How to Belly Dance

Transcript We’re going to bring the hands together and then shoot them out. So, together and out. As you’re bringing them together we’re actually going to lift the veil up and over. So, lift up and over. So, the hands are kind of doing a circle, and down, going in, in the bigger circle, lift …

Transcript So now let’s try connecting the envelope to the butterfly. We’re going to start with a single turn to the left. On this one we’re going to hide. Open. Half a veil switch forward. Up. So let’s try that again. Let’s try that with music.

Transcript So the first step of learning how to balance things on your head is finding your balancing point. So you want to stand nice and tall and keep your chin lifted at a natural angle parallel to the floor, not too far up, not too far down. And this is where you want to …

Transcript So now let’s try all four movements together. We’re going to start with a veil switch, with a hip circle, bring it forward, sway right. As you come through you’re going to start your turn to the left, bring it forward. Let’s try that with music.

Transcript Now we can try combining the 3 different sounds we can make. We can make many others, but for the sake of practice, keeping it simple would really help. In the beginning, we’ll start with 2 [inaudible : 00:15] with single hit, chest circles for 2, and then up for 3 sounds. We’re going …

Transcript So, the next movement is called The Envelope. We’re going to bring your hands a little bit higher up, So, about shoulder level. We’re going to bring the right hand to the left and just grab the veil, so my right hand’s completely free. So, all you do is grab. You’re going to make …

Transcript The next step is to learn how to play a triple sound, which is often called the gallop. If you’re right-handed, you’re going to start with your right hand. If you’re left-handed, you’re probably going to start with your left. If you want to strive to be really, really good, you want to alternate …

Transcript So, whenever you’re more comfortable with balancing, you might want to try a prop. So, in belly-dancing, we often use things like swords, canes or trays to balance on top of the head to demonstrate your strength and dexterity and to mesmerize your audience. Now, the heavier the object, the easier it is to …

Transcript In order to learn how to play finger cymbals and dance at the same time, you need to start very slowly. So what we will do is one hit and one step at the same time. So let’s just try that with music. If it’s faster. So now we can try to double up. …

Transcript So now let’s take our stationary hip circles. They’re small. They are not influencing the upper body and let’s learn how to travel with them. So just to review very quickly the knees need maintain this slight bent position. The lower abs are engaged. You are always protecting your lower back. You are always …

Transcript Now let’s combine the Egyptian Basic combination with the Double-Hip Lock combination. Starting forward, starting with the arms up. 1, 2; 2 drops, shimmy, and immediately going into the Double-Hip Lock on the right. Left, undulate, undulate. To make it a little bit more fun, when you travel forward for the Egyptian, take a …

Transcript Now, let’s combine four of the previous combinations. We’re going to start with Egyptian basic, go into the double hip lock, vertical circles, and the hip drop and kick. So to walk through the whole thing, starting with the arms up, one, two, step back, drop, drop, shimmy, to the right, to the left, …

Transcript So next, let’s combine hip drop and kick with traveling hip circles; pushing your weight to the left leg, having the right heel lifted. Remember to keep the standing knee, the weight-bearing leg, the knee is always bent. Keeping this heel up to push the hip up, and down, and then release into a …

Transcript Now let’s try combining shoulder circles with chest circles, and lifts, and drops. So first, starting with just the shoulders, keeping the hands very still, try not to push the arms away as you’re working through the shoulder. Lifting it forward, up, back, and down, forward, back, up, and down, and connecting those ducts …

Transcript Now, let’s try combining mayas, which is the downward vertical figure eight, with belly pops, and reverse undulation. So, starting with the mayas, you lift in the heel, and you’re pressing your weight from side to side, keeping the chest, head, and arms very still. And remember to really squeeze the hip up. Remember, …

Transcript Now let’s try combining the shoulder circle combo with a big hip circle, into the Maya, into the turn. So, from the beginning, shoulder, shoulder, chest circle, lift, drop. Take a circle, head sides. One, two, three. Maya. One, two, belly pop. And reverse it. And immediately into the turn. Figure eight. Let’s try …

Transcript Now let’s try combing the Maya combo with the three-point turn combo. So, starting with the right foot. Maya right, Maya left, belly out. In, reverse it up. And immediately were going to turn to the right. One, two, three. Forward, back, forward. Were gonna start again. Left, right, out, in, up one. Forward, …

Transcript So now let’s try laying a shoulder shimmy on the other movements. We worked with our chest. But we can also continue a shoulder shimmy while working with our hips. So, let’s go over our slides, nice and clean, and our small circles, going in either direction. We can also work with our shoulders …

Transcript Now, let’s try combining vertical hip circles with hand undulations. So, we’re going to do a stationary hip circle, pushing your weight to your right leg, lifting left heel up, keeping the belly tight, chest is lifted, lifting back, up, forward, and down. We’re going to frame the hips, bringing the left hand behind …

