I hear a lot of stories that go around saying that in order to receive proper belly dance instruction your belly dance instructor must have certification written down on a piece of paper that says she is qualified to teach.
What rubbish!!!
Any person whether they have started beginner classes or know absolutely nothing about Belly Dancing can easily say they have done a two week teacher training course and whip out a piece of paper to say that she is qualified to teach you.
I must tell you that this means absolutely nothing compared to a teacher who has spent years and thousands of Rands acquiring her knowledge on Middle Eastern dance.
Having said that, she should be able to teach you from beginner basics right through to the advanced / professional level and have a varied syllabus for each level and know various uses of props… and be able to teach it correctly.
She should only offer to give you teacher training once you have reached and passed your advanced / professional level.
Her skill and expertise should show in her lessons when she explains the aspects of her technique and how she puts it together for you. You must be able to find it easy to understand and grasp (some people quicker than others) and also find it fun to do, not boring and tedious.
Many times people believe that you should have had your training by having gone overseas. However it is not always financially possible to travel overseas but there are many times when overseas instructors travel to South Africa to hold workshops in specific technique and it is by this way possible for an instructor to expand her knowledge further.
A teacher can also gain her training from the various reputable Belly Dance Schools within Southern Africa which are well worth investing your time and money into. The only thing that is going to make a difference is finding the correct one to go to.