Level testing & Certification

Proficiency testing offers students a detailed evaluation of their current level of dance technique skills providing insight into their strengths and challenge areas that enable each student to progress with a clearly defined developmental goals and realistic placement recommendations for advancing their studies in higher class levels. All students benefit from proficiency testing as a gauge for where they are at with their training regardless if they qualify for certification within a particular level or not. Certification is granted to all students who demonstrate proficiency with the skills taught in each level of training, qualifying them to advance to the next level of training. Students may test as many times as needed until successfully passing/becoming certified in each level. There are no ‘failures’ in level testing as the schools testing program is mean as a method of skill assessment. All students are required to achieve certification in their current class level before advancing to higher levels. This assures that all students in each class are entering at the same skill set range, enabling cohesion efficiency of advancement

Why get certified?

Certification assures that you are gaining the fullest potential from your dance training & are becoming the best dancer you can be. Technique level testing & certification exemplifies your dedication to your own personal & creative development thru dance and verifies that you have achieved outstanding proficiency in the technique training offered in each course level at White Lotus School of Bellydance Dance. 

Bellydance Foundations Certification –
Attend 8 consecutive technique classes and earn your ‘Bellydance Foundations’ Certification! No Testing Fee

Experienced Beginner Certification (1st year students and higher)-
attend 16 weeks of consecutive beginners bellydance classes and earn your ‘Experienced Beginner’ Certification. No Testing Fee 

Advanced Beginner Level Testing/Certification –
after completing a minimum of 8 months of beginners technique classes & attaining your beginners & experienced beginners certification, you qualify to test out of beginners bellydance and advance into level 1 intermediate courses.  To pass this This proficiency test, students demonstrate correct basic posture, basis movement isolations, identification and execution of all  movements in the beginners classes, the ability to move in 4/4 time consistently and can play standard musical timing on finger cymbals – whole, half, eight, sixteenth notes and triplets. Testing Fee $55

Intermediate I Level Testing/Certification
after a minimum of 8 months of intermediate classes and performing a minimum of one level 1 group choreography at an open studio night, a student qualifies for “Intermediate Technique certification” in this testing, student demonstrate fluency with basic veil work, can identify a variety of drum rhythms (2,4,8 beat) and can demonstrate control of tempo while performing movement combinations in dynamic alignment. Testing Fee $95

 Intermediate II Level Testing/Certification
As  students progress thru advanced intermediate technique & choreography classes, they qualifies for advanced intermediate level testing when they can demonstrate the ability for complex movement layering, complex zill patterns, demonstrate focus and presence while performing and advanced intermediate choreography in dynamic alignment with proper tempo at a student performance event produced by Carrie Konyha/lotus studio. This certification qualifies students for the advanced/pro prep courses. Testing fee $150

Advanced/Pro Level Testing/Certification
as student develops advanced skills in the advanced courses preparing students for professional careers in dance, they graduate with the successful completion of a series of specialty courses, performance assignments and testing. Students at this level demonstrate knowledge in Egyptian musicality, can identify various regional dialects of music & the corresponding dance styles, demonstrates excellence in creating choreographies & dance improvisation, has developed his/her own dance artistry, can edit music and can create a set list for a full 30 minute, traditional 5 part routine and perform it with a live audience. Testing fee $195 

Advanced Beginners Technique Level testing/certification

Dancers are evaluated on their demonstration of proper basic posture, clear isolation of muscle groups, beginners’ movements, steps & turns, basic muscular awareness, basic timing drills on zills (without dance movement), some grace & presence. The cost is $55 or do both beginners technique & beginners tribal certification testing for $90

Stay tuned for announcements on the next level testing day

Advanced Beginning Tribal Technique

Dancers are evaluated on their demonstration of proper basic posture, clear isolation of muscle groups, beginners’ tribal movements, steps & turns (slow & fast), basic muscular awareness, basic timing drills on zills (without dance movement), some grace & presence. The cost is $55 or do both beginners technique & beginners tribal certification testing for $90

About Carrie

Artistic Director of White Lotus School of Bellydance, Carrie Konyha is an internationally celebrated, world class bellydancer with  30 years of experience in professional dance performance and 18 years experience with teaching bellydance. Carrie has a passion for dance education and has been the author of a regularly featured column devoted to the business of teaching dance in internationally distributed bellydance magazine “Zaghareet” for nearly 10 years. Her newest bellydance instructional DVD (produced by World Dance New York) is currently being sold globally with rave reviews! White Lotus School of Bellydance offers the most comprehensive bellydance training curriculum in Arizona.