How to Perform Belly Rolls in Belly Dancing

The belly roll is probably one of the most well known moves in belly dancing. It uses the abdominal muscles to create a wave motion in the stomach area. It is a difficult motion because it requires muscle tone and control in order to create the belly roll.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Stand with your feet about shoulder width apart.

2. Maintain relaxed but good posture. You want your ribcage slightly lifted and your arms help loosely at your sides.

3. Begin by tightening your lower abs. Don't allow your upper muscles to tighten at the same time. A belly roll focuses on moving the upper and lower abdominal muscles independently of each other.

4. Tighten your upper abs while at the same time relaxing your lower abs. Use your upper abs to pull your stomach inward toward your spine.

5. Relax your lower ab muscles completely. When you pull in your upper ab muscles farther inward in the last step, your stomach should naturally want to push outward. You lower stomach area should almost protrude outward.

6. Relax your upper ab muscles. Allow your lower abs to tighten and pull your stomach inward at the same time. At the end of the step, you will be back to where you started in step three.

7. Repeat steps 3 through 7 to roll your stomach over and over again.

8. To do a belly roll in the opposite direction simply reverse the directions.