How to Do an Egyptian Shimmy Move in Belly Dancing

When you learn belly dancing, you quickly figure out which moves are the most popular among other dancers and the audience. The Egyptian shimmy move is fairly easy but looks really impressive if you do it properly. If you want to learn to do the Egyptian shimmy, you need to practice your knee work and then learn how to speed it up.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Stand up straight. As any belly dancer will tell you, posture is the most important part of any routine. The way you present yourself not only can make the movements look more polished, it can actually save you from muscle fatigue and injury. So stand up straight with your hands down by your side and your shoulders back and squared. Your feet should be slightly apart and your knees bent slightly.

2. Pump your knees. The powerhouse of the Egyptian shimmy lies in your knees. You begin by pumping the right and then the left leg, which makes your hips go up and down in succession.

3. Speed it up. Once you have the knee bump down, you should speed up your belly dancing to make it look like one fluid motion. Go as fast as you possibly can. At first this may be difficult, but the more you work at it, the better you'll become.

4. Feel the movements. When you do it properly, you should feel your entire body vibrating with each shimmy. Watch yourself in the mirror to correct your form and to see how the rest of your body looks. You can bend over just slightly to feel the movement in your legs and buttocks even more.