Gillian is an Affiliate Member of the JWAAD Teachers Association but what is it?

The JWAAD Teachers Association (JTA) is a professional association of bellydance teachers who are dedicated to continuing the development of their own skills in order to provide the best possible learning experience for their students. The Association has been set up to provide a forum to enable bellydance teachers to work together to achieve these aims ina collaborative, non-commercial environment.

Membership of the JTA is currently open to individuals who have completed either the JWAAD Foundation Course ('Affiliate Members') or the JWAAD Teaching Diploma ('Teacher Members'). Whilst the Association's members are united by the common core of training, the Association JTA is independently run from JWAAD.

All members of the JTA have made a commitment to adhere to the Association's Code of Conduct which includes a requirement to undertake regular Continuing Professional Development.

Mission Statement

"The JWAAD Teachers Association (JTA) has been established to promote the highest standards in bellydance, the high quality teaching of the dance, and to encourage its members to excel in providing their students with a safe and inspirational learning experience".

Association Aims

The JTA aims to enhance the profile of high quality dance teaching within both the bellydance and wider communities, by promoting and providing support, development and networking opportunities to teachers of Arabic Dance and derived dance forms who hold the JWAAD Foundation Certificate or Teacher's Diploma. The objectives of the JTA are to:

• • • Promote the highest standards in bellydance and teaching of the dance form

    • Promote and recognise excellence and dedication amongst teachers holding a JWAAD qualification

    • Encourage members to make a commitment to their ongoing professional development, by maintaining and continuously developing their skills to ensure that they can teach in a safe manner and to the very best of their abilities

    • Promote awareness of members' legal responsibilities and current best practice

    • Promote opportunities for ongoing professional development, including safety issues and safe teaching practice, dance technical skills, background knowledge and personal skills

    • Foster an open and inclusive approach to bellydance

    • Make members more visible to the public, including to prospective students

    • Promote awareness of the contribution that other kinds of knowledge and ability make to excellence in the dance; including techincal skills, background knowledge, performance skills, choreographic ability, and contributions to students' learning and enjoyment through involvement in events and organisations

For more information visit www.thejta.org