Basic belly dance moves for beginners

Many people may not be familiar with the basic movements of belly dancing for beginners. Belly dancing is a special kind of dance that originated from India. To learn this dance, you must first master its basic movements. There are six basic movements of the hips and three basic movements of the chest. Then combine these basic movements and dance like flowing water, full of excitement and satisfaction. Let us take a closer look at the basic movements of belly dancing for beginners.

1. Basic postures of belly dance

1. Basic standing posture: Stand straight with your feet in a figure eleven or shoulder-width apart, with your body in a cross shape, chest and head up, eyes looking straight ahead, chin tucked in, shoulders relaxed, elbows slightly lowered, wrists raised, ballet hands facing up, abdomen and buttocks naturally tightened, legs naturally straightened, and be careful not to lift your buttocks.

2. Basic squatting posture: Stand with your feet in a figure eleven or shoulder-width apart, with knees bent, the whole body in a cross shape, chest and head up, eyes looking straight ahead, chin tucked in, shoulders relaxed, elbows slightly lowered, wrists raised, ballet hands facing up, abdomen and buttocks naturally contracted, and be careful not to bend your knees beyond your toes.

2. Basic skills of single belly dance

1. 6 hip movements:

3 horizontal planes: (Requirement: basic standing posture)

Push the hips left and right (left and right hips) Push the hips forward and backward (front and back hips) Swing the hips forward and backward (swing hips)

3 upright positions: (requirements: basic squatting position) left and right/front and back hip swing (hip swing) up and down hip (bend knees, stand upright, tiptoe) up and down/front and back angled hip (angled hip)

2. 3 chest exercises:

Move the chest horizontally to the left and right (left and right chest), lift the chest up and lower the chest (upper and lower chest), push the chest forward and hold the chest back (front and back chest)

★Note: Except for hip swing which is listed separately, the other 9 basic movements can be combined in pairs to form new movements.

3. Compound basic skills

1. Horizontal round chest: left and right chest + front and back chest

Horizontal round hips: left and right hips + front and back hips

2. Upright round chest: left and right chest + up and down chest

Upright round hips: left and right hips + up and down squats

3. Side round chest: upper and lower chest + front and back chest (upper side round chest/lower side round chest)

Side rounded hips: angled hips + front and back hips (upper rounded hips/lower rounded hips)

4. Horizontal 8-shaped hips: left and right hips + hip swing (front 8 / back 8)

5. Upright 8-shaped hips: left and right hips + upper and lower hips (upper 8 / lower 8)

6. Side wheel round hip: upper and lower hip + swing hip (front side wheel round hip/back side wheel round hip/alternating sub-arc hip)

7. Small seesaw round hips: upper and lower hips + angled hips (bowl shape)

8. Big Seesaw Round Hips: Lower Arc Hips + Concave and Concave Belly (Diamond Shape)

★Remarks: 8-shaped chest, just understand it.

4. Multiple compound basic skills

1. Snake-shaped combination: horizontal round chest + horizontal round hips (+ horizontal round head)

2. Mermaid combination: upper round chest + upper round hips

3. Reverse Camel Combination: Lower Round Chest + Lower Round Hips

4. Horizontal 8-shaped hip combination: horizontal 8-shaped chest + horizontal 8-shaped hip

5. Upright 8-shaped hip combination: Upright 8-shaped chest + Upright 8-shaped hip

5. West Fans

Shimmy (quick and even shaking of a part of the body)

1. Tongue tremor 2. Shoulder tremor 3. Chest tremor 4. Hand tremor 5. Abdominal tremor (upright tremor with breathing)

6. Angle hips 7. Upper and lower hips 8. Buttocks 9. Knees (front and back/up and down/left and right) 10. Foot

11. 3/4 hip 12. Egyptian step 14. Tiptoe and kneel down hip stunt (choochoo stunt)

6. Static and dynamic arm movements

Freestyle 2. Single ear style 3. Hip hug style 4. L-shaped gesture 5. Cobra head 6. Water snake arms 7. Cobra arms 8. Small stream/big waves 9. Little angel/big angel wings

7. Basic belly dance skills: head movements

1. Left and right translation + horizontal rotation

2. Nod your head up and down

3. Flip your hair back and forth

4. Flip your hair to the left and right sides

5. V-Shaped Hair

6.8-character hair shake

7. Horizontal hair swing

8. Straight hair

8. Belly dance basics: rotation

1. Flat turn 2. Point turn 3. Point flip 4. Point foot and step turn 5. Ballet turn;

9. The music beat of belly dance

1. 1/4 beat● ○ ○ ○ ● ○ ○ ○ ● ○ ○ ○

2. 2/4 time● ○ ● ○ ● ○ ● ○ ● ○ ● ○ ●

3. 3/4 time● ● ● ○ ● ● ● ○ ● ● ● ○

4. 4/4 full shot● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

5. 8/4 double full shot●.●.●.●.●.●.●.●.●.●

★Note: “●” remake

“○” empty beat/weak beat

Add a beat in the middle of “.”

The double full beat is generally the rhythm of belly dancing in the west and north.

10. Other related knowledge

Belly dance was originally called "Oriental dance", also known as "natural delivery dance". It is a type of Middle Eastern dance, different from Indian dance and hula dance.

2. The basic skills of belly dance are mainly composed of "points", "lines" and "surfaces".

3. When practicing the basic skills of belly dance, you need to coordinate your body with other exercises. At the same time, you need to do basic physical training and train the corresponding muscle groups for different basic movements. This will improve the explosiveness and control of the movements.

4. Maintain a good attitude, study in a relaxed atmosphere, and don’t be arrogant or irritable.