Learning a dance form from another culture is like learning a new language.  You must first learn the alphabet, the smallest component of the language.  In this dance, this equates to the most fundamental isolations.  Then you learn words (combined isolations – hip circles, figure 8’s, rib circles, etc.).  From there you learn phrases – dance combinations.  Usually, while learning a new language, you memorize paragraphs composed by other people and read stories/poems composed by other people to practice your ability to use your new language.  This would be akin to learning a formal choreography – prepared by your teacher.

Finally, after much of all of the above, you are able to form your own sentences, compose your own stories and carry on a conversation or, improvise.  Initially, that conversation will be quite simple.  Later, that conversation will be full of new vocabulary that is accessed at will!

So I believe that, as a teacher of belly dance, my job is to 1) manage your enunciation.  Movements need to be targeted to be as precise and exact as possible so as to differentiate them from another, more similar movements.  (E.g. “sh” and “ch” in the English language:  not much difference, but being able to identify the difference gives you much more to work with in the language!) This precision comes in time…once the student develops adequate strength, flexibility, and neurological patterning.