Welcome to the Suhaila Salimpour Institute of Online Education

Our Certification Program

Fundamentals 1 and 2

Start your journey with Fundamentals, the essential first step for every dancer. These 6 and 5 week courses cover basic techniques and movements that form the foundation of Suhaila Salimpour’s somatic belly dance method and historic Salimpour Vocabulary. Optional certification testing available after each course.

Foundations 1 and 2

Build upon your fundamental skills with our Foundations courses. The 200-level delves deeper into somatic movement and the second tier of Salimpour Vocabulary steps. There are two 12-week courses, and optional certification testing is available after each course.

Integrations 1 and 2

In the Integrations level, you will learn to seamlessly layer with both Suhaila’s somatic method and the Salimpour Vocabulary, enhancing your ability to perform fluidly and expressively. The 300-level includes two 12 week courses. Optional certification testing available after each course.

Advanced Performance 1 and 2

Reach the pinnacle of your dance education with our Advanced Performance courses. This 400-level focuses on perfecting your performance skills, stage presence, and artistic expression. Two 12 week courses. Optional certification testing available after each course.

We also offer a specialized Teacher Licensing program to equip you with skills to teach the Salimpour School methodology.
We have three licensing levels.

Fundamental Licensing

For those who wish to teach the basics of the Salimpour methodology.

Foundational Licensing

For those who want to teach Salimpour Foundations level content..

Professional Licensing

For experienced instructors to expand their Salimpour teaching skills.

Expert Instruction: Learn from the best in the field.
Structured Curriculum: Follow a clear, progressive path from beginner to advanced levels.
Flexible Learning: Access high-quality education from the comfort of your home.
Comprehensive Testing: Validate your skills and knowledge with optional certification tests.
Community Support: Join a global community of dancers and instructors who share your passion.

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Enroll Today!

Embark on your dance journey with the Suhaila Salimpour Institute of Online Education. Whether you're a beginner looking to learn the basics or an experienced dancer aiming to perfect your craft, our certification program offers the structured, high-quality education you need.

You can progress and prepare at your own pace using the educational tools developed by Suhaila.

Online Classes

Learn in your own home on your own schedule. Subscribe for training plans and technique.

Choreography

Available individually with content focused on what you need for the certification process.

And More

Manuals, music, and finger cymbal tutorials available. See Institute levels for more info.

2. Ask Questions

Sometimes you need guidance putting together a training structure. We have options to help distance learners:

Customer Specialist

Advising Hours

School Instructors

Take video private lessons with one of our qualified instructors.

3. When you are ready, sign up for Fundamentals 1.

Institute Values

We value quality in education

Our programs and methods are under constant scrutiny so we can provide the best content for our students.

We value honesty and integrity.

The Salimpour School and the Suhaila Salimpour Institute of Online Education were created and are maintained based on these core values.

The Suhaila Salimpour Institute of Online Education was created to address the School’s growing worldwide student body, to present more content with increased consistency, to provide more personalized feedback for students, and to establish a more accessible home for the Salimpour certification program. The Institute furthers the aims of the Salimpour School to graduate high-quality performers and instructors, thereby raising the standard and status of belly dance worldwide, and to educate through a blend of modern and traditional dance, but always with authenticity in and awareness of SWANA music and SWANA cultures from where this dance originated.

Our Institute aims to provide high-quality belly dance education and certification through online learning strategies. The school continues to offer in-person classes and workshops, but all testing preparations and certification exams are handled through online institute courses.*

We utilize effective technologies to provide accessible learning and certification opportunities for those students who, because of time, geographic, or other constraints, are unable to attend in-person workshops and classes.
We ensure the quality of our distance learning instruction through effective course design and assessment.
We foster an environment which allows students, without the restrictions of time and place, to take ownership and responsibility of their educational pacing to help them reach their desired goals.
We provide a quality, thorough education while taking into account each individual student’s learning style.
We provide personalized feedback throughout the program for student awareness and growth.
We foster a school culture based on a strong and effective partnership between our instructors and students.
We promote a strong community of worldwide dancers.

The Salimpour School presents the Suhaila Salimpour Institute of Online Education. Given the unexpected crisis faced by the world this year, plans to launch the institute (planned for 2023) were expedited to accommodate the training of our students located across the globe. The School’s certification process for the higher levels has now moved exclusively to the Institute. Using technology, you can train and certify without ever leaving your hometown.

Live workshops and classes are valuable, and the School will still continue to offer in-person workshops and classes to supplement online course and certification programs. In a live workshop or class, you can be in the room with other students and be guided under the eye of an instructor. Students can learn collaboratively, learning from other students’ questions and corrections. But for the certification live workshops, it has been difficult to include everything a student needs in four or five days and to allow the student time to absorb and integrate feedback. Because of this, online education courses offer many benefits. Students can organize coursework and assignments into their regular weekly schedules.

