Suhaila Salimpour’s dance format is codified into five levels. When documenting technique or choreography in writing, a shorthand version began to emerge; but there was variation depending on the dancer. In 2007, Vonda Totten, Suhaila’s curriculum development partner, took on the task of creating a uniform nomenclature. An outside committee of academics from science, linguistics, music, and other performing arts were convened to serve as an advisory board. Each member has extensive experience in naming systems, rules, and syntax. Each addition and evolution to the nomenclature is carefully appraised and validated before official inclusion.
Over the years, the nomenclature has expanded to include symbols and abbreviations for moves, timing, direction, and more. Both Suhaila format and Jamila vocabulary are represented.
