15 September 2015

OPTIONAL New Class Format at FatChanceBellyDance®

Hi All,

Don’t panic! The new format is optional
If you like the original format, feel free to keep using it. You can see the original format here here

If you fancy variation, have a look at the new format.

Back in the day, when I was the only teacher, I taught by the seat of my skirt. I would assess the room and decide the best course of action, for both the students and myself. It was sometimes simple, sometimes complex but everyone survived.

Fast forward to the expansion of the FCBD® Studio, multiple teachers and the need for structure; The 6-Week L1 and 12-Week L2 courses were born. We created a system to teach the basics in L1 Dance Fundamentals that followed the simpler steps in the Tribal Basics Vol. 1 DVD plus Zils from Vol. 3 and formations from Vol. 6. L2 Tribal Combinations expanded on the steps in Tribal Basics Vol. 4, with the addition of chorus from Vol. 6. Everything was neat and tidy and mimicked the chronology of the FCBD® DVDs.

We ran L1 and L2 as complete courses with the option to drop-in, as all courses must allow for flexibility in San Francisco where distractions abound.

While I was on the road, from 2008-2012, the FCBD® Studio Teachers held down the fort. When I returned to teaching at the FCBD® Studio, I followed suit. However, after the first year I realized that I was more tuned into the agenda than the students, and I was feeling stifled.

So, in 2015 I created a new format (remember, it’s optional) based on the simplicity and complexity of steps rather than the chronology of the DVDs. If you’ve followed the publication of the DVDs you know that some of the newer steps are quite simple, while some of the original steps are complex. We’ve leveled that out with the new format by placing the simpler steps in L1 and L2 with bonus options and placed the more complex steps in L3, with bonus options as well.

Here’s how it works: send us an email and we’ll send you a PDF of the new format. 
Across the top you can list the dates of classes in your 6-Week L1 or 12-Week L2 series. In the boxes beneath you can choose which step to teach and check off the step or steps for that week. Whether you are the only teacher, or have multiple teachers you can see what has been taught in the preceding weeks and select the best steps or steps for the current week.


And remember, it’s optional
Enjoy!

Carolena



7 comments:

Kathrina said...

I love it.
Is it just for Level 1, or is there also a list for Level 2?
Warmest regards
Freddie Kaz

Carolena Nericcio-Bohlman said...

Hi Freddie, please follow the link to www.fcbd.com to see the full format for L1, L2 and L3.

Unknown said...

Carolena, I love this! It's brilliant retooling of the syllabus. I have really been contemplating something you mentioned about level 1 (if I caught your drift correctly), that it should be fun for people and ignite their embrace of ATS®. To that end, something like the Chico is so fun and much less complex than other steps. And I like the flexibility of teaching turns in level 1. I will enjoy tinkering with the new format.

Leslie from Napa

Nancy Young said...

Thanks so much, Carolena, for sharing this new L1-L3 format. I think I will for the time being stick with the old, but I'm going to study this new one. Its simple-to-complex structure makes a lot of sense.

What I love about the old format is that it presents the Classic vocabulary first, instilling it as the core of ATS. Then the newer, more dialectic steps can be added on in level 3, after the foundation is built.

I love that the original format presents the heart and the old soul of ATS first. I love having the history of the art form built into the syllabus.

That said, I do find the old format challenging time-wise. I struggle to pack all that info into 6 lessons or 12 lessons. So I added a 7th class to my L1 series, focusing on step transitions and group formations, and I throw an occasional extra class or two into L2, to spend more time on whatever I've skipped for lack of time. I hope this elongated version of the old format is ok with you!

And I ache to get up to your studio to take the new-format classes! Life has just gotten in the way this year!

Eureka Floyd said...

Hi Carolena! I see on the new class format that the Puja is now called the Gratitude Meditation. Do I need to know anything about teaching it differently? Thanks so much!

Eureka Floyd said...

Hi Carolena! I see on the new class format that the Puja is now called the Gratitude Meditation. Do I need to know anything about teaching it differently? Thanks so much!

Carolena Nericcio-Bohlman said...

Hi Eureka, nothing new to teach, just a more inclusive way of naming what we do to begin dancing.