Beginning Belly Dance with Arabella
January 2011, 1/22/11 revision.
Credit to videos:
Bellydance Movement
Foundation with Yasmina Ramzy,
Torquise International Presents The
American Dancer Series, Volume 1 Cassandra An Introduction to Bellydancing
Torquoise International Presents Cassandra’s Conditioning
Class
An Introduction to Belly Dance with
Kathryn Ferguson
Carrie Konyha of American Gypsy Dance Productions presents… The
Dance, Volume 1
Contemporary Belly Dance and Yoga
Conditioning with Ariellah
My Personal Trainer, Bellydance Fitness with Rania
Be aware of your posture and breathing.
Posture –
Feet parallel. Toes face forward.
Legs mostly straight, a little give in the knees.
Drop pelvis, pointing the bottom of your spine to the floor,
keeping your hips vertical.
Pull your belly button back to your spine. Try and hold this
movement with your lower abdominal muscles. Keep all other muscles relaxed.
Push the rib cage up from underneath, the upper abdominal
muscles.
Lift shoulders up, then drop and set
them back with back
muscles
You should feel like you spine is a pile of coins resting on
top of each other from the top of your head to the bottom of your spine.
*Do not tighten gluts/buttocks
Always keep abdominal muscles engaged (slightly tightened) so as to strengthen them and to protect your back.
Listen to
your body. Never stretch or work to the point of pain.
Check your
posture, periodically.
Breathing- Inhale, exhale. Slowly.
Fill
abdomen with half inhale, then fill chest, exhale.
Warm
Ups - done slowly. Breathe and smile.
Head. Remember that a head looking up
always lift always lifts the neck so that the upper back vertebrae are not
crushed. The throat should be open.
Arms and Shoulders. Take a deep breath.
Big arm
circles.
Inhale, Raise arms & hands up to make big "U" shape. Shoulders not lifted.
4 – Foreward/Back of Shoulders. Feel stretch in back, shoulders, biceps.
1 - Rotate wrist, palms and fingers facing outward and to back corners of room, reach arms back, squeeze shoulder blades together, bring arms down, then back to front and up into “U.”
Repeat 4 times.
2 - Deep breath. Reverse arm raise, lifting outward palmed arms backwards and up to big "U" shape. Feel work in upper back, keeping chest open. Rotate wrists outward and forward, then bring arms forward and down, keeping body open to front.
Center weight. Bend Left knee and reach up with Left arm. Lift rib cage away from the hip. Repeat.
Center weight. Bend Right knee and reach up with Right arm. Lift rib cage away from the hip. Repeat.
Embellish by lifting knee with abs help and pushing foot into floor. Toe, Ball, Heel as the right arm stretches up. 8 - L then R.
Walk in
place, lifting knees to waist, use lower abs, touching palms of hands to knees.
Torso Twist
4 - Lift arms in horizontal position set towards back of room. Face forwards using oblique (side) abdominal muscles, turn rib cage with upper body and arms to face right, then left, then right. Keep hips still.
Rib cage and abdominal rolls
Deep breath.
2 - Feel weight centered, rib cage lifted, in same plain as body, arms relaxed at sides.
Lift rib cage up, roll rib cage over to left, roll across the front to the other side of your body to the right side and come back up: Make your abdominal muscles do most of the work. Go slow and notice them.
2 - Repeat R to L.
2 - Bend knees. Repeat L to R but lower torso to waist or as far as you can go, hands loose to floor. Roll across the front, Hips to left, rib cage to right, lift with your abdominals to protect your back. On right side, Pull HIPS UNDER and lift your body with your stomach muscles. Put your hand on your stomach if you want to feel the muscles or remind them that they are there.
2 - Repeat
R to L.
Horse-riding squat position. Shoulders back, weight in heels and straighten back by
tightening abdomen - tuck pelvis. Count to 8, release.
8 slow small knee bends. Shoulders back, weight in heels and drop pelvis so that spine is straight. Check your posture.
Toe raises. 8 – feet forward.
Right Toe to ankle, down.
Toe to knee, down.
Toe to ankle then knee, then ankle, down.
Repeat with Left Toe.
Legs far apart, knees over toes, prayer
hands, - hold for 8, Prayer hands
above head for 8 counts, tighten lower abs to make back straight.
Right foot on ball for 8, Hands above head for 8.
Turn to
right side. Front, right foot flat. Left foot behind, on
ball. Knees bent, torso vertical. Count to 8. Hands above head for 8.
Back to 1st position.
Left
foot on ball for 8, Hands above head for 8.
Turn to
left side. Front, left foot flat. Right foot behind, on ball.
Knees bent, torso vertical. Count to 8. Hands above head for 8.
Back to 1st position.
Step – Touch
Step left foot to side, then toe touch the right foot next to it. Step the right foot to the side, then toe touch the left foot next to it. Continue and add arms lift to the count of four, lowering to the count of four. Vary arm movements.
On Floor, sitting.
Abdomen
twist, Side to side
Abs
diagonal side pulls
Seated spinal twist
Feet –
Ball/Toes. Point ball, point toes, flex toes, flex ball. Repeat.
Wrists - Stretch forwards. Then, backwards. Circle each direction.
Fingers –
Palms up.
Bring 1 finger up at a time starting with pinky. Put them down 1 at a time.
Bring 1 finger up at a time starting w/ index finger. Put them down 1 at a time.
Practice wavy/wave motions.
Leading with middle finger, circle fingers outwards around wrist. Then inwards.
Isolations – one part of the body at a time.
Head Slides Right – Left. Front – back. Circles Horizontal Clockwise, Counter-clockwise.
Shoulders
Lift
shoulders to ears, release. Each shoulder up and down. Together
with alternating up and downs.
Squeeze shoulders
forward and backwards.
Slow shimmy one shoulder, then the other, then together.
Chest – Hips, shoulders and head “quiet”. Movement from rib cage.
Slides Right – left. Front – back. Circles. Horizontal Clockwise, Counter-clockwise.
Vertical Forward and Backward: Chest forward and up, pull straight back, then to normal position (3 points). Reverse direction.
Abdominals
Tighten, release whole stomach area.
Isolate upper
abdominals (above belly button) and lower abdominals (below belly button).
Tighten and release upper. Tighten and release lower.
Tighten upper, tighten lower, release upper, release lower
When fluid (each lower and upper
muscle moves one at a time), it turns into Undulation.
Tighten lower, tighten upper, release lower, release upper. When fluid turns into Wave.
Try another way - think of a Vertical circle. Pull back lowest ab muscle you can find, tighten ab muscles one at a time to solar plexis, releasing muscles left behind but lifting them in a circle from stomach then up then outwards then down then back to stomach.
Hips
Hips
parallel to floor
Together H. Slides. Legs mostly straight. Use oblique stomach
muscles to pull hips to each side.
One leg at a time Circles. Horizontal: CW, then CCW.
Vertical
hip lifts will be done through lower abdominal muscles.
One leg at a time Circles. Vertical: Forward circles (bicycle). Also, Backward.
Medium horizontal hip circle. Legs mostly straight.
Centered hip circle - Slides and Circles.
L – R. Legs straight. Bend 1 knee, straighten & bend other at the same time.
F – B. Let abdominal muscles loose, then tighten abdominals. Keep pelvis down (spine straight).
Small horizontal circles one direction and then the other.
Gluts (buttocks). Alternate tighten &
release.
Alternate
each tighten with lower ab loose/tighten to make a circle.
Try both directions.
Knee shimmy – knees alternating straight/bend
Vertical
hip drop – You will need a mirror! Hips and waist will actually stay level. As you
drop hip, slide it outward with oblique ab muscle and
bend knee of same leg. Return to center, reversing the movement. Try the other
hip.
Put a downward
sway between your centered position and final position of vertical hip drop…
Put an
upward sway between your centered position and final position of vertical hip
drop…
Put a
downward and upward together to make a … (method 1)
Vertical hip circle
One leg at a time Circles. Vertical (method 2)
Start with box: Drop knee, out to side, up and Inward. Round it out.
Also, try: Up, out to side, drop knee, inward.
Thigh shimmy – side to side movement from hips.
Shoulder backward roll, then forward roll.
Moves
Week 1
Snake arms
Lift shoulder, elbow, wrist. Lower shoulder, elbow, wrist.
R – same thing.
L- R together, same moves.
L – R one lifts while other lowers and reverses.
Hip lifts
Right Side. Left foot flat. Right foot on ball - lift right hip up and out to 3 o’clock. Drop hip back to place.
Left Side. Right foot flat. Left foot on ball - lift left hip up and out to 9 o’clock. Drop hip back to place.
Right Forward. Left foot flat. Right foot a little forwards and on ball - lift right hip up and out to between 1 and 2 o’clock. Drop hip back to place.
Left Forward.Right foot flat. Left foot a little forwards and on ball - lift left hip up and out to between 10 and 11 o’clock. Drop hip back to place.
Right Backward - Right foot a little backwards and on ball - lift right hip up and back to between 4 and 5 o’clock. Drop hip back to place.
Left Backward - Left foot a little backwards and on ball - lift left hip up and back to between 7 and 8 o’clock. Drop hip back to place.
Tunisian Twist.
Right horizontal hip twist on right/front
foot. Step back on left foot and twist hip back. Repeat.
Left, horizontal hip twist on left/front foot. Step back
on right foot and twist hip back. Repeat.
Week 2
Egyptian
walk. Hip
forward lift, step on same foot. Hip lift with other foot, then step on same
foot. Repeat…
Forward
Bicycle hips walk.
Walk with L foot down on beat 1, lift R foot and same hip with lower abdominal
muscle bringing them up, making half circle forward. Put R Foot down on beat 2.
Lift L foot and lift up same hip with abdominal muscle. Put L foot down on beat
3. Practicing walk forwards.
Combination week 1
Walk with L hip up on beat 1, then L foot down (forward bicycle hips). Then, R hip up, then R foot down (Forwards bicycle hips). Then backwards bicycle hips to step backwards.
Walk 4 steps as above, stop, do 4 body slides. Head, chest, or Hips. Repeat with a different slide.
Walk 4 steps as above, stop, do 4 hip bumps. Forward, side, or backward. Repeat with a different bump.
Walk 4 steps as above, stop, do snake arms for 4 beats. Forward. Repeat.
Week 3
Hip
drops. Reverse force from Hip lifts.
Backwards bicycle hips with walk backwards.
Some Arm positions…
Horizontal with slight drop in elbow
U arms with shoulders back
“L” ams with one to side or front
Frame your face with elbows up at sides and forward arms horizontal, tips of fingers touching below your chin.
Same thing but push your palms together in a prayer pose. Nice for showing off a head slide.
Stretches
for each muscle group, may use from warm up.
Right arm to elbow above head, lower arm behind head. Gently pull elbow to left with left
hand.
Right arm straight and to left, gentely
pulling at elbow with left forearm wedging it against chest.
Same to Left arm.