Belly Dance Warmup

With legs apart, hands cradeled in front, inhale as you raise your hands and bend knees in a plié. Exhale as you lower hands and straighten your legs.

Do not bend forward or back with a plié. Don't go so far as to lift the heels off the ground. Repeat this 15 times.

With your legs still apart, lean to the right, and swing your left hand over you head. Then lean to the left, swinging your right hand over your head. Remember, you are not stretching, just warming up. Go to each side 15 times.

Do shoulder rolls to the front 15 times, then to the back 15 times.

Bring legs together.

Hold left foot out, and role the ankle to the right 8 times, then to the left 8 times.

Hold right foot out, and role the ankle to the right 8 times, then to the left 8 times.

Sit on the floor, legs out in front, soles of feet together. Lean forward, grabbing toes.

Lift the chest.

Open legs to seated second position (spread your legs).

Left arm reaches to the right ankle or toe. Then take the right hand to the left side.

Close legs, cross ankles, role forward and roll up to standing.

Float arms up. Strech. Reach both arms up.

Open legs to straddle position. Lean forward and put palms on the floor (as best you can).

Lift your head, and then drop your head. Again, and one more time.

Lift up. Hands above head.

Rotate wrists, and bend knees into a plié as hands come down, rotating wrists.

Straighten legs as hands go up.

Hands come down rotating wrists with a plié.

Straighten legs as hands go up.

Hands come down rotating wrists with a plié.

Straighten legs as hands go up.

Hands come down rotating wrists with a plié.

Straighten legs as hands go up.

Hands come down rotating wrists with a plié.

Lift up, and wald feet to parallel.

Roll shoulders.

Arms lift up, head down.

Arms down, lift chest, head back.

Arms up, lift chest, head down.

Put your arms out to your sides.

Right arm comes over to your left; a tilt stretch.

Left arm comes over to your right; a tilt stretch.

Return to mountain pose.

Use right hand to cup the head and stretch the neck to the right.

Use left hand to cup the head and stretch the neck to the left.

End with some flamingo arms.

Finally, arms swing up from sides and cross wrists above head as left foot steps forward onto toes.

Shoulder Shimmy

Tuck the pelvis and lift the chest.

Start with both arms down.

Lift left arm up, and move the shoulder forward, then back, with the elbow and palm anchored.

Then, with just the right arm up, move the shoulder forward, then back. The elbow to palm part of the hand stays in the same poition, so the angle they make to the body doesn't change.

Slowly at first. Try it with just the left arm again, then just the right arm.

Now, both arms up, one goes forward, the other goes back.

Practice going slow, and then gradually pick up thetempo.

Hip Rotation

Cut Turn

Review

1, 2, 3, hop

Hip pop

Review

Home pose. Shoulder shimmy. Lean left with it, then right, Lean forward, then back. Hip rotation on left side. Turning right, cut turn, then return with it. Hip rotation, right side. Use the arm to frame the hips. Cut turn to the left, then return.