The PiperMethod™ School of Belly Dance

Ya Habibi Ya Aini

Choreographed to the eponymous song on the Ali Bi Ghani Li Rhea CD

Piper Reid Hunt, Ph.D. © 2001 & 2007

First Part

Stand on left foot, right heel high and ankle straight, both knees bent. L5 Arms = elbows out, hands flat and wrists crossed in front of chest, hips and feet at a 45° angle towards stage left, shoulders square, abs pulled in and up, hips neutral, head high.

(with tone) Taffy Hands to open, left arm in A3 = held high with elbow in a soft curve (keep that shoulder down!), right arm out to the right, right hand just below shoulder level, palm down

(with voice) hold still

(with rhythm) right shoulder front, back, front, back, with the beat

(with voice) body still, right hand moves down near right hip, palm down in E7, remember to pump both knees so you don’t bob up and down

(with rhythm) Hip Drops - right hip up, down, up, down, with the beat

(with voice) hold still

(with rhythm) two quick right Single Hip Rotations (back, up, forward, down, repeat) with the beat

(with voice) swivel by pushing with the ball of the left foot to step back onto the right foot, left heel high, both knees slightly bent, elbows out, wrists crossed in front of chest in L5, hips and feet at 45° angle towards stage right, shoulders square, abs pulled in and up, hips neutral, head high

(with rhythm) head left, right, left, right, with the beat

(with voice) Taffy Arms to open, left arm out to the left, left hand just below shoulder level, palm down, right arm high in A3

(with rhythm) left shoulder front, back, front, back, with the beat

(with voice) body still, left hand moves down near left hip in E7, remember to pump both knees so you don’t bob up and down

(with rhythm) Hip Drops - left hip up, down, up, down, with the beat

(with voice) hold still

(with rhythm) first beat - lunge left, left arm out, right hand to right hip, head tilted left - second beat - shift weight back to the right foot and bring the left foot in on toe, both knees bent, left knee over right, right hip out as far as you can push it and still look graceful, head up

(with voice) hold still

(with rhythm) hips move in a half circle from right to front to left - end standing on the left foot with the right foot in on the ball, both knees bent, right knee over left, left hip out, left arm doesn’t move, right hand stays on the right hip

(with voice) straighten left knee (but don’t lock it!) and bring body upright, cross right toe behind and to the left of the left foot, swivel clockwise in a 3/4 turn that ends with hips and shoulders facing stage left, left hand on left hip, right arm pointing straight out from shoulder to stage left, head facing audience, weight on left foot, right heel high, abs pulled in and up, shoulders down and relaxed

(with rhythm) Hip Drops - right hip up, down, up, down, with the beat

(with voice) cross right foot over left, shift weight to the right foot and swivel around (1/2 turn) to end standing on right foot with left heel high, hips and shoulders facing stage right, right hand on right hip, left arm pointing straight out from shoulder to stage right, head facing audience, abs pulled in and up

(with rhythm) Hip Drops - left hip up, down, up, down, with the beat

(with voice) hold still

(with rhythm) cross left foot over right, shift weight to the left foot and swivel around (3/4 turn) to end standing on left foot with right heel high, hips and shoulders square, left hand on left hip, right arm pointing straight out from shoulder at the audience, head facing forward

(with cymbal crash) drop right arm and do a right Up-and-Out Hip Lift, right toes are pointed and right foot is close to the left calf

Second Part

(1 count of 8) 3/4 Swing Shimmy with Sway (Down) Hands
Put the right foot down on 1, feet shoulder width apart, start with hands and hips moving right

(1 count of 8) 3/4 Swing Shimmy with Swivel
Hands move in a flowing wave motion, framing the forward hip

(2 counts of 8) 3/4 Swing Hips with weight shift and Pivot in 1/4 turns
Left arm up, pivot on the ball of the left foot on the & between 3 and 4, right arm follows the hip in a smooth sweeping motion (NOT a “shoo-go-away” motion!)

(2 counts of 8) 3/4 Swing Shimmy with Pivot in 1/2 turns
Remember to spot on the & between 2 and 3!

(2 counts of 8) Right Hip-Pulls moving in a large half circle
Left arm up in A3, right arm out from hip, by the end of the first count of 8 you have moved clockwise in a ¼ circle and are facing stage right - by 6 of the second count of 8 you are at the back of the stage facing the back, on 7 and 8 turn so your shoulders and hips are facing stage left, head looking forward, left arm up in A3, right arm down, right hand behind the right hip in M7 ready for the next step

(1 count of 8) Right Hip-Pulls with Front-Front-Back-Back
Moving forward toward the audience, left arm up, the right hand flows from M7 to M6 and back to oppose and frame the right hip

(2 counts of 8) Right Hip Pulls with Swoop
Moving forward, with each count of 4 angling in a 1/3 circle, left arm up, right arm moving with the angle of the body and swooping down towards the right knee and back up again on the & between 1 and 4 - on the second 8, step onto the right foot and bring right hand to right temple, left arm up and out to side in Artemis Arms

(1 count of 8) Swing Hip Triple Step (on toes moving forward in a zig-zag)

(1 count of 8) Flat-Toe-Flat Swivel Step (with swivel moving straight back)

(1 count of 8) Swing Hip Triple Step (on toes moving forward in a zig-zag)

(1 count of 8) Flat-Toe-Flat Swivel Step (with swivel moving straight back)
Arms start to come down on 7 and hands frame left hip on 8

(1 count of 8) Left Hip-Pulls pivoting in a clockwise circle
Right arm circles up in front of the body for the first 4 counts, and then down and out to the side

(1 count of 8) Step-Hip forward
The left foot is free after the last Hip Pull in a Circle, so step left on 1 and push the right hip up on 2

(1 count of 8) 3/4 Swing Shimmy with Sway (Up) Hands
Left foot is free after the last Step-Hip, so put left foot down on 1 and swing hips left and left, right and right, left and left, then right on 7 and switch your weight to the left foot on 8, pulling the ball of the right foot in and crossing wrists above head

(1 count of 8) Right Hip Pulls pivoting in a counterclockwise circle
Arms move slowly out and down to the sides and then the right arm circles up in front of face to finish in A3 by 8