on Mon, 28 Nov, 2022
Every session is slightly different and our focus is different. We cannot get to every single move in a 6 week session. Some of these moves are not going to make sense if you haven't done them yet.
I bet I am missing some moves. Feel free to let me know which ones I have forgotten.
Syllabus
Beginning Level 1 Belly Dance
Improve fitness and core strength while working out to great world music and learning the basics of tribal and fusion belly dancing. Classes emphasizes posture and stretching to avoid injury, muscle isolation for improving strength, and repetition for a balanced workout.
Fast moves:
gwazi
shimmies
vibration
1-sided shimmies
1-sided vibration
shoulder shimmies
Suhaila technique
gwazi shimmy
¾ shimmy
¾ shoulder shimmy
¾ shimmy combo
¾ shimmy L arms
Medium tempo moves (8 counts)
Egyptian basic
Hip lift and chest lift (L-arm)
Hip lift traveling
Hip drop and chest drop (1 hand dropped down)
Medium Combos
Chest square combo (3/1 pattern)
¾ shimmy combo
Slow
skin the cat with stretch
clockwork arm with stretch
clockwork arm with wrist circle
kitty paws
snake arms
Arabic/undulation in place and walking forward (reverse undulation is called camel)
Belly roll (and reverse)
Maya (usually 4 sets)
Toxim/taqsim (4 sets)
Shoulder roll combo (usually 4 sets)
Chest Circle Combo
Beginning Level 2
Improve fitness and core strength while working out to great world music and expanding tribal and fusion belly dancing. Classes continue to emphasize posture and stretching to avoid injury, muscle isolation for improving strength, and repetition for a balanced workout. Students learn combinations of moves, transitions, formations, and musical theory. Prior belly dance experience required.
Medium/Fast moves:
Bicycle
¾ shimmy L arm and quarter turns
Gwazi 2/gwazi with a level change
Gwazi 2 with quarter turns
Slow
Arabic side to side (8 counts L, then R)
Camel
Kitty paws with level change
Faux back bend (3 wrist circles and faux backbend) on L, then right
Maya with wrist circles
Toxim with waves and palm trees
Toxim snake arms
1-sided toxim (and quarter turns)
1-sided maya (and quarter turns)
Maya with spider arms
Hand mirror move
Modified hand mirror with “Walk Like an Egyptian” hands
Intermediate Belly Dance
Improve fitness and core strength while working out to great world music and expanding tribal and fusion belly dancing. Classes continue to emphasize posture and stretching to avoid injury, muscle isolation for improving strength, and repetition for a balanced workout. Students learn combinations of moves, transitions, formations, and musical theory for performance readiness. Prior belly dance experience required.
Fast
Up shimmy
Bicycle shimmy
Shimmies level change
Shimmies with chest lifts, drops and circles
Medium fast
Hip lift front and back (8 count each side)
Double lip lifts front and back (4 sets)
Double Egyptian
Hip drop combo
Tea cup
Hip lift combo
African chest circle combo
Egyptian half turns
Slow
Arabic quarter turn
Arabic side to side (R,L,R,R/L,R,L,L)
Arabic twist
Undulation and body wave (3,1 pattern) L then R
Sidewinder (infinity symbol toxim with pushing snake arm)
Double maya smooth
Double maya percussive
X turn
Circle turn (facing forward and inward)
Undulation with level change combo (up, level, dip, scoop up) Right/Left
Tunisian
Advanced Belly Dance
Fast
Shimmies with hip circles and undulations
Turkish shimmy
Turkish shimmy turn
More layering shimmies
Gwazi quarter turn and half turn
Gwazi 3 (gwazi with lift level change and double hip drop)
Kicking the wine glasses (R,L,R, L kick; L,R,L, R kick)
Stretch up left, out right, toxim
Arabic side to side with 1-sided snake arm
Arabic with level change and snake arms
Horizontal toxim combo/Toxim forward and back combo (R,L,R,L—L,R,LR)
Dangerous Arabic (often with swords)
Flamenco Arabic turn (opposite hand from usual)
Arabic with flick wrist and turn (often with viel)
Clockwise hand dragging turn (often with fans)
Barrel turn
Formations
Duet, triplet, diamond, pentagon, group circle, shiva line, elephant chorus, zigzag, diagonal
Advanced Props
Basket dance
Fans
Veil
Swords
Zills