When you first dance these movements (if you have never done them before) you will find it mechanical. This is because you are thinking of the technique and it will feel robotic. The more used to the movement you become, the less you will think about it and after a while it will become 2nd nature to you.

Remember that you can have various arm positions when belly dancing but never leaver your arms hanging at your sides. It looks ugly and will be difficult to incorporate afterwards.

Once you get used to your movements, you will start to move your arms with your body. For now, keep it simple.

Hip circle

• Keep the basic posture
• Imagine four points around your hips.
• 1 to the right, 1 to the front, 1 to the left, 1 to the back.
• Connect the dots with your hips in the order explained above.
• Once you have a feel for it, smooth it out into a rounder and flowing movement.
• You will notice that if you keep you legs bent and your feet flat, your legs will automatically straighten and bend to allow you to do this movement more easily.

Horizontal Chest Circle

• Using the explanation on how to do a hip circle, you can now do the same using your chest (rib cage)
• Make four points around your chest and connect the dots and smooth it out into a rounder and flowing movement
• This movement can be varied from small to large horizontal chest circles.

Backward figure 8:

• Keep the basic posture
• This is based on a hip circle on each hip
• Feet flat on the floor for this movement and keep legs bent.
• With your right hip turn your hips and push to the front right corner. Once you are there bring your right hip from the front corner around to the back right corner.
• You will now notice that your left hip is facing forward and ready to push forward to the front left corner. Once you are there bring your left hip from that front corner around to the back left corner.
• You will now notice that your right hip is facing forward again ready to move to the front corner where you had begun.
• Repeat the steps explained above and once again smooth it out to be more rounder and flowing.

Hip Drop

• Transfer your body weight to your left leg
• Right leg is slightly in front of you and on the toe
• The important thing to remember here is to never drop your heel, your foot must stay on the toes.
• Now straighten your right leg and lift your right hip up towards your rib cage (don’t tilt to the side with your body, be upright)
• Release by relaxing the hip and bending the leg back to the way you were originally standing.
• Now repeat
• You can vary the speed by performing this movement slowly or quickly

Forward and backward hip roll

• Using the explanation on how to stand for the hip drop
• Backward roll:
• Draw a circle on your right hip from the front to the back and repeat
• Forward Roll:
• Draw a circle on your right hip from the back to the front and repeat.

Single hip pushes:

• Keep the basic posture
• Keep the feet flat at all times
• Straighten your right leg and push out to the right with your right hip and bend your leg and come back to the basic stand.
• Now do the same on the left hip.
• You will be alternating your legs with this movement, 1 to the right and 1 to the left.
• Remember not to lock your knees when you straighten your legs. Straighten your legs enough to flick out to the side with your hip.

Double hip pushes and Quads:

• Using the explanation on how to do a single hip push, you can now vary it into double hip pushes by doing 2 to each side and into quads where you do four hip  pushes to each side.

Shoulder Shimmies

• Some people find this movement easy whereas some people take a little longer to learn which is no problem. Practice makes perfect.
• Your elbows are now down at the side of your body while your forearms are out to the side
• Relax your shoulder and neck muscles
• Move your shoulders in a alternating movement forward and backward
• Now speed it up:
• If you cannot speed it up, practice at home by watching yourself in the mirror.
• Start speeding it up little by little at a pace you are comfortable with.
• When you have mastered a speed try moving a little faster each time until you have it at a descent tempo
• NB: You are not moving your shoulders up and down, and your arms are not doing the movement. It must come from your shoulders alone.

Egyptian leg shimmy and Turkish hip shimmy

The shimmy can work up a great sweat and is a great move to incorporate in your dancing. It is said to be the most electrifying movement in belly dancing by saying that it should be done correctly.

Egyptian leg shimmy

• Keep the basic stand
• Start moving your legs alternatively forward and backward.
• Start off slowly to get used to the movement
• Do not lock your knees, straighten your legs just enough until before your knees lock and bend them again
• Now speed it up by making the forward and backward motion with your legs smaller and more quicker.
• Remember to relax the hips

Turkish hip shimmy:
I personally favour this shimmy more than the Egyptian leg shimmy as you are free to do a lot more shimmy movements whereas the leg shimmy you are more restricted.

• The only difference with this shimmy is that we now move our hips in a forward and backward motion like you are doing the twist.
• Choose a hip to lead and let it move forward and backward
• Now make the forward and backward motion of your hips become smaller and a lot faster.
• This is your Turkish hip shimmy. You will find you will be able to move more freely and EASIER with this shimmy than your Egyptian leg shimmy.

Intermediate Guide

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