Belly Dance Basics Class Outline
By Sherezzah - Delray Beach, Florida, USA
(Editor's Note: This is a suggested class outline for general use, generously
supplied by Sherezzah (Thank you)! It is not in anyway 'official' or definitive,
so add or delete what you will. If you have an independently developed outline
you'd like to contribute, please let me know --Stefan)
Basics Outline (not in chronological order, see end comments):
- Head slides
- side-side ("Hindu head")
- forward-back ("Chicken head")
- Head circle ("Voodoo head")
- Head roll
- Shoulder roll
- Shoulder thrust
- Shoulder shimmy
- General arm/hand movements
- Snake arms
- Parallel arms
- Arm circle
- Waterfall
- Wrist circles
- Hand figure 8
- Hand undulation
- Indian hands
- Egyptian (Pharonic) positions
- Turkish arms
- Sun-Moon cross
- Rib cage slide
- Rib cage lift/drop
- Rib cage circles
- Undulations
- Hip slide
- Hip lifts
- Hip drops
- Pelvic tuck
- Pelvic drop
- Large hip circles
- Small hip circles
- One-hip circles
- Figure 8 (Forward 8)
- Reverse 8
- Under 8 ("Hip sway")
- Over 8 ("Maya")
- Double side-side walk
- Basic Egyptian (Walking hip lifts)
- Camel
- Hip snaps
- 3-step turn
- Paddle turn
- Shimmies
- Basic (side-side)
- Twist ("Maytag")
- Running ("Chinese shimmy" or "Choo choo")
- 3/4 (Walking shimmy)
- Down hips ("Pistol hips")
I start out all classes with basic posture, of course. I also teach a simple
choreography, and depending on which choreography I choose, the students
may learn steps in addition to these. I also include a session on finger
cymbal basics, and the choreography I teach usually includes finger cymbals.
I don't usually teach veil or floor work until intermediate classes.
Also note that the list here is sequenced by body part (more or less), which
is not the same as the sequence that I teach the movements in. I teach (more
or less) by shape, with the linear movements together, the circular movements
together, the figure-8-ish movements together, the shimmies together, etc.
-- Sherezzah
Send questions/comments to Sherezzah (p041336b@pb.seflin.org)
This page last updated June 23, 1997 by Stefan (dduncan@efn.org)