How to Do a Layer Hip Circle With a Shimmy in Belly Dancing

Belly dancing is an old form of dance originating from the Middle East and North Africa. Learn the basic moves, and combine them to do more advanced movements. Layering a hip circle with a shimmy is an example of an advanced combination technique.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Warm up your muscles. Belly dancing is demanding and much like an aerobic workout. Warming and stretching your muscles will help you avoid injuries.

2. Start your shimmy by bringing your knees and thighs back and forth. This is a fast movement. Wearing a hip scarf will illustrate the movements and allow you to see if you are doing it correctly. It does take practice.

3. Work in your hip circle. Place your feet shoulder width apart and your arms out to your sides. Move your hips to the left, to the front, to the right, to the back and then repeat. Make the loop one smooth movement. You can also reverse this movement.

4. Practice layering these two movements together. Standing in front of a mirror will help you see how you are doing.

5. Cool your muscles. After practicing, you must incorporate slow stretching movements for a cooldown. Belly dancing can give you a good cardiovascular workout.

Tips & Warnings

• There are no set names for belly dancing movements. Other dancers may refer to these moves by another name. Names depend on teachers, regions and many other factors.