In an online course, you don’t have immediate feedback from an instructor or the camaraderie with fellow students in the room. But, by using video and live conferencing, these courses can provide you even more personal feedback than a live group classroom, allow you more time to integrate that feedback, and present additional opportunity to grow with that feedback in a timely manner. In preparation for the courses, you can learn content by taking classes and training plans from the Salimpour School Online. If you have questions about technique or choreography, it is easy to set up private lessons with certified School instructors. When you feel ready, you can enroll in a testing preparation course. The testing preparation courses guide you over 12 weeks both to focus on the material you need for testing and to build a foundation for the next level.

We developed in 4 weeks what we intended to develop over 2 years. We started with the curriculum, building each course from scratch. We laid out the entire program with the details of every single assignment of every single week of every single course. When we made changes, it meant evaluating every course all over again, understanding how each change impacts the pacing of the content and the effectiveness of learning for the students. We tested our technology. Our classrooms are completely assembled and ready with over 14 courses that collectively contain over 170 weeks of instruction. This Institute is built!

And we want to take this time to thank our students. Truly, you inspired this change. Every single step of this process, we thought about you. How can we truly teach dance without being in the room together? How do we help you train long-distance? How can we show you how much we value you as individuals? To our existing students, we appreciate your continued, unwavering support; every single one of you has a place in this Institute. To new students, we encourage you to join our worldwide community of students. Welcome to the Institute!

Frequently asked questions

Where can I learn more about the Fundamental courses?

Please visit our Fundamentals page to learn more about the introductory courses.

Who teaches my course and what classroom is used for the course?

Instruction. Our courses are guided by certified instructors and peer leaders and guest instructors (for special content in higher levels) who will provide the feedback and evaluation on assignments under the supervision of Suhaila Salimpour, the Director.

Classroom. The Institute home is www.SuhailaOnline.com. Assignments, quizzes, and feedback are all handled through the classroom. Students will need an active subscription to the Suhaila Online Classes to access technique classes. (Online class subscriptions and choreography are not included as part of the course fee.)

How do I prepare for a course?

In the certification section of the website, each level has a page that contains information on preparing for the courses in that level. If, after reading the website, you have any more questions, don't hesitate to contact the School at certification at suhailainternational.com. We welcome questions.

Can I take more than one course at a time?

Yes! You can. However, if you are considering taking two courses at one time, we encourage you to contact the School to discuss your situation. We can help you determine what the best choice is for you.

When do I get access to the classroom and when can I see class content?

Each classroom will be opened to the enrolled students on the start date of the course. Once students are admitted to a classroom, they will have access to the first week wees of materials and assignments.

How is the class structured and how is feedback provided and what is the timing of a class week?

Class Structure. The content is paced steadily over 12 weeks. Each week, students are given content to study and/or review that may include online classes, lectures, performance videos, reading material, etc. Students are also given weekly assignments to submit for evaluation; the assignments may include online quizzes, videos of themselves executing certain assignments, typed reports submitted through the classroom, PDFs, jpg images, etc.

The Class Week. Weeks begin on Sundays at 4am Pacific Time Zone; weeks conclude on Saturday at 11:59pm Pacific Time Zone. Students can see assignments in advance of the particular week they are assigned; assignments are due by 11:59pm on Saturday of the particular week they are assigned (Pacific Time Zone).

Student Feedback and Evaluation. Learners are given personalized feedback on their somatic, choreography, and performance assignments.

How do I submit assignments?

Assignments are submitted by uploading (links to videos, PDFs, jpg files, google docs) based on the specific parameters of that assignment.

Can I submit assignments when I want?

Yes and no. Once you are admitted to the classroom, you will have access to the majority (if not all) the class content. You will be able to work ahead if needed. Late assignments are not evaluated.
Some online courses are designed so you can pace them as you prefer. You can race to do all the work at the beginning or wait to submit all your assignments until the end. Our Institute courses are not designed that way. Our courses are designed to deliver paced feedback to the students to promote learning in a steady and regular manner. However, as stated above, once students are admitted to a classroom, they will have access to the majority (if not all) of the material and assignments immediately. If a student foresees a time conflict, they can prepare by working in advance and by submitting assignments in advance.
When you enroll in a course, it is important that you recognize your role in the process. Submitting your work by the established deadlines is a critical part of your learning process. Late assignments (turned in after the deadlines) may not be evaluated, which means students may not be able to pass the course, which may prevent students from being eligible for testing or being eligible for the subsequent course.
You also have the choice not to submit assignments. But if your goal is to test in the testing chute immediately following the course, the instructor would have nothing to evaluate and would not be able to give approval for you to proceed to testing.

