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The basic belly dance moves consist of:
1. fast hip movements such as lifts, drops and twists
2. slow hip movements such as hip circles and figure 8's
3. torso movements and undulations
4. head movements
5. step patterns and turns
6. arm and shoulder movements
Fast hip moves
1. Hip lift - When lifting the right hip; put your weight on your left foot, keep the knee
bent and raise your right heel, keeping the right toe to the floor but no weight on it. Raise
the right hip up and release, bringing it back down to “neutral position”---in other words,
don’t drop it down. Repeat on the left side, changing your position accordingly. Don't use your legs to move your hips,
keep the torso still and keep the hip lifting upwards trying not to twist forward.
2. Hip drop - For right hip drops, shift your weight to the left foot, knee bent, right heel up with toe to floor. Drop the hip
downward and release to neutral position. Repeat on opposite side, shifting your weight accordingly. Isolation is key; try not to drop the
body with the hip!
3. Shimmy - Relax your knees and build up a constant vibration from the knees to the thighs.
4. Hip accents - pushing your hip out to the side, for example, shifting your weight to the right leg and pushing the right hip out to
the right side; kind of like doing the bump, or trying to close the car door when your hands are full of groceries---sometimes we
use our hips to close the door when it hasn't closed all the way.
Slow hip movements
1. Hip circles - basically, pretend that you have a pencil taped to your tail bone and draw a circle with it. Keep the knees soft.
2. Big hip circles- like leaning to the side, then back, then the other side and front again.
3. Figure 8- twist the hip, in this case we'll start with the right, forward, push it back diagonally, shifting your weight to the left; that left hip
will then twist forward and push back, shifting the weight to the right again...you are making a figure 8 in the horizontal plane (on the floor)
4. inward fig. 8, or "taqsim"- this move is done in the frontal plane and you are making a
figure 8 going inward (towards the midline of the body) * while raising the hip upward and
inward you are also shifting your weight from one leg to the other
5. outward fig. 8, or "mayan"- also done in the frontal plane, but making the figure 8 going
outward (away from the midline of the body) *raising the hip up, out and down on one
side, then the other and shifting the weight from one leg to the other
Torso
1. Chest lift- basically a lifting of the rib cage without using the shoulders to help lift the chest. Lift up and then release back into neutral
position.
Chest drop- the opposite; drop the rib cage, or chest, downward and release back up into neutral.
2. Chest circles- visualize that you have chalk taped to your chest and you are leaning up against a chalkboard: now draw a circle!
You can go right to left and then left to right.
3. Belly roll - a smooth 'rolling or waving motion' where the abdominal muscle alone is used
without any movement of the spine. First 'push' out, then 'pull in' the upper part of the ab, then 'pull in' the
lower portion of the ab. *Please note: There is no such thing as upper and lower abs!!!! The abdominals are just one long sheet
that run from your rib cage to your pelvis. I am using the term ‘upper’ and lower to describe how to perform this move, so
please don’t confuse it with there actually being two parts to the muscle. You cannot work one part without working the whole thing!
* Sorry, the Personal Trainer in me just had to make this clear! :-D
Remember to isolate! No shoulder movements, chest or spine movements should be involved!
4. The 'camel walk' - a combination of chest lifts and pelvic tilts but in a more circular like motion. A more advanced move, but
do-able; start by keeping your "tail bone to the floor and lifting the chest up (keep your shoulders down and back!) and keep the pelvis
"tucked"; then, keeping the chest lifted, release the pelvic tuck; then drop the chest; then tuck the tail bone in again ( a four part move,
basically: chest up, pelvis out, chest down, pelvis in) and eventually, smoothen it out and begin moving your feet with the undulations
creating a camel-like walk. It is a very smooth, wave-like motion and always lead with the chest.
Head
1. Head slides- keeping your chin parallel to the floor, slide your head to one side, then the other. *It is important to remember not to tilt
or turn the head. Keep the face straight and just slide the chin as if you were sliding it back and forth along a table top.
You can also do this in a circular motion; keeping the chin parallel to the floor, make a circle instead of sliding back and forth. *Again, no
tilting or twisting of the head. Keep the face straight forward!
Step patterns and turns
1. three stepTurn - Start with the body facing the front. The first step is out to the side. Next step you turn to face the back, weight onto
the other foot, your back to the audience. Then step onto the initial foot 180 degree turn (continuously in the same direction) to face
front again. Use the 4th beat to pause.
*This is the easiest and most common turn used and can be done with scissor arms, body waves and other nice additions that give this
move variety and creativity.
2. Karsilima- step right foot front, step in place with the left foot, step back with the right and again in place with the left foot. This basic foot
pattern can be done in a variety of different ways by adding hip locks, hops and shimmies to it!
* There are "L-steps" and "Horse-steps and, of course, the Debke, but we'll learn all of this in class.
Arm and shoulder moves
1. Snake arms - slow, wave like arm movements done with arms out to the side, alternating levels, for example: lift one arm
up while the other is down low and then smoothly, bring the other up while bringing the opposite arm down. *Lift the
shoulder to the ceiling, then the elbow, then the wrist, then the hand; then “swipe” your palm down the side of the wall. Repeat on
opposite side as your arm is swiping down. Make sure you keep your arms to the side rather than pulling them in! Think of it in terms
of “reaching” towards the right wall, then the left wall.*
2. Shoulder shimmy - a rapid, relaxed vibrating move in the shoulders. You can start slowly by pressing one shoulder back as the other
comes forward, and then speed up. Try to keep the hands still and level while the shoulders shimmy. *Think of it as “pointing” at
something with your shoulder rather than your hand.*
What to look for when finding a teacher.
Finding a teacher may not necessarily be a difficult thing to do, but finding one that is qualified can be.
There are many “teachers” out there that are self-proclaimed experts after only having taken a few lessons, themselves. It takes years of
lessons, practice, experience and above all, workshops and other training, besides just attending a few classes with one local teacher.
It is sometimes difficult to know if the person is qualified because there are not a lot of degrees or certifications available in this genre. If
someone has many years of dance and teaching experience, that would be a good indication of their qualifications.
Reputation can be another indication of a qualified teacher.
Listen to what students say about their teacher. Ask for referrals from other teachers.
Look for some kind of teaching degrees or certifications, if possible. A good dancer is not necessarily a good teacher. Someone who has
experience and certifications in teaching other genres is most likely someone with a teaching background and can carry those teaching
skills over to their dance classes. Also, a dance teacher is not a fitness instructor. Just because dancing is good exercise, doesn't qualify
the dancer to be a fitness expert. Too many dance classes turn into exercise classes. Dancing and fitness are separate and each has it's
own set of rules and regulations involving proper technique and safety. Make sure your teacher is certified to teach group exercise if she
insists on doing a 15 minute fitness session prior to dancing. Injury could result otherwise, and that, of course, will affect your ability to
dance, afterwards.
Talk to your potential teacher. If after you meet her (or him) you find that you have a personality clash, this may not be the instructor for you.
Student and teacher should have a good rapport and be able to connect and understand each other.
An important factor in teaching is encouragement.
Not all teachers let you know whether or not you are executing your moves correctly. A good teacher should be able to correct each student
individually and help them to use the proper technique.
While breaking down moves is an important tool for a teacher to use, some teachers can go overboard and break down simple moves too
much. Almost to the point of complicating an otherwise easy dance move. For example, a hip lift is a hip lift. It doesn’t need to be broken
down into 8 steps. That will only serve to teach students bad technique by overcomplicating it.
Teachers should know how to teach students individually.
What works for one student, will not work for another. While explaining the technical aspects of a move helps one student, another student
might learn better by having it explained using more “visualization” techniques. Others yet, learn better just by watching and following.
A teacher should get to know HOW her students learn best and not just use ONE teaching technique for all students. Your teacher should
also recommend workshops and other teachers from whom you could learn new ideas. Your teacher should never be offended because
you popped in on someone else's class once in a while.
Finally, look for consistency. Someone who is always changing their technique from one week to the next may not yet have enough
teaching experience to be able to teach their own class.
“Shop around” for a good teacher, if you have to. Your learning experience should be a pleasant one that will leave you with nice
memories down the road.
No one is perfect, including your teacher. But there are some things that students and teachers should be able to expect from one another.
A good dancer is a good student.
Be on time for class. 5 minutes early is best. If class starts at 5 and you are there at 4:30, class still starts at 5. If you are there at 5:15,
class has already begun and you have missed the first part of class. Your teacher can not stay after and go over what you missed.
Keep talking, giggling and goofing around to a minimum. We all like to have fun and fun is encouraged, but not to the point where it
takes time away from class instruction.
Be committed, especially if you have become a member of a troupe. If you miss too many lessons, don’t be surprised if you won’t be
allowed to dance at a performance.
You will not be an expert after an 8 week session in dance. Stay humble.
Stay focused.
Practice.
Be Patient... with the teacher and with yourself!
Listen to your teacher and watch when she demonstrates. Let the teacher finish her demonstration. Trying to do the move while she is
explaining it, before you have even seen what it is supposed to look like, will not help you to do it better.
Most importantly;
Attend workshops, especially those that your teacher recommends for you. Of course, none of us can attend every workshop that comes
along, but a minimum of twice a year for the average student would be sufficient.
A good teacher deeply respects the student that takes from more than one dance teacher at a time within the same style. I find these
students excel and find their own style much sooner, and do not become clones of their instructor.
Take notes!
Memorize your choreography!
It is not advisable to follow the teacher or some other student to get through the dance routine. Know what you are doing. It makes for a
much better performance!
Team work! Help newcomers with patience and humility. You were there once, too. Being a know-it-all in class does not make you look
like a good dancer, but rather, a wannabe!
Video taping class instruction is prohibited and showing these videos to people who are not students is something that can cause a lot
of legal problems down the road. Most teachers charge a fee for video taping class time. Asking to video tape certain moves after class
is additional work (and rent) for your teacher. There will be an additional fee, should your teacher agree to videos. This one does not.
Finally, make your payments in a timely fashion.
Teachers have expenses, such as rent for the studio, travel expenses and other things that students are unaware of. If you want a
private lesson, don’t expect to get a private for the same price as a group lesson just because you have been paying a set price for the
past several weeks or months. Prices are what they are for a reason, respect your instructor's rules.
If you make monthly payments and miss classes, you have lost your money. Talk to your teacher ahead of time. We all understand
illness or sudden emergencies. But if you do not show up for a couple of months straight, do not expect your last payment to carry over.
Decide before hand if you really want to learn to belly dance or just pop in for an occasional hour of something different to do. Once you
make your payment, there are no refunds. Good students do not expect special treatment. They should, however, expect their money's
worth. As a student, you have every right to ask about your teacher's qualifications, because if you want to be a good belly dancer, you
have to have a good teacher.
HORIZONTAL PLANE: divides the body into
upper and lower portions.(An example of this
would be torso rotation.)
FRONTAL PLANE: divides the body into front
and back. (Abduction & Adduction occur in
this plane.)