Human beings started dancing in Paleolithic times and early dances expressed themes of hunting, mating, and birth.

Some believe that the stomach movements of bellydance may have been done to mimic childbirthand that Bellydance arm and head movements mimic the gestures of animals and birds.

Hip movements are connected to social dancing and even though the dance is supposed to be performed by women for women,  they also connect to the ritual of finding a mate.

Always...
1) Remember to breathe.
2) Keep your muscels relaxed (only tense up intensionaly)
3) Smile :)
4) Have fun with it

Never...
1) Do something that hurts.
2) Dance if your not having fun
3) Let yourself get frustrated with it (this stuff takes time and practice)

Middle Eastern Dance is based on only a couple moves...
Which are put together in numerous combinations using layering. For example a hip circle with a 3/4 shimmy in a circle is done first by doing a small hip circle then adding on the 3/4 shimmy and finally walking around yourself in a circle. It's all a matter of layering the moves on top of each other. So learn all the basics first and then it won't take you long to learn some of the more complicated combinations. Break those combinations down to the basics and then layer them back on till you get the feel for it.

Go with the flow...
When you dance, if you make a mistake just go with it, make it look like you meant to do it. Never stop because you made a mistake or forgot, at least keep dancing an improvised version. Work your mistakes into the dance. Sometimes you end up doing something you like better.

Step Names

Be aware that unlike many other dances, bellydance is still a dance that belongs to the people and it is being transformed by the old and new influences of other dance styles. For that reason, certain common steps are know by many names around the world, so it is interesting to keep an open mind to the learning of new name titles for steps you might already know by a different name.

WARM UPS/STRETCHES/COOL DOWNS

It is very important to make sure you adjust your body before and after a session of bellydance, so you must dedicate time for a proper warm up and cool down  by combining cardio-vascular excercises to pump up your heart and good stretches to get that flexibility your muscles need. Please note that everyone is different so respect your own limits.

WARM UP INSTRUCTIONS COMING SOON!

1. Posture

Feel your balance and work on keeping it at all times, as you will need it!!!

2. Basic Position

Unless otherwise stated this is the position you should always start with. Your feet should be no more than hip width apart. Your feet should be facing forward and should be parallel to each other. Your knees should be slightly bent and never straight or locked. Your pelvis should be tucked comfortably under you but not so far that the pelvis is tipped forward.

Legs are slightly open:

the correct measure is not have them too open and not too close together - they naturally go down as wide as your hips.

3. Keep your bum tucked and knees slightly bent AT ALL TIMES as your posture will remain in this position most of the time.

This might be hard at the beginning but it must happen by defalt.

4. Tuck your bum in and out

In posture, knees slightly bent, push your hips forward and backwords, keeping the rest of the body out of the movement. Good for warming up.

The gwazee (or Hip Slide):

This is the basic step used on tribal bellydance, word originated from African tribes where the movement itself came from.

Move your hips to the sides, parallel to the floor, keeping the rest of the body isolated from the movement.

10. Hips Lifts/Drops

By squeezing each glute at the time, the right hip lifts upward whilst the left hip drops downward, and rest of the body remains quite still. Isolation is important. This can be very effective with fast hip moves.

Hip Circles

Rolling hip circles are done with the pelvis pivotting on an axis in a continuous circular movement. Much like Polynesian or Hawaiian dance. Anthropologists believe this ancient move emulates birth and ferility ritual.

Similar to the way you would move if you were spinning a hula hoop around your waist...but make the move slower and lower.

Hip circles seen from above:

Figure 8's:

Figure of eights are so named because they look like a number '8'. This move, also the symbol for 'eternity' was an ancient symbol for the snake with its tail in its mouth - a metaphor for the 'shedding of old skin' and 'cyclic renewal' - also linked to the woman's menstrual cycle.

When doing figure eights...
Try to keep the movement parallel to the floor (when doing horizontal)

or the wall (when doing vertical).

15. 4 Points

Firstly, try to move your hips forward and back by touching 4 points - 2 in front and 2 behind; alternating left and right hips.

16. Backward Horizontal Figure '8'

Wide horizontal move. Imagine drawing an '8' on the floor by pushing alternate hips first diagonally forward, then tracing half the '8' back.

18. Forward Horizontal Figure '8'

Same as above, but now the drawing of the figure '8' on the floor happens by pulling alternate hips first diagonally backward, then tracing half the '8' back.

19. Downward Figure of '8', Vertical Figure Eight (also called Taxim)

This movement requires the verical movement of the hips to create a shape like a number '8' by alternating sides; first the dropped right hip loops down and up to the right, then this is repeated on the opposite side, in a pendular action. Weight must smoothly shift from left to right.

Standing in the basic position bend the right knee pushing the right hip down. Next push it up to the side. Now slightly straighten your right leg while bending the left knee causing the right hip to come up and the left to drop down. Then push the left hip out to the side and then pull it up by slightly straightening the left leg. Try to keep it parallel to the wall.

20. Upward figure of '8', Reverse Vertical Figure Eight (also called Maia)

This movement is the opposite of the above, where the figure 8 shape is drawned firstly with the raised right hip upward, and outward. Then this is repeated on the opposite side, again, in a pendular action and in the same way, the weight must smoothly shift from left to right.

Standing in the basic position Straighten the right knee pushing the right hip up. Next push it down to the side. Now bend your right leg while straightening the left knee causing the right hip to drop down and the left to come up. Then push the left hip out to the side and then push it down by bending the left leg. Try to keep it parallel to the wall.

21. Belly Roll Down (also called undulation)
The roll is done by contracting the diaphraghm and then the lower abdobinal. Then you push the diaphraghm out and then the lower abdominal. When you have enough controll over that, you smooth it out to a roll. It will look like something in your stomach is rolling down.

22. Flutter
The flutter is done by rapidly contracting and releasing the diaphraghm. It may help you get the feel for it if you pant or try a deep belly laugh.

23. Belly Roll with Flutter
When you are proficient in both the belly roll and the tummy flutter you may try adding them together. Try panting while doing a roll.

23. Belly Roll Up

This is the opposite than the scooping step - this time the hips scoop from above downwards.

The roll is done by contracting the lower abdominal and then the diaphraghm. Then you push the lower abdominal out and then the diaphraghm. When you have enough controll over that, you smooth it out to a roll. It will look like somethinng in your stomach is rolling up.

You can also attempt to travel with this movement.

Shimmies

By making the hips lift and drop very subtle and extremely fast you will get the most excuberant, fun move of all - the shimmy! A quivering of the flesh on the hips and bottom. You must relax your knees and build up a constant vibration from the knees to the thighs!

Tip: Travelling Shimmy

you can walk with a shimmy too - move when the rhythm speeds up.

24. Basic Shimmy
Stand with your knees slightly bent and your feet together with the pelvis tucked underneath you comfortably. Now slightly straighten the right leg. Next , slightly straighten the left leg while bending the right leg. Speed it up with the rhythm, the movement comes from the thighs and the weight is placed evenly on both feet.

25. 4/4 Shimmy (also called Egyptian Shimmy)
Stand with your knees slightly bent and your feet together with the pelvis tucked underneath you comfortably. Now straighten the right leg. Next straighten the left leg while bending the right leg. Feel the bones but the movement comes from the thighs and the weight is fastly shifte between feet.

26. Sliding Shimmy
While doing a very small fast shimmy (also known as a flutter) slide your hips out to the right, back to center, and out to the left, then back to center. The weight is mostly on the right when sliding right, mostly on the left when sliding left, and evenly distributed when you come back to center

27. 3/4 Shimmy (also called as Walking shimmy)

Start with your knees bent
slightly and your feet together underneath you. Step onto your right foot and put all your weight on that foot then slightly straighten you right knee, bend it again, and then straighten it again. Now step onto the left foot and put all your weight into that foot and slightly straighten your left knee, bend it again and then straighten it again. It is essentially two shakes on each hip.

28. Wendy Step

You can follow the above but on each hit, your hips twist as you try to kick to the corners.

29. Fancy Wendy

You can make a "Fancy Wendy" by following the above by making 4 counts  of steps forward: Right , Left, Right... Left, Right, Left... Right , Left, Right... Left, Right, Left... and 4 counts of steps back: Right , Left, Right... Left, Right, Left... Right , Left, Right...

Left, Right, Left...

30. 3/4 Shimmy with a Hitch
Stand with your feet together underneath you and your knees slightly bent. Step right and push the hip out. Now step left and push the hip out. Now step right and push the hip out and out, then the same thing on the left side; left, right, left and left. The weight is placed mostly on the right when your using your right and mostly on the left when your using your left.

31. Flamenco Shimmy 1
Stand with your feet together underneath you and your knees slightly bent. Step forward with your right heel, then back underneath you with your left ball,right ball, left ball. Heel, Ball, Ball, Ball. Flat, Up, Up, Up.

32. Flamenco Shimmy 2
Stand with your feet together underneath you and your knees slightly bent. Step forward with your right heel, then back underneath you with your left ball, right ball, then forward with your left heel. Heel, Ball, Ball, Heel. Flat, Up, Up, Flat.

Snake Arms

Slow, mesmerising move done with arms out to the side, alternating levels, ie: lift one arm up while the other is down low and then smoothly, swap. Maintain some poise in the arms. You can do this by focussing on the elbows lifting the arms up and down.

Your shoulders should be relaxed and down. The arm you intend to move should be out to your side( this does not mean straight out to the side but, at a slight angle to the front). To start lift your shoulder up. Next, bring your elbow up, then the wrist up. Now, drop the shoulder, elbow, wrist. To get the "snakey" effect smooth the move out. Let this ripple flow down your arm and out the fingers. You can play with slow and snakey or fast and flashy movements!

Tip: an alternative learning technique for smooth snake arm is to stand in posture with arms open shoulder height while alternating back shoulder rolls (roll the shoulders back and around in a small, smoothe circluar motion).

While rolling the shoulders back, the hands try to stay in place.

33. Snake Arms 4 (Down, In Back)
Your shoulders should be relaxed and down. Your arms should be down by and behind your hips. To start push your right elbow out to the side, while pulling the left towards the right. Next, bring your right wrist out to the side, while pulling the left wrist in towards the right. Now, do this the other way around by pushing the left elbow out and the right elbow in, following with the left wrist out and the right wrist in. Let your arms go behind your hips. It may help to think of an imaginary string running from one hand through to the other hand. Your hands should be approximatly the same distance from each other the whole time.

You can use a variation of this movement by alternating the arm movements to be opposite to each other.

34. Shoulder shimmy:

A slow shoulder roll forward and back or a rapid, relaxed vibrating move in the shoulders. You can start slowly by pressing one shoulder back as the other come forward, and then speed up. Try to keep the hands still and level while the shoulders shimmy.