How to Do an Umi in Belly Dancing

Belly dancing is an art that many people choose as a fun hobby or as a toning exercise. Doing an umi in belly dancing is a basic move that really works your hips and stomach muscles when performed correctly and is a great addition to any dancer's regular moves.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Start with your feet placed together and bend your knees just a little. Stand tall through your torso and roll your shoulders back. Lengthen your neck and keep your arms at your sides to begin.

2. Isolate your hips and lower stomach. The umi is a smaller, concentrated dance move that happens from under your rib cage to just below your bottom. Focus on keeping the rest of your body relatively still.

3. Roll your hip first out to the right then to the front. Keep the small circle going around to the left and back, finishing in the front. Try to do this in one continuous movement.

4. Alternate the move and go in the opposite direction. Reposition yourself back to the starting pose as explained in Step 1. Start pushing your hips forward, then right, back and to the left, finishing in the front.

5. Smooth it out and add a seductive arm movement to go with the umi. This move is meant to be done a number of times without stopping and adding a flowing arm raised slightly from your sides is a great way to dress up this basic step.