Shimmies
This page lists a wide range of hip shimmies and variations. There are many types of shimmies in bellydance and this is just a sampling of the most common types.
4/4 Shimmy
Stand with your knees slightly bent and your feet together with the pelvis
tucked underneath you comfortably. Now straighten the right leg (do not
lock it). Next straighten (keeping it soft, do not lock it) the left leg while
bending the right leg. The movement comes from the thighs and the weight
is placed evenly on both feet. The faster you go the smaller the movement
will get. When done very fast this is generally condidered a "flutter" or
"vibration." In keeping with the 4/4 time your pacing should be even and
you should be able to count 1, 2, 3, 4 along with the hip movements. Make
sure you don't start to tense up by straightening and locking the knee.
Focus on even pacing and soft knees. If you lose it just stop and start again.
Sometimes starting slowly and building speed is the best way to master this
movement.
Sliding Shimmy
While doing a very small fast shimmy (also known as a flutter) slide your
hips out to the right, back to center, and out to the left, then back to center.
The weight is mostly on the right when sliding right, mostly on the left when
sliding left, and evenly distributed when you come back to center. To see
the movement demonstrated see the video to the right.
Figure Eight Shimmy
While doing a very small fast shimmy (also known as a flutter) you then add
a horizontal or verticle figure eight. For horizontal figure eights the weight
is mostly on the right when you go out to the right, mostly on the left when
you go out to the left, and evenly distributed when you come back in to the
center. The shimmy remains mostly knee driven but in some positions
may require being hip driven (contracting the obliques) as well. This can
be done with both horizontal and vertical fugure eights. See the video demonstrations below to see the different
horizontal and vertical variations.
Horizontal Variations Vertical Variations
3/4 Shimmy
(Also known as a walking shimmy.) Start with your knees bent slightly and
your feet together underneath you. Step onto your right foot and put all
your weight on that foot then straighten you right knee, bend it again, and
then straighten it again. Now step onto the left foot and put all your weight
into that foot and straighten your left knee, bend it again and then
straighten it again. It is essentially two shakes on each hip. There are many
variations on 3/4 shimmies some people teach it as an up and up
movement others teach it as a down and down movement. Some teach it as
an out and out, up and out, out and up, or even a twisting forward and back
movement done to a 3/4 timing. Although not all variations are described
here several are shown in the video demonstrations. The downward
versions are sometimes called "down hips" or "Sohair Zaki Hips" because it
was her signature movement. To the side are several examples of different
variations although this written description describes simply the up and up
type. You could reverse the directions for a down and down variation. It's
mostly the same but the emphasis is more on the downward motion.
3/4 Shimmy with a Hitch
Stand with your feet together underneath you and your knees slightly bent.
Step right and push the hip out. Now step left and push the hip out. now step
right and push the hip out and out. Then the same thing on the left side; left,
right, left and left. The weight is placed mostly on the right when your using
your right and mostly on the left when your using your left. It's almost like a
5 count step, Stepping 1, 2 then hips go 3, 4, 5
3/4 Shimmy with a Twist (Forward)
This step is done pretty much the same as a regular 3/4 shimmy (aka up and
up) only instead of stepping straight forward you step across in front of your
other foot twisting that hip forward. The standing leg is always the one that
causes the shimmy. The heel should turn in when twisting. The back foot is
the one that is twisted on.
3/4 Shimmy with a Twist (Backward)
This is the reverse of the forward 3/4 shimmy with a twist the only
difference with this move is that you step backward instead of forward. The
heel should still turn in. The front foot is the one that is twisted on. This one
is often more difficult to master than the forward.
3/4 Shimmy in a Circle
Start in the basic position. Now transfer your weight to the right foot and
push your hips out to the right and then out to the front. Now transfer the
weight to the left foot and push your hips out to the left and then out to the
back. Now layer the 3/4 shimmy on. When you step right, straighten the
right leg, bend, and straighten again. Now when you step left straighten the
left leg, bend, and straighten again. This can also be done with a very small
fast shimmy also known as a flutter instead of a 3/4 which often works better
if the hip circle is a slow circle. Faster circles work well with both the 3/4
and the flutter.
Flamenco Shimmy 1
Stand with your feet together underneath you and your knees slightly bent.
Step forward with your right heel, then back underneath you with your left
ball,right ball, left ball. Heel, Ball, Ball, Ball. Flat, Up, Up, Up, 1, 2, 3, 4.
Flamenco Shimmy 2
Stand with your feet together underneath you and your knees slightly bent.
Step forward with your right heel, then back underneath you with your left
ball, right ball. The next time you will alternate stepping forward with your
left heel. Heel, Ball, Ball, Flat, Up, Up, 1, 2, 3. See the video to the right for
a demonstration of this movement.
ChooChoo Shimmy 1
Stand with your feet together underneath you and your knees slightly bent,
feet flat on the floor. Shuffle your feet across the floor allowing the hips to
go along for the ride. Your weight should be placed equally on both feet.
The shuffling sounds like a train going chuga-chuga chuga-chuga which is
where many say it get's it's name from. The movement can also be done on
the balls of the feet as demonstrated in the video to the right.
ChooChoo Shimmy 2
Stand with your feet together underneath you and your knees slightly bent.
Shuffle your feet across the floor stepping slightly forward with the right
foot, then forward with the left foot, then backward with the right foot, and
then forward with the left. The left is always going forward but the right goes
forward then back then forward again. Your weight should be placed
equally on both feet. The hips will follow along.
3 Count
Stand with your feet together underneath you and your knees slightly bent.
Step right, left, right. Step left, right, left. The hip goes up or down with each
step. This is similar to a step ball-change (tap/ballet). You can add any movement to this or simply let your hips
swing with your steps which will make it a sort of 3/4 shimmy.
5 Count
Stand with your feet together underneath you and your knees slightly bent. Step right. Step left. Step right, left, right.
Step left. Step right. Step left, right, left. 1, 2, 3 4 5. Counts 3,4,and 5 are similar to a step ball-change(tap/ballet).
The hip goes up or down with each step.
Horizontal Shimmy
This is essentially a twist, a very small very fast twist. To do this stand with
your feet underneath you and your knees slightly bent, now twist your
right hip forward just a teeny tiny bit, staying parallel with the floor. Next
twist the left hip forward just a teeny tiny bit still staying parrallel with the
floor. Start out slow if you have to and then build up speed gradually as
you practice. The end result should be a very small and very fast twisting
motion.
Forward and Back Shimmy
This shimmy is done by tucking and releasing the pelvis in a very small
very fast way. You must be careful to keep the emphasis on the release
(backward motion) or it will look crude and offensive. If done
incorrectly with the emphasis on the tuck (forward motion) it will just
look like your thrusting your pelvis at your audience. Remember to keep it as small and refined as you can with the
emphasis on the release (backward motion). Standing with your feet underneath you and your knees slightly bent
and your pelvis in a neutral position tuck your pelvis underneath you so that it comes forward and then quickly
release it again so it goes out behind you. Keep it small. The emphasis staying on the release.
