{"id":3131,"date":"2025-08-17T07:57:00","date_gmt":"2025-08-17T11:57:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/duniyastudio.com\/?p=3131"},"modified":"2026-03-30T22:58:21","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T02:58:21","slug":"why-i-decided-to-update-our-class-levels-and-names","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/duniyastudio.com\/?p=3131","title":{"rendered":"Why I Decided to Update Our Class Levels and Names"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Sharing My Thoughts on Why I Decided to Update Our Class Levels and Names<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>A note from Jocelyne, Duniya Studio Owner<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When I first started Duniya Studio in 2014, I couldn\u2019t have imagined how many beautiful dancers would find their way to our classes, with each individual bringing their own style, rhythm, and reason for dancing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Over time, I\u2019ve watched students start out shyly learning their first hip drop, then blossom into performers, community leaders, even teachers. I\u2019ve also seen how confusing traditional class labels can be\u2014what does \u201cintermediate\u201d really mean when every dancer\u2019s journey is so personal? Using only beginner, intermediate, and advanced can give the misleading impression that a dancer becomes \u201cadvanced\u201d after just a few sessions, without acknowledging the depth, dedication, and time it takes to grow into a fully-developed artist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, after a lot of reflection (and tea and notes and conversations!), I decided it was time to refresh how we describe our classes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Why the Change? Clearer Choices!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I\u2019ll be honest, part of the inspiration for updating our class names comes from the way the City of Ottawa labels its programs (which includes our Orleans classes that I currently teach). I wanted to create consistency across all our offerings. But more importantly, I wanted our class levels to better reflect the richness and depth of Raq Sharqi itself\u2014the multi-layered journey of learning that includes technique, cultural understanding, creative expression, and personal development. The new levels are meant to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Give clearer guidance on what each class offers<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Support students in progressing confidently and intentionally<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Create appropriate space(s) for dancers who just want to enjoy dancing for themselves as well as those who want to perform professionally or begin teaching<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Whether you&#8217;re here to shimmy for joy or shape a career, I want you to feel like you <em>belong<\/em>\u2014and know exactly where to go next.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Plus Two New Paths for Serious Dancers<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One of the changes I\u2019m most excited about is the addition of two new levels:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Level 5: Professional Performance Track \u2013 for dancers ready to hone their stage skills and artistry<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Level 6: Teacher Training Track \u2013 for those feeling called to share this dance with others<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>I\u2019m excited to offer these programs for dancers who are ready to take the next step in their journey. Whether that means performing solo, leading a class, or exploring both paths. They\u2019re designed to support and guide advanced students into this new chapter with confidence and creativity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Your Journey, Your Pace<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Please know: there\u2019s no pressure to move quickly, nor pressure to even move to a certain level. Those who have taken classes with me know that I emphasize I will never pressure anyone to perform if they don\u2019t want to (but I do offer supportive encouragement where I believe it will be appreciated). Some of the most committed students stay in one level for multiple sessions, and their depth of movement and connection continues to impress me. Dance is not a race and we don\u2019t need to approach it as a ladder to always be climbing. Dance is a relationship; with your body, with the music, with the culture, with your individual creativity, and with your personal stories you have tell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re ever unsure where you fit, I\u2019m always here to answer questions. Your Duniya Studio teachers are here to guide you. This is a community, and we grow best together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Thank you for dancing with us, trusting us, and evolving alongside us. I can&#8217;t wait to see what you\u2019ll discover in these next steps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As always, I welcome your feedback! Please comment below if you have suggestions (or as I say in class: &#8220;<em>questions, comments, complaints?<\/em>&#8220;). Your input is so valuable in helping guide the ongoing evolution of Duniya Studio to ensure it continues to meet your needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With love and shimmies,<br><strong>Jocelyne Khan<\/strong><br>Founder &amp; Instructor, Duniya Studio<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I&#8217;m sharing a few thoughts on why I have decided to update our class level names and descriptions. Please leave me a comment with your input.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":3132,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"disabled","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[74,114,1,70],"tags":[12,252,247,248,59],"class_list":["post-3131","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles","category-blog","category-duniya-studio","category-updates","tag-bellydance","tag-blog-posts","tag-class-descriptions","tag-class-levels","tag-duniya-studio"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/duniyastudio.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3131","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/duniyastudio.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/duniyastudio.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/duniyastudio.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/duniyastudio.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3131"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/duniyastudio.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3131\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3753,"href":"https:\/\/duniyastudio.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3131\/revisions\/3753"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/duniyastudio.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3132"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/duniyastudio.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3131"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/duniyastudio.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3131"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/duniyastudio.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3131"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}