Welcome to the Suhaila Salimpour Institute of Online Education
Curriculum Overview
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.
Our program is thoughtfully designed to guide you through every stage of your dance journey, ensuring a solid foundation and growth opportunities. Our curriculum is organized into four progressive levels, each designed to build upon the last. This structured framework provides a clear path from initial training through advanced study and potential teaching credentials.
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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 further questions, don't hesitate to contact the School at certification@dance.suhaila.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.