JWAAD is the Josephine Wise Academy of Arabic Dance. It was established in 1990, and is dedicated to improving the standard and raising the profile of Egyptian and Arabic dance in the West.

As well as promoting regular bellydance events such as workshops, JWAAD Summer School and Fantasia, JWAAD has been running Teacher Training courses since 1992. It currently offers training split in to two separate courses, the Foundation Course and the Diploma. Together, these courses are recognised for their depth and excellence. The JWAAD Teacher Training Courses are widely considered to be the most prestigious and detailed in the UK.

JWAAD Foundation Course

The JWAAD Foundation Course is an introductory course that is a pre-requisite for attendance on the JWAAD Diploma. It covers a range of subjects including health and safety, anatomy, lesson planning, professionalism and basic technique. It is aimed at providing attendees with information they need to be able to teach safely, whilst encouraging ongoing personal development and further study.

In 2010 the course became accredited by the Open College Network (OCN), under which it is known as 'Safe Delivery of Bellydance Classes'. The OCN have accredited this as a Level 3 course, which is comparable in complexity to part of an A-Level.

Individuals who have successfully completed the JWAAD Foundation Course are entitled to join the JTA as 'Affilliate Members'.

JWAAD Diploma Course

The JWAAD Diploma is an in depth course that includes intensive study of teaching skills, as well as aspects such as history and culture, music, choreography, analysis of technique and course planning. It also provides a mechanism for dancers to work on and develop their personal technique. To pass the Diploma Course, dancers must meet a specified level of dance technique.

The course includes over 100 hours of study and is recognised as being the most thorough and comprehensive course available for those interested in teaching bellydance. The course encourages independent research and study, exploration of different aspects of the dance and development of innovative approaches to teaching. It provides a sound and inspirational basis and a strong skills set that enable attendees to develop their dancing skills and teaching style both throughout and after the course.

Individuals who have successfully completed the JWAAD Diploma are entitled to refer to themselves as 'JWAAD qualified teachers', and use the post-nominal 'JWAAD'. They are also entitled to join the JTA as 'Teacher Members'.

More details of JWAAD and the JWAAD Teacher Training programme can be found at www.jwaad.com