Can I take a course more than once?

You can take courses as many times as you like. The program is designed to be efficient, allowing students to handle as much of their own training as they want.
For those students who want more help, we offer additional resources including private lessons, online classes, live workshops, etc.
Some students like to take a course twice: the first time to get prepared to the second time to test. And then after testing, some students like to go back and take a course to reinforce what they've learned. All of these options are encouraged!

Can I take a course in which I'm already certified?

Yes! We encourage students to go back and take courses at lower levels. Know that testing preparation courses are both about preparing you for testing, but also introducing content needed for the next level.
As an example, if you already have Foundations 1 certification, then taking the Foundations 1 Testing Preparation course is a great way to reinforce your training, learn new choreographies for that level, and learn new content added to that level.

When you take a course, it's up to you whether you turn in all the assignments.

If you are taking a course for which you are already certified or without the intent to test, then you can make choices on which assignments you submit (or skip) for evaluation.
If you are planning to test, then it is important to submit your assignments for evaluation. At the end of the course, the instructor will provide an overall assessment of your work. You will then know if you are approved to move on to testing, require some additional work, or need to retake the course. If you don't turn in assignments, it is not likely you will receive approval to test as the instructor will not have enough material to determine your readiness for testing.

What if I need to ask the instructor a question?

Our online classroom provides the student with a means to contact the instructor directly with any questions. If you have questions about the course before you have access to the classroom, please email us at dance@suhaila.com.

Is there an introductory 200 Level course?

Foundations 1 is designed to accommodate both beginners to the level and those wanting to certify in that level. While the course is not designed to be an introduction to the Foundations 1, many learners find it a helpful way to approach their practice.

How do I know when I'm ready to take a course with the intention to test for certification?

Sometimes you know you're ready, and sometimes you aren't quite sure. Don't hesitate to contact the School to set up a free short meeting to discuss your situation and how best to determine your preparedness for the testing course.

Do I know my choreography well enough for certification testing?

For learners considering testing, passing all required choreography during the course is a requirement for elibility to take a certification exam. While the primary learning is handled on your own using the choreography course, many learners like to schedule private lessons with School instructors. During the course, you will have opportunities to submit your choreography for the needed approval; economy courses offer two opportunities and premium courses offer five.

Usually once you go through the first course with required choreography (Foundations 1) you learn an approach that works best for you. Contact us with any questions.

Can you give me a specific example of what to expect when I take a course?

We’ll give you a scenario using the Foundations 1 testing preparation course. (All Foundations and Intermediate testing preparation courses have the same general structure.)

After earning your 100-Level certifications, you begin working on the 200-Level content.
Practice with online classes and learn the required choreographies.
As you prepare, ask questions!
When ready, sign up for the course.
When the semester begins, you will be given access to your classroom.
The course is paced, but you work ahead if needed.
Course content is pre-recorded by meetings with instructors and meet-ups with other learners will be schedule once your course begins.
Typical assessments include: Filming yourself performing required choreography or a set of somatic drills for evaluation; Filming yourself performing exercises using Suhaila’s Gidwork and Stagistics; Learning to map music; Taking quizzes to test your knowledge; Answering short questions and particpating in conversation threads.
If you are interested in certification testing, the instructor will review your work over the course. Approval on required choreographies is mandatory before the course ends to qualify for testing.
Final exams or testing periods are not included in the actual course dates. Testing periods are held at the end of Fall and Spring semesters.

I want to attend a live workshop. Are the courses the same as the workshops?

We do have live workshops, and you can find a list of our Events and Workshops here.

Workshops and courses are different learning experiences.

Workshops are live "in person" events, where the instructor and students meet together in the same location.
Courses are online education events designed for the distance learner.

How do you use choreography in the courses?

Belly dance is a performing art, where both improvisation and choreography play an important role. Well written choreography provides the student with understanding of several concepts including musicality and phrasing, technique application in interpreting music, performance skill development, and cultural cues and nuances. By developing skills in choreography, students prepare for improvisation.

Course choreographies are selected specifically as a representation of the technique, performance, and musical skills for that level. Using video submissions, a student's work can be evaluated, and the student can be guided and developed.

What is the difference between Suhaila's Method and Salimpour Vocabulary?

Suhaila's Method is a somatic (mind-body) approach to creating belly dance movement internally and organically. Using Suhaila's movement and timing approaches, you define, integrate, and layer movements to create your dance with intention, nuance, and personalization.

Salimpour Vocabulary consists of Step and Step Families from the SWANA region that have cultural stories, character,s sentiments, and histories.

Suhaila Salimpour and the Suhaila International Team strongly recommend you consult your physician before beginning any exercise program. Listen to your body. Be safe, be mindful, and breathe.