Transcript So now let’s try doing a Veil Switch. This move is also known as Around the World. So, you might hear it by both names. And in beginning, just want to prep by holding the veil in-between your right hand and left hand, obviously, draping the veil around the index finger, or scissoring it …

Transcript So now let’s combine snake arms with piston hips. We’re going to start with the snake arms first, with one hand at a time, and two. Remember to move one joint at a time, within the shoulder, the elbow, wrist, and releasing through the hands. One and two. To walk with this move, we …

Transcript Now lets come by in a traveling Hip-lift combination with the vertical hip-lift combination. So starting to the right one, two, three, four. Shoulder shimmy, lift one and two and down. You can go to the other side. Let’s try it with music.

Transcript Next, let’s combine hip slides with outward horizontal figure-eights with a twist. So first, let’s start with the horizontal slides. Knees stay bent, chest is up, lower abs engaged, pushing your weight from side to side. Remember to keep your hands, head, and chest in the same position, and it’s just your hips that …

Transcript Let’s link together the snake arm walk into the hip slides, into the hip lifts, and into the vertical circle. Starting from the very top, 2 steps forward, 4 back, hip slides, figure-8 with a hiccup, back, shoulder shimmy, 2 circles, and a frame. Let’s try that from the top, with music. [music : …

Transcript So, now let’ try combining the veil switch with our suede combo. So we are going to start with our right hand coming up. And adding a hip circle. And we’ll bring the veil forward, so that is half the veil switch. From the back, to bring it forward, and immediately, right, left, center, …

Transcript So now let’s try adding a hip shimmy to lower body isolations. So to review our hip shimmy, we’re moving our knees, our waist stays in the middle of the foot, our lower abs are engaged, you’re contracting the tailbone under, chest is lifted. And now let’s push our hips to the right and …

Transcript So now let’s try a little sway combination at the veil. So we’re going to bring the veil forward in front of us, and lead to the right, lead to the left, bring the right foot in, and then we’re going to take a step forward. So just the footwork leaning to the right, …

Transcript Now let’s combine the snake arm combination with the hip slide with a twist. Staring facing forward, starting with our walk, coming back with piston hips, going immediately into the slides. Let’s try it with music. [music : 00:33 – 00:59] Full-speed.

Transcript So, now let’s combine double hip locks with undulations. We’re going to start facing flat forward, just as lifted lower abs are contracted in. We’re going to press our way to the right leg, and then to the left leg. Remember, you want to keep your knees bent. We’re going to push our way …

Transcript So now let’s try some layering. Let’s initiate the movement with our shoulders so we’re going to push the shoulders forward and back. And keep the hands still. And we can speed that up to our usual shoulder shimmy. And we can layer shoulder shimmy over lots of different other movements. So in the …

Transcript So now let’s try adding the hip shimmy to chest slides and lifts. So keeping the knees bent starting a little shimmy. Trying to keep it very even as you work with your upper body. Remember to move and contract the lower abs in. Lifting the chest and dropping it. And adding circles. Let’s …

Transcript So now let’s try our horizontal figure eight. This is the outward horizontal figure eight. And add an embellishment. So let’s just assume our original position. So, we are going to stand with the feet underneath the hip bones, the knees are bent. Chest is lifted and we are pushing away to the right …

Transcript Now let’s connect the shoulder circle series with the big hip circle combo. So, circle, circle, chest, up, down, forward, down, right, left, right. And an easy way to remember is, everything in the sheet’s on the right side. Shoulder circles, chest goes from right, up, down. Hip circle goes to the right, and …

Transcript Now let’s combine the Vertical Hip Circles with the Hip Drop combo. Facing forward, traveling to right, circle, sharp accent, circle, sharp accent. From here, we’re going to rotate and we’re going to start the kick drop. Down, kick, down, kick. Kick that foot and we circle, traveling back where we came from. One …

Transcript Now, let’s put together the movements we already learned into a longer dance combination. We’re going to start with the Egyptian Basic. We’re going to bring the arms up. We’re going to step our right foot forward. Bring your right hand down, step on that foot, bring the left hand forward, and step back …

Transcript Let’s try combining big hip circles, and leading them into head slides. Starting forward, pushing your weight to the left, all the way forward, right, and back. These are big hip circles; they do influence the upper body. You’re no longer going to stay upright, but you’re going to tilt in the opposite direction …

Transcript Next let’s combine vertical hip circles with vertical push, or opposition push hip lift. So we’re going to start with our feet underneath the hipbones. Knees are soft just a little bit. Remember to always tuck the lower abs in. Always tuck the tailbone under. You don’t want to have a full curvature in …