Welcome to Advanced Performance 

Advanced Performance is the 400-level of our School’s curriculum where you demonstrate your skill in advanced technique, choreography, and performance. Two courses are taken in a specific order: Advanced Performance 1 and Advanced Performance 2.

Course Overview (Advanced Performance 1 and 2)

  • Duration: 12 weeks
  • Optional Certification: Read more below.

How the Process Works

01

Enroll

Register and gain access to the course content at the start of the semester.

02

Progress

Follow the structured weekly lessons.

03

Engage

Interact with instructors and receive detailed feedback.

04

Refine

Apply what you've learned through practice.

05

Certify

Optionally test your knowledge and skills towards certification.

Why Study with Us?

  • Legacy: Suhaila Salimpour has dedicated her career to preserving and teaching the vocabulary of belly dance.
  • Authority: The Salimpour School is globally recognized for its thorough and culturally sensitive approach to belly dance education.
  • Community: Join a worldwide network of dancers passionate about the historical and cultural dimensions of belly dance.
  • Unique Methodology: Suhaila’s method integrates rooted somatic practice with a deep understanding of cultural heritage.
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Advanced Performance 1

In the twelve-week Advanced Performance 1 (S400d) course, we focus on advanced-level technique. You have all the tools you need to train and prepare: Integrations-level certification, extensive Suhaila Online Class Library, and choreography access. You demonstrate your skill for feedback and work toward the optional certification.

What You Will Demonstrate

  • Your skill in advanced technique (Integrations level and higher) through drills
  • Your thorough knowledge and execution of the certification and required choreographies

Prerequisites

  • Be a current member of the Salimpour School Certification Program.
  • Have achieved Integrations 1 Certification.
  • Have achieved Integrations 2 Certification.
  • Be a Suhaila Online online class subscriber and actively working on your dance.
  • Know the required choreographies: Nebtidi Mnein El Hakeiya, Yanna Yanna, Leylet Hob, and Lissa Fakir.
  • Have a desire to work at an advanced level with challenging technique drills.

Optional Certification Part 1

Optional testing is available after the course for an additional fee and consists of a performance exam: a choreography showcase of certification choreography. The exam prerequisite is approval (pass grade) on all required choreography and technique drills during the course. This testing is the first of two tests required to achieve Advanced Performance 400-level certification.

Pricing Options

S400d, Advanced Performance 1, has one pricing option.

Advance Performance 2

In the twelve-week Advanced Performance 2 (R400d) course, you work on developing, enhancing, and evolving a personal recital. Assignments include choreography, storyboarding, and Suhaila Gridwork. A focus is placed on finding personal expression while still being responsible to the culture, music, and choreographer's voice. 

What You Will Demonstrate

  • Your skill in advanced technique (Integrations level and higher) through choreography and improvisation
  • Your thorough knowledge and execution of the assigned choreographies

Prerequisites

  • Be a current member of the Salimpour School Certification Program.
  • Have achieved Integrations level Certification (Integrations 1 and Integrations 2).
  • Have successfully completed and passed the S400d Advanced Performance 1 course and Choreography Showcase exam.
  • Be a Suhaila Online online class subscriber and actively working on your dance.
  • Learn the required choreographies assigned for your specific recital.

Optional Certification Part 2

Optional testing is available after the course for an additional fee and consists of a performance exam: a personal recital assigned curated by Suhaila Salimpour for each student. The exam prerequisite is approval during the course. This testing is the second of two performance exams required to achieve Advanced Performance 400-level certification.

Pricing Options

R400d, Advanced performance 2 has one pricing option.

Advanced Performance

The 400-level Is Not For You If
  • If you’ve not been practicing and preparing in advance.
  • You don’t like to do repeated technique drills.
  • You have just begun learning the choreographies.

2025

2026

  Premium Restrictions

  • None of the premium additions are adjustable, extendable, refundable, transferable, nor exchangeable.

  • Four weeks of post-access allows the learner to stay in the classroom for an additional 4 weeks if there are remaining assignments to be completed. Access is removed upon completion of outstanding assignments.

  • It is assumed that the learner has already learned the choreography in preparation for the course, so access to choreographies during the course is considered a supplementary resource. Premium choreography access, regardless of learner registration date, ends 4 weeks after the end of the course. Learners who sign up later than 4 weeks prior to the course are not given additional access time. Pre-course access to choreography is only provided to learners who have paid course enrollment in full.

  • Private lessons must be scheduled and taken during the duration of the course. Scheduling must be done and confirmed no later than the end of the 10th week of coursework.

  • Additional takes per choreography (see specific course details for the required choreography) are provided. These are accessible in specific weeks outlined in the course schedule.


More Information

Somatics in the 400 Level (S400d)

The S400d (Advanced Performance 1) course includes advanced-level somatics testing. Unlike the previous levels, dancers must demonstrate their full ability to perform the somatic technique combinations at a performance level. Learn more about the somatics requirements here.

To prepare for the somatics testing in S400d, use the online classes. Focus on Core 3 Rotations, Foundations Sets 1-3 and Remixes 1-3, and Advanced classes.  Use this guide to know how to prepare by level for the advanced-level drills. 

S400d Choreographies

During the S400d course, you have eight pieces (Nebtidi Mnein El Hakeiya overlaps in both sets) requiring "sign-off" (approval). **In some cases there are two versions of a choreography; select the choreography version created by Suhaila Salimpour. [Any cymbal choreographies in this level are submitted "as written" for "sign-off" (approval) instead of both R- and L-hand dominant as in the 200-300 levels.]

The four required certification choreographies are Nebtidi Mnein El Hakeiya, Lissa Fakir, Leylet Hob, and Yanna Yanna. The requirement is to score NP (near passing) or higher on Lissa Fakir, Leylet Hob, and Yanna Yanna. 

The five pieces for the Choreography Showcase Recital are Raks Suhaila, Nebtidi Menin El Hakeiya, Chic Chac Choc, Sallam Allay, and Integrations Drum Solo (L3FCDS).

R400d choreographies

After completing the S400d course and Choreography Showcase Recital, dancers will be assigned a 20-25 minute set for their personal recitals. Each set is explicitly curated by Suhaila for each dancer.

Testing in the 400 Level

Both courses have recital exams, including choreography. S400d is called the Choreography Showcase Recital, and R400d is called the Personal Recital.

In S400d, learners have somatic assignments, choreography approvals, recital preparation, and related assignments to be completed and passed during the course; see other sections specific to somatics and choreographies. The final exam is a Choreography Showcase Recital to be held within 12 weeks after the course end date.

In R400d, learners have assignments (choreography approvals, recital preparation, mapping, gridwork, story arcing, casting, crafting, etc.( to be completed and passed during the course. The final exam is a Personal Recital to be held within 12 weeks after the course end date.