Student Teaching Assistant Program

The Student Teaching Assistant Program was established to guide those students who ultimately want to achieve L5 licensing and/or teaching Salimpour format workshops.

Student TAs must be L3 in the format they will TA, and work under the guidance of L5 Instructors who are specifically designated as TA Coaches or Trainers to prepare as a training Teaching Assistant for a specific workshop.  Students TAs schedule either video privates or in-person privates with TA Coaches for review and guidance on class components.  For a particular workshop, preparation lists are provided below; student TAs must be signed off and approved on all Step 1 components before continuing to Step 2 requirements.  Student TAs will also be under the direct guidance of a TA Coach at the designated workshop; Student TAs will be given homework, assignments, and feedback during the workshop as well as required check-ins each morning before the workshop, during lunch, and each evening after the workshop.  Note that this program is not necessary to achieve basic L5 certification in a specific format.  However for those students wanting to offer licensed classes or Salimpour format workshops, this program provides structure for achieving those goals.

Official Teaching Assistant Titles

  • Student TA:  Student learning to TA.
  • Senior TA:  TA selected by Suhaila to teach anything needed at specific technique workshops.  A Senior TA is designated as Suhaila Format and/or Jamila Format Senior TA.
  • TA Coach or TA Trainer:  Senior TA selected by Suhaila to coach Student TAs.  Coaches are designated as Suhaila Format and/or Jamila Format.
  • Main TA:  The main TA at a workshop who will be on on the floor working with students the most.  In most cases, this will be a Senior TA. However, in those workshops without a Senior TA, one of the Student TAs will be designated as a Main TA for that one workshop.

SL1 Student TA Prep

Step 1.  Learn Class Components*

    • SL1 detailed Day 1 warm-up
    • SL1 regular warm-up
    • SL1 short warm-up (ex:  after lunch)
    • Cool down
    • SL2 warm-up
    • Timing explanation
    • Finger cymbal introduction
    • Movement breakdowns:  SL1 Moves:  sgls, 3/4 concept,  3/4 sgls, Pv Lks, 3/4 Pv Lks, int hip sq, int hip cir, int hip 1/2 cir, ext hip sq, ext hip cir, ext hip 1/2 cir, F8s (all), Tw, 3/4 Tw, und, Rc Lks, 3/4 Rc Lks, Rc slides, 3/4 Rc slides, Rc sq, Rc cir, arm waves.

Step 2.  Combinations

    • One each:  singles, 3/4, pelvic locks, circles, squares, undulations, twists

Step 3.  Read and Learn Documentation, Website, Product Line, and OCs

SL2 Student TA Prep

Step 1.  Learn Class Components*

    • Must complete all Step 1 elements from SL1 TA preparation
    • SL2 short warm-up (ex:  after lunch)
    • SL3 warm-up
    • Movement breakdowns: Sl2 Moves:  Rc 1/2 cir, Pyr, Vs, Rc Pyr, Rc Vs, 3/4 F8s (all), Rc F8s (both), 3/4 Rc F8s (both).
    • L2FCDS (break down each part)

Step 2.  Five Combinations (two moves per combo)

Step 3.  Read and Learn Documentation, Website, Product Line, and OC

SL3 Student TA Prep

Step 1.  Learn Class Components*

    • Must complete all Step 1 elements from SL1-2 TA preparation
    • L3FCDS (break down each part)
    • Maddah (break down each part)
    • Raks Suhaila (break down each part)

Step 2.  Five Combinations (three moves each combo; 60% layering)

Step 3.  Read and Learn Documentation, Website, Product Line, and OCs

Note that Senior TAs are responsible for FF classes, homework review, homework collection, etc.   If a Senior TA is not present at the workshop, then a Main TA must be designated and trained specifically to handle these elements.

L4 Performance and Technique

Senior TAs only (no learning TAs)

    • Know all certification choreographies
    • Know all Suhaila Solo (improv prep) choreographies
    • Warm-ups, cool downs, etc.
    • Know, track, and evaluate all homework and pre-workshop assignments
    • Read and Learn Documentation, Website, Product Line, and OCs

JL1 Student TA Prep

Step 1.  Learn Class Components*

    • Must complete all Step 1 elements from SL1-2 TA preparation
    • JL1 Day 1 Warm-Up
    • JL1 step breakdowns: verbatim to Suhaila (Online Classes) 

Step 2.  Five Combinations (each with at least 3 moves from 1 family)

Step 3.  Read and Learn Documentation, Website, Product Line, and OCs

JL2 Student TA Prep

Step 1.  Learn Class Components*

    • Must complete all Step 1 elements from SL1-2 and JL1 TA preparation
    • JL2 Warm-up
    • JL2 step breakdowns: verbatim to Suhaila (Online Classes) 
    • El Samer (break down each part)
    • Shams El Shamouseh (break down each part)

Step 2.  Five Combinations (each with min of 8 moves from 3 families)

Step 3.  Read and Learn Documentation, Website, Product Line, and OCs

JL3 Student TA Prep

Senior TAs only (no learning TAs)

    • Know all certification choreographies
    • Know all Suhaila Solo Set choreographies
    • Warm-ups, cool downs, etc.
    • Know, track, and evaluate all homework and pre-workshop assignments
    • Organize performance labs (set list, music selection, etc.)
    • Read and Learn Documentation, Website, Product Line, and OCs

Performance Development Prep

Step 1.  Learn Class Components*

    • Must complete all Step 1 elements from SL1-2 and JL1-2 TA preparation
    • Must have JL3 certification
    • Sallam Allay (break down each part)
    • L3FCDS (break down each part)
    • Raks Jamila (break down each part)

Step 2.  Five Combinations (at least one each of Jamhaila A, B, C; no riffing)

Step 3.  Read and Learn Documentation, Website, Product Line, and OCs

Choreography Development Prep

Senior TAs only (no learning TAs)

    • Warm-ups, cool downs, etc.
    • Know, track, and evaluate all homework and pre-workshop assignments
    • Read and Learn Documentation, Website, Product Line, and OCs

Private Lessons

Salimpour Performance L2+ video lessons are scheduled with highly certified dancers who are officially approved by Suhaila Salimpour.

Visit this page (https://www.salimpourschool.com/classes/skype-lessons/) for complete information about how Private Lessons in person or by Skype work.  Pricing is below.

Live Consultation without Video Review
available in 30 minute increments with a minimum of 60 minutes and maximum of 2 hours

  • $95 for 60 minutes
  • $143 for 90 minutes
  • $190 for 120 minutes

Video Review with Foll0w-up Live Consultation
available in 30 minute increments with a minimum of 60 minutes and a maximum of 2 hours

  • $95 for 60 minutes
  • $143 for 90 minutes
  • $190 for 120 minutes

Workshop Fee

The following workshop fees are paid by Student TAs to their TA Coach for training and guidance during the designated workshop for which they prepare.

SL1 and JL1:  $200

SL2 and JL2:  $300

SL3 and JL3:  $350

Preparation of Combinations

Certain workshops required that student TAs preparation combinations.  Follow these guidelines:

  • All combinations must be approved by Suhaila only and in person via privates, classes, or workshops.
  • Finger cymbals are to be included whenever possible as part of Suhaila format combinations, and always as part of Jamila format combinations.
  • Use generic music (Stamina is an example) so a combo can be repeated without having concern for musical changes.
  • All combinations are 6 counts of 8 (not reversed).  As an example, you can do an entire 6 counts of 8, and then reverse the entire combination; but you cannot do 3 counts of 8 and then reverse it for the remaining required 3 counts of 8.  Of course, within certain phrases, some reversing may happen.