshops
are by advance booking only.
Can you hold a workshop in my area? I can normally hold workshops on a Saturday or Sunday. My preferred format is 3 hours, usually from 2-5pm, but I can consider alternative arrangements. The main requirement is for a venue with a dance studio; i.e. a sprung wooden floor or specially surfaced dance floor and mirrors to the majority of one wall (preferably the longest wall, if the studio is rectangular). Minimum size depends on the number of students expected; I generally allow about 30-35 sq. feet (3-4 sq. metres) per student for a standard workshop; but I allow at least 50% more space if floorwork or veils are required.
My charges depend on whether I arrange and pay for the venue; on the amount
of travel time and cost involved; and on the number of students. Generally,
including studio hire, the cost is a minimum of £25 per student; with
a minimum of 20 students. A complimentary workshop place is normally given
to the local organiser in return for enlisting workshop members, liasing
with the venue, distributing posters, identifying suitable local news media
in which to place listings, etc. Please contact me to discuss further.
I didn't get to your workshop; can I have my money back? Shame you didn't make the workshop! With regard to your request for a roll-over or part-refund - I sometimes have dancers on the waiting list who could have taken your place had you informed me.
The terms and conditions are stated clearly on the workshops page of this
website and printed on your receipt :
I would love to help you out - and I may have been able to before the event
- but cannot afterwards. Many book and then are taken ill, or forget,
or otherwise cannot make it. I still have to pay the full studio rent
and spend three weeks preparing the workshop even if no-one turns up on the
day!
I'm sorry to disappoint you. If you wish to book the next workshop
Keep dancing & enjoying..........
Do you have any residential classes?
I teach a number of residential courses each year,
primarily at the Marlborough College Summer School.
Malborough Summer College is an annual 3-week event, with different courses
every week, Monday to Friday. Classes are mornings and afternoons (each about
3 hours), with social events etc. in the evenings. You can book for a minimum
of one course (i.e. 1 week, a morning or afternoon course) or a maximum of
six (i.e. all 3 weeks, mornings and afternoons). There is a huge range of
courses available in a vast range of subjects. My classes are a morning
(beginners) and an afternoon (improvers) and are are usually held in the second
or third week. For details, enquire of Marlborough College, Summer School
(Tel 01672 892388/9 or visit
www.mcsummerschool.org.uk).
Do you allow men in classes?
I can teach men and have done so many times for films
etc. The belly dance movements for men are similar but different to women's
and, ideally, they should be taught separately for this reason. Occasionally,
I do have a male, professional, middle-eastern dancer attending my Mayfair
(Danceworks) classes. Also, sometimes, I have an Arabic male drummer
at Danceworks. The Beckenham and Chislehurst classes
are both, currently, all female. I know that some students,
particularly the beginners, are uncomfortable with a man in the class. A
further complication is that changing facilities are limited at all class
venues - and many of the ladies get changed in the studio - so the presence
of a man can be a problem.
There are some male teachers around and obviously it would be much less of
a problem to have a man in their classes; I can provide you with their details
on request.
Do you allow spectators (non-participating) in classes?
I'm afraid not. Most of my classes cater particularly
for beginners; and new dancers are generally slightly nervous. They
certainly don't want an audience until they have improved considerably!
Occasionally, I organise "Showcase" evenings, where students from my
classes put on a performance and I demonstrate what takes place in a class.
Tickets go on sale a few weeks beforehand. Please check the Events
page
Are there any belly dance teachers or belly dancing events in my area?
To search for a teacher in your area, see my
Geographic Teachers Listing
Not all teachers have elected to be included on my
Listings, but I do have additional information on teachers so, if you cannot
find what you're looking for, please contact me to discuss further.
Where can I find restaurants in London with belly dance performances? (1) Arabic dancing, Lebanese restaurant Maroush I, 21 Edgware Road, W2, tel 020 7723 0773 or 020 7262 1090. Expensive but usually excellent. Other branches of Maroush may also have dancers; enquire. (2) Turkish dancing & restaurant EFES 2, 175 Great Portland Street, W1, tel 020 7436 0600. Some other branches of Efes also occasionally have dancers; enquire. Do book in advance, and ask for a table close to the dance floor, or you may not be able to see the dancing! Also, bear in mind that dancing is normally late in the evening; check times before you book.
Do you provide formal teacher training qualifications? There is no nationally or internationally recognised accreditation or certification for belly dancers or belly dance teachers; but a number of teachers do run courses specifically to train teachers; and some of these are run at educational establishments. I have not personally attended any of these, so I cannot give a personal recommendation on the quality of either the courses or the teachers; and you would be advised to read the small print to satisfy yourself that the accreditation or certification had some value. You may be better off considering a generic, but recognised, vocational qualification to teach dancing generally.
I do train several teachers myself, and many teachers attend my classes and
workshops on a regular basis. A number of the teachers on my teachers register run courses to train teachers - see my
Do you have a training video or DVD available; is there one for advanced dancers? Currently, I have only one training video available for purchase. The video (available on VHS video cassette and DVD) has been designed specifically to meet the needs of a beginner or improver, learning at home. There is a talk, warm-up exercises, posture, belly dance movements and, finally, a choreographed dance to learn. It is designed espacially for beginners, but my speciality is choreography so, even if you are an experienced dancer and know some or all of the movements, the dance routine itself will be new to you.
It can be purchased at classes or by mail order (payment by cheque; or from
your bank account or credit card using PayPal). Details are on the
video
page
I'm a teacher of bellydance or related subjects; can I be listed on your website?
Yes! Please go to the teacher listing page -
It is not a condition for inclusion, but I would appreciate a reciprocal
mention on your website, if and when you have one. A simple mention of my
website address, with something like "Jacqueline Chapman, classes in central
and south London", is quite sufficient but, if you would like to include
a proper link with a button, the html code is included below for you to copy
and paste. Just use your html editor to insert this wherever you choose on
your site. Alternatively, you can go to
www.bellydancer.org.uk/2008/linkinfo.html
and copy and paste from there. The image for the button used in this
code (dancebut.gif) is on that webpage (and also on every page of my website
in the lefthand column, 3rd or 4th button down). To retrieve it to
your local directory, right click on it and then select "save image as" or
"save picture as"; select your local directory; and click on "save". Remember
to upload the image, with your updated web page, to your web space.
Keep dancing and enjoying!
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