Let's Get Started Belly Dancing!

As with many cultural activities, belly dancing is not native to the US but is a fusion of international influences. Belly dance in its contemporary incarnation pays meticulous attention to form, technique, posture, and costuming. One of the most compelling and beautiful aspects of belly dance is that it is a physical expression of both music and emotionality.

The imagined skill set required to dance seems to scare off would be dancers but anyone can learn to belly dance. Each person is born with an innate propensity to move to music- just watch a toddler when they hear music playing! Belly dance promotes positive self-image, wellness, and enhanced cultural awareness and is an excellent form of low-impact exercise that is suitable for all ages, body types, and fitness and experience levels. Plus it is so much fun! Today we will go over 5 basic belly dance techniques that you can start doing right now.

Starting Stance

    Belly dance is about beauty and grace. For these reasons, it is important to remember there are no sharp angles. Soft poses combined with fluidity in movement keeps the dance feminine. The basic stance is critical for executing the dance properly and safely After a bit of time, it will feel as natural as breathing!.

Stand with your feet pointing forward, slightly(about hip width) apart. Bend your knees slightly. If you look down, you should be able to see your first 2 toes, but not the rest of them.

Keep your pelvis in a neutral position- neither tilted forward nor back. Imagine that it is a bowl and that you don’t want to spill the contents of your bowl on the floor in front of you nor on your own body. You should keep your lower back relaxed. Remember if your back hurts the next day…your posture was wrong!

Relax your shoulders, rolling them back and down, and lift your chest by engaging your upper back and upper abdominal muscles. Allow your arms to hang naturally at your side, with your thumb touching your middle finger.

That’s it! Now you’re ready to safely go into any pose or routine.

Hip Shimmy

   Time for the famous shimmy. There are several types of shimmies depending on the dancer and the style. For now let’s start with the hip bump. This is where it is important to remember your posture and keep your neutral pelvis and abdomen engaged. Keep both knees bent throughout this move; just unbend each knee about half-way to get that hip to lift. Be very careful not to lock the knee on the side you are trying to lift, and keep your derriere relaxed. Bump one hip for each beat of the music, alternating right-left.  Try to keep the movement straight up and down (like pistons in a car) and try to avoid any side-to-side motion. Watch yourself in a mirror both face on and sideways to be sure that you aren’t sticking out your derriere as that will only result in lower back pain. Gradually increase your speed and with practice, soon you will be shimmying like a pro!

Snake Arms

    Back to the basic stance. It’s time for those beautiful snake arms. This isn’t a matter of flailing your arms up and down like a drowning swimmer, but involves mastering them via controlled fluidity. Starting on the right side, lift first with your elbow, then the wrist, then the fingers. Don’t lead with your wrist or you will lose control of the movement! Try the same thing on the left side, and then eventually try to alternate sides without stopping in between. Remember, the rest of the body should not move.  In time, your arms can become light and look as though they are floating upwards - a beautiful illusion that will  be sure to entrance your audience.

Shoulder Shimmy

The shoulder shimmy is a strong and powerful move that can be done alone or layered over other moves. Start by pushing your right shoulder forward. Now push your left shoulder forward as you bring your right shoulder back. Keep your hands still and far enough forward so that you can see them in your peripheral vision.The rest of your body should not move. Belly dance is about isolation. Continue to alternate shoulders, increasing the speed until the alternating forward motion is a fluid transition from one side to the other. Congratulations! You’ve just learned the shoulder shimmy!

Head Slide

With the shoulders loosened, it’s a perfect time to add a head slide. The head slide is incorporated into many dance routines to add punctuation and depth to a dance. While keeping your chin parallel to floor, slide your head first to the right, then left for each beat of the music. Don't jut your chin out, and keep your shoulders back and down. Keep the slides small at first until you get used to them. Visualize having a pencil hanging from your chin and trying to draw a straight line back and forth on the ground. Have patience! Head slides take a while to get the hang of. Try practicing in front of a mirror, and do it slowly at first. When you can repeat these motions without moving your shoulders, you will have mastered the head slide.

Now you know some basic belly dance moves! Practicing at home is a great way to start, but having some in-person guidance will ensure you are executing the moves safely and correctly, and  will allow you to interact with other beginner dancers. Our instructors believe in a hands on approach and want to share the love of dance with all their students. Come visit us during an open house or sign up for a class to learn for yourself how easy it can be to belly dance!