"Certified"

I've been contemplating words of wisdom from some fabulous ladies on the shine with unschooling yahoo message board. This conversation seems to come at a particularly great moment for me. The conversation has been about grades, in compulsory as well as non-compulsory schooling. Next week, I have an incredible opportunity to study and dance with Carolena Nericcio, the director of Fat Chance Belly Dance. She is the creator of American Tribal Style Belly Dance, which uses improvisation as a means for women to dance together using a shared "vocabulary" of Middle Eastern dance movement, without choreography. So next week I am participating in an ATS General Skills Certification Course. I have been teaching ATS for over 4 years, started my own performance troupe, and produced my own shows, all using this incredible style of dance. I have, however, had very little personal instruction in the method by Carolena herself. I have studied her instructional DVD's, attended workshops, classes, etc, but never something this concentrated and in person. As I've been discussing the upcoming certification with other dancers, many of them have been a bit panicky about being evaluated and deemed worthy of certification. This confounds me, as I have only been looking forward to the prospect of studying with a great teacher, dancer, and visionary. I guess I don't really care whether or not I get my "certification". I mean, really, what do I need it for? I do still teach, but my ladies don't care if I have a piece of paper or not. I just want the 20+ hours of studio time with this amazing woman. I don't want to appear as if I don't care. I do care...about the dance. I don't care, one iota, about being "certified". <> I hope my passion for the dance, and not for the certificate, comes shining through.