How To Belly Dance

  • November 24, 2008
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Okay, so you can shimmy and you can shake, but you ain’t seen nothin’ until you’ve seen a skilled belly dancer strut her stuff. Here are a couple of basic belly-dancing moves to awaken your inner Shakira…

You Will Need

  • Some space—a chunk about six ft. in diameter should do it
  • A large mirror
  • Privacy—so you’ll feel comfortable letting go
  • An outfit that bares your belly and hips
  • A few scarves or a shawl to drape around your hips
  • Belly-dancing music
  • Bells or coins sewn onto clothes to make a sultry jingle
How To Belly Dance: Listen

Step 1: Listen

Listen to the music and make sure you can make out the beat.

How To Belly Dance: Position body

Step 2: Position body

Start with your feet parallel and one foot apart. Your spine should be straight, your abdominal muscles slightly flexed, your knees unlocked, your shoulders gently pulled back, and your chin raised a bit above its normal level.

How To Belly Dance: Position arms

Step 3: Position arms

Bend your arms slightly at the elbow, raising them until they are at chest level. Then bend your wrists, which will raise your hands a bit.

How To Belly Dance: Position hands

Step 4: Position hands

Allow your hands to be loose, and lift the little fingers and forefingers.

How To Belly Dance: Shift feet

Step 5: Shift feet

Slide your left foot about six inches forward, then lift your heel as far as you can so you’re on the ball of your left foot. Over 50 percent of your weight should be on your back leg.

How To Belly Dance: Do some hip drops

Step 6: Do some hip drops

Now for some hip drops. Lift your left hip slowly by contracting the abdominal muscles on your right side. Keep your head held evenly by allowing your right knee to bed a little and your left knee to straighten a little.

How To Belly Dance: Hold your hip up

Step 7: Hold your hip up

Hold your lifted hip for two counts.

How To Belly Dance: Drop your hip down

Step 8: Drop your hip down

For the next two counts, drop your hip sharply by letting your contracted abdominal muscles release and using your pelvic muscles to force your hip down lower than it was when you started.

How To Belly Dance: Repeat on opposite side

Step 9: Repeat on opposite side

Now try it on your right side. Place your feet parallel again, about a foot apart, slide your right foot forward, then lift your heel so you’re on the ball of your right foot.

How To Belly Dance: Do a hip drop

Step 10: Do a hip drop

Now do the hip drop, this time allowing your right hip to raise and drop.

How To Belly Dance: Prepare to shimmy

Step 11: Prepare to shimmy

Now you’re going to shimmy. Start with your feet side by side, your arms out at chest level, and your hands in the same position as before.

Shimmying works best with music that has a rapid beat.

How To Belly Dance: Bend your left knee

Step 12: Bend your left knee

Bend your left knee. Your right hip will lift. Straighten your left knee.

Be sure not to lock your knees at any point during the dance.

How To Belly Dance: Bend your right knee

Step 13: Bend your right knee

Now bend your right knee, letting your left hip rise. Then straighten the knee again. The key to this move is to concentrate on it coming from your knees, not your hips.

How To Belly Dance: Shimmy

Step 14: Shimmy

Slowly alternate bending your knees, allowing your opposite hips to rise, then gradually speed up until you are doing this as fast as you can. You now know how to shimmy with the best of them!

When I Dream of Jeannie was on the air in the late 1960s, NBC had a “No Navel Edict,” so star Barbara Eden’s outfit, exotic as it was, did not show her belly button.

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Comments (9)

Gianluca_Milardo

awesome

over 3 years ago by Gianluca_Milardo

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usfriender

авпвап

over 2 years ago by usfriender

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usfriender

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over 2 years ago by usfriender

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usfriender

авыпывап

over 2 years ago by usfriender

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usfriender

ывап

over 2 years ago by usfriender

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usfriender

ывап

over 2 years ago by usfriender

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usfriender

ывап

over 2 years ago by usfriender

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usfriender

авыывап

over 2 years ago by usfriender

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Video is in Let's Dance! (18 videos)