The PiperMethod™ School of Belly Dance

Level I Techniques

Neutral Posture – Feet are parallel, flat on the floor with the ankle aligned over the center of the foot. The pelvis is neutral (not tilted forward or back) right under the ribcage. The abs are pulled in and up, to support the spine and allow the mid-back to relax. The knees are bent right over the toes, chest neutral, neck long, shoulders and hands relaxed.

4/4 Basic Shimmy – Stand in Neutral Posture and push the hips up and down (not side to side) using muscles in the upper legs, not the waist. Keep your weight on both feet and pump knees in opposition to each other, but do not allow them to fully straighten. Shoulders and hands are relaxed.

Choo-Choos – In Neutral Posture with feet and knees nearly touching, step from foot to foot, pumping your knees to move your hips sharply up and down with the beat. When you step on the right foot, the right hip goes up, and vice versa.

Basic Shimmy Posture – A slightly leaned back posture so that the body forms an inclined line from the knees, through the hips, and up to the shoulders. The feet are parallel the with knees bent directly over the toes. Make sure you have an even distribution of body weight over the whole of both feet. The abs are pulled in and up to keep hips neutral, reduce the arch in the small of the back and lengthen the spine. Keep chest neutral (not pushed out, nor slumped back), shoulders relaxed and down.

Hip Drops – Stand in Basic Shimmy Posture with one heel lifted, both ankles straight. Both knees pump sharply and smoothly to the beat to move the hips up and down (not side to side). Do not allow the shoulders to wiggle or the head to bob up and down (this is usually caused by locking the standing knee, or by moving the hips using muscles in the waist instead of the thighs).

Swing Shimmy – Standing in Neutral Posture, push the hips up and out to one side then the other, making a “smiley” with the bellybutton, but keeping the head, chest, and shoulders still. 3/4 Shimmy (right-middle-right, left-middle-left), make sure that “one is as big as two.”

Swing Hip – Stand in Neutral Posture with feet shoulder width apart. The standing foot is parallel, other foot has the weight on the inside of the ball to keep the ankle straight, belly button makes a “smiley” that curves up to one side.

You risk injury if you do not keep hips neutral, knees bent and ankles straight!

Pelvic Tilts – Standing in Neutral Posture, hold chest still while tilting hips forward and back using muscles in the pelvis and inner thighs as well as in the lower back.

Egyptian Posture - A very tall posture with chest lifted and pushed slightly in front of the hips, knees nearly but not quite straight, abs up and in, neck long. The pelvis is in a slight tuck forward so that it is pulled back behind the chest without allowing the rear-end to stick out.

Hip Lifts – Stand in Egyptian Posture with all your weight on one foot. While bending the standing knee, pull the opposite hip up using muscles in the waist and back of the hip. Then drop the hip by simultaneously relaxing the waist and pulling back on the standing knee. Repeat, keeping your height level and shoulders still.

Hip Circles – Step on your R heel while pulling your hips back, then put the ball of the R foot down while pushing the hips out to the R, then push the hips forward while shifting the weight to the balls of both feet, then shift your weight to your L foot while pushing the hips to the L. Repeat, circling the hips outside the body column, stepping heel-to-toe, toe-to-heel, while keeping the head in one place. Reverse.

Note: with all twisting movements,
weight bearing knees must be kept bent
at all times or you will injure yourself!

Twist Shimmy – Standing in Neutral Posture, twist your hips forward and back, keeping the hip movement in one plane (hips do not move not up and down). The hands, shoulders, and chest remain relaxed and still.

Twist Hip – Stand in Neutral Posture with all the weight on one foot, standing knee bent, other knee straight with toe pointed. Twist the hips while keeping the hands still.

Swing/Twist Hip – Stand in Neutral Posture with the knees and feet turned out, R foot flat, the L foot on the ball. Simultaneously increase the bend in the R knee while swinging the L hip up and forward in an arc by twisting the L knee in and pulling it back). Then pull back slightly on the R knee while swinging the L hip down and back (by twisting the L knee out and allowing it to bend more). Keep your height level and the hands still. Repeat on the other side.

You risk injury if you do not keep your knees bent and ankles straight!

Shoulder Shimmy – In Neutral or Egyptian Posture, push one shoulder forward while pulling the other back, then reverse and repeat. Keep the hands and hips still!

Hip Rotations – Standing on both feet in Neutral Posture, keep the hips inside the body column as you push one hip up, then do a Pelvic Tilt forward, then the other hip up, then Pelvic Tilt back. Repeat, keeping the chest and shoulders still.

Chest Slides – In Neutral Posture, slide the chest, shoulders, and head from side to side, keeping the shoulders level and the hips still.

Chest Tilts – In Neutral Posture, tilt the shoulders by contracting muscles that go over the ribs just under the armpit and behind the scapula, keeping the hips, belly button, adam’s apple, and head still.

Torso Tilts – In Neutral Posture, lean the shoulders and chest to the side using muscles in the waist. Keep the upper spine straight so that your head moves from side to side with your shoulders.

Steps

Step-Hip: Begin in Neutral or Basic Shimmy Posture, knees bent with ankles and knees aligned. Step forward onto the R foot on 1. On &, place ball of L foot near R foot. On 2, push the L hip up while bending the R knee. On &, bring the L hip back down. On 3 step forward L and reverse the sequence.

Piper Reid Hunt, PhD © 2001 & 2007

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