So you want to learn how to belly dance.
When you first start taking belly dancing lessons, you will learn a whole new language. This is the language of belly dance. You will learn all of names for the movements, and the various belly dance rhythms used. Today, we are going to talk about some basic belly dance moves.
As a beginner belly dance instructor, I find that even though I repeat the belly dance moves for my students each week, they still need a little help remembering what these movements are called. There is so much new information to remember when you are just learning, that it can seem overwhelming. And, if you study with more than one belly dance teacher, she may call the moves something other than your other instructors. There are no standard names for the various belly dance movements.
In my studio we have a move we call the “M & M “. I have no idea if any other teacher would call this particular move by this name, but that’s what we call it. The move is actually a series of four hip arches dropped at different points- front, middle, back, and returned to middle. It is a bouncy move that we use a lot. Another move we do has a name coined by my first teacher back in the 70′s- the “Crush the Cigarette” step. This is actually a vertical hip twist. In our studio we call a small, tilting pelvic circle by the common name Omi- but others have referred to this move as an “African Hip Circle”
Belly Basics
It helps students to remember the moves if it is called by the same name in class each time it is used. However, when you are just starting out and exposed to so many new moves, you may need a little help recalling them.
With this in mind, I devised a handy sheet to pass out for my students. Feel free to copy this and use it if you find it helpful.
This is a list of movements that I routinely teach my beginners. I have categorized them by body part. I then listed the name of the move and gave a brief description. The list I created for my beginner belly dance students is pretty short, as I didn’t want them to feel too overwhelmed with information overload. As they grow in experience, I will supply them with a list of more advanced moves.
Belly Dance Hip Scarves
EVERY Belly dance student needs a hip scarf. It is a costuming essential.
Basic dance posture: Knees soft, pelvis slightly tucked, shoulders back and down, chest slightly lifted, head in line with spine and hips. Maintain basic dance posture throughout movements unless otherwise noted.

Basic Hip Movements:
Hip Circle- Circular isolation of the hips. Pelvis does not tilt. Hips make a circle around the outside perimeter of the feet. A horizontal move.
Hip Bumps- Side to side hip accent done flat-footed and horizontally. A sharp accent is achieved by contracting the glute on the bumping side. Can be done stationary as an accent, or traveling in a walk.

Getting Started in Belly Dancing, Getting Started in Belly Dancing, Getting Started in Belly Dancing