TRIBAL ODYSSEY Teacher Certification

This Teacher Certification is for established belly dance teachers who want to teach the Tribal Odyssey format. This is not a general skills or business management course, it is exclusively about teaching Tribal Odyssey Bellydance. Currently only Certification in Level One is being offered, but subsequent Level Certification (for Level Two or Three) will certify the teacher to teach at that and any lower level.

To apply for Level One Teacher Certification, study the Required Materials listed below then request an Application Form by email. You will be given access to a Google Site dedicated to Tribal Odyssey Teacher Resources. There you can access all the forms and information to view or download.

In brief: Application is a three-part process:

PART ONE asks about your background and training in belly dance, and goals. Also included in Part One is a “Letter of Intent” stating that you agree to:

represent this format as “Tribal Odyssey” Bellydance; not ATS, tribal fusion, Egyptian style, folkloric, ethnic or any other style. The parent term is “ITS” (Improv Tribal Style), or “group improv” style.
refrain from performing choreographed versions of Tribal Odyssey in place of authentic group improvisation.
refrain from changing or adding any material to the curriculum or repertoire (not including classroom drills).
use and reference the existing Tribal Odyssey materials (Manual, DVD) instead of creating secondary works in video, print, or online.

There is no cost for submitting Part One of the Application.

For PART TWO you will be asked about the history of Tribal Odyssey, ATS, and ITS and how they differ from each other and from Oriental Belly Dance. You'll be asked to submit sample class plans including drills and music to be used. Cost for submitting Part Two is $175.00.

In PART THREE, you must have a working knowledge of several basic Arabic dance rhythms, and be able to count music tempo correctly. You'll be asked for a video or in-person demonstration of your knowledge of Level One material. Cost for Part Three is $175.00.

Full details are available on the Google Site.

Your Application must be completed in full to be considered for Certification. Each part will receive a Pass/Fail grade; if any part of your application fails, you may resubmit that part at no additional fee for up to three months.

Level One Certification is valid for two years. Renewing is simple:

submit a one hour video (on DVD) of you teaching class taken within the final three months before your Certification runs out. This can be broken into two or three shorter clips as long as the filming itself was done within the final three months. Your voice must be audible above the music, and you and several students should be completely in view; filming from any angle is fine.
OR submit a performance video* that meets the criteria of #3 in PART THREE.

Cost: $50.00 total, and a new two-year Certificate will be mailed to you within 3-4 weeks.

If at the end of your two-year Certification period you don’t submit a video or if your video shows that your technique or information is incorrect then your Certification becomes invalid. To be clear, your skills are being judged in the video; the skill level of your students is less crucial though they should show adequate grasp of the material.
*Performance videos may be on DVD or send a link to it online. The class video should be sent as a DVD.

Required Materials for Level One Certification:

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