Technique & Drills

Beginners! Do you want your belly dancing to look more graceful and natural, instead of choppy and robotic? Practice this simple, yet powerful drill with Anna using the hip drop w/ release with turn movements. Anna will demonstrate the transitioning between three different arm positions. Practicing this drill, taking care to smoothly switch from position to position with precise timing can improve your arm transitions, adding more grace and polish to your dancing. Once a dancer has a good grasp…

Learn how to do the Belly Dance Forward & Reverse Chest Undulations. Taught by Anna at Ahlam Academy of Middle Eastern Dance in Houston TX. Chest Undulations are comprised of two basic belly dance movements the chest slides forward and back and the chest lift and drop. You can layer chest undulations over various foot patterns, like the “step cross”, and use them to express different emotions. Learn those here: Chest Slides Chest Lift & Drop  

In this video, Anna teaches you the horizontal chest circle, aka the ribcage circle. She will show you how to take the chest slides/ribcage slides you already know and turn them into a chest /ribcage circle. This is a beautiful move to show off the fluidity in your torso. Don’t know how to do the chest/ribcage slides? Click here to watch the tutorial

  The Chest Circle, sometimes called a Ribcage Circle, is a popular smooth and sensual movement used in belly dancing. This move works well with