Fuel For Your Shimmy

Why hello my sparkly, shinny people :)  This weeks DANCE, DANCE, DANCE (really just had a flashback of Dance Party USA) is all about the shimmy!  You think there is nothing to it and you just shake your body - well think again. Today I'm going to share with you some pretty awesome moves to get your blood flowing and unleash your inner sassy pants and some of the music you should check out to keep that motor running.

Grab your coin belt and get ready to make some noise!!!!

*Medical Disclaimer - please do not perform any shimmies if you are pregnant*

When perform your shimmies make sure you warm-up (get those hip flexors) and get into that dance posture (if you need a reminder click dance posture)

What is a Shimmy?  Well this is what the Oxford English Dictionary says:


shim·my  (shm)

n. pl. shim·mies
1. Abnormal vibration or wobbling, as of the wheels of an automobile.
2. A dance popular in the 1920s, characterized by rapid shaking of the body.
3. A chemise.

intr.v. shim·mied, shim·my·ing, shim·mies
1. To vibrate or wobble abnormally.
2. To shake the body in or as if in dancing the shimmy.

With that being said do we have a visual of what you are about to be doing?  And no you are not suppose to look like you are going into convulsions LOL

There are several types of shimmies and even more variations of them depending on accenting, speed, which body part is feeding the movement and planes (more on that later - I promise)

Egyptian Shimmy
Movement is created by pumping your knees back and forth slightly.  To understand this movement sit on the floor with your legs straight out in front of you and pump your knees.  Now lie on your back and repeat the seated movement.  Now that you have the muscle memory take it standing.

Turkish/Choo Choo Shimmy
This is a traveling shimmy, get used to your feet first so stand on your tippy toes (really the balls of your feet) and step to the right and the left with your feet close together (small movement, small steps) think about looking like you are gliding across the floor and that effect becomes broken if you are taking large steps. Now the hips are going to be a small movement as well, you are going to simply move your hips up and down.

Moroccan Shimmy/ 3/4 Shimmy
Here is another traveling shimmy so that means we have a foot pattern - ball/ball/flat.  So again practice your feet first. Example: Right foot up on ball, right foot up on ball, right foot down flat.  When the foot is flat is when you are going to change your weight to the left and repeat. The hips are going to be moving in a "L" shape: Up/Down/Out/In (if you need a refresher on hip lifts, drops, thrusts) Let's put it all together now: Starting on the right: Right foot on ball with right hip up, right foot on ball with right hip down, right foot flat with right hip out, right foot flat with right hip in and repeat on left.  The key with this shimmy is to start out slow get that muscle memory going then start speeding it up.  Ok real life story here for you about this shimmy.  This shimmy gave me the worst trouble when I was learning it so I decided to do it every time I was walking.  Oh yes - I was pumping gas, grocery shopping, and cleaning my house while doing this bad boy!

Tunisian/Twist/Washing Machine Shimmy
This one is a fun accent when done in combination with other moves and also used when traveling.  You are going to start with your knees slightly bent and simply twist your hips (hips moving front and back) and then, again, once you have that muscle memory speed it up.

These are the shimmies I want you guys to work with first cause there are many more to come on shimmies :)

The Shimmy Playlist that will get you and keep you going!!!!


Psycho Dancer off of Arabian Spices
Hakim - Narsa
Alaoui
Nari Narain
Boom Boom
Nagua - Tabla
Farid Al Atrash - Hossam
Samya - Ramzy
Big Butts - Sir Mix-A-Lot (LOTS OF SHIMMIES HERE)
Habibi - Boomtang
Ahlam 2 - Oreiental Delight
IndiArab - Turbo Tabla
Al Urdun Remix - guy Monoukian
Istanbul - REG Project
Mafina - Katia Harb
Telegrafin Telleri - Turbo Tabla
Daret Al Ayam - Electric Oasis
Babylon to Beirut - Beirut Biloma

HAPPY SHIMMIES and have a great weekend and see you next week :)

Its All About The Hips

What is it they say - Her hips don't lie!!  Well belly dancers know this to be true.  So on this the first post of Spirit, I am going to give you a break down of the Level 1 Egyptian Belly Dance Hips :)

Now the first thing to remember is to warm-up!!  Cant stress this enough cause you may cause injury and that will keep you from setting yourself free.

Dance Posture - This is the most important move you will learn.  this posture keeps your body in alignment and keeps you from hurting yourself.  Your feet are slightly apart, soft knees, pelvic is tucked, stand up straight, chest lifted, shoulders back, chin is neutral, and body is relaxed

Hip Lift - start in dance posture, lift hip up (like you are going to put it in your armpit), the accent to this move is on the up

Hip Drop - start in dance posture, this move I want you to think of sitting into the movement, you are going to drop your hip down, and the accent is on the down

Hip Twist - start in dance posture, this time think of a washing machine, you are going to move your hips front and back, they are moving on the same level (when the right hip is front, left hip is back)

Hip Bump - start in dance posture, now I call this one shutting the door, same motion as if you were shutting a car door with your hip, the accent is on the out, hip goes out and slightly up at the same time, this move tends to get the most attitude :)

Hip Slide - start in dance posture, think of what it looks like when you slide something across the table from point A to point B, simply slide your hip out and slide it back to center, hip is not lifting it is just moving out and back

Hip Thrust - start in dance posture, same movement as the Hip Twist just when you move you are pushing your hips forward and back, think of the movement as a "punch", punch your hips forward and back

Ok guys have fun with these and play with speed and build a cute hip combo.

Get those hips moving :)

Have a great weekend and enjoy your wild side cause now I really need to build my costume for my show this weekend!!