Episode 8 - Shimmies and Turns
Dance Level: Intermediate-Advanced
Fitness Category: Calorie-Burner
Target Zones: Glutes and Thighs
Unlike other dance forms where performers on stage continually face their audience, belly dancing’s intimate nature means that dancers often perform in small clubs and restaurants, surrounded by their audience. In this episode we practice both the graceful ‘Cut Turn’ and a quick spin on the ‘Sa’idi Step’ to enable you to engage the audience members all around you. After a review of the ‘Shoulder Shimmy,’ lower body belly dance shimmies, and the ‘Hip Rotation,’ we layer hip movements and shimmies to create the advanced ‘Shimmy-Layered Hip Circle’ and the ‘Tremor-Layered Figure Eight’. Don’t worry if these moves feel difficult in the beginning – they are some of the most advanced moves in the whole Shimmy program. Just keep practicing the shimmies and hip movement separately. After you are comfortable with both of them alone, layer them together to create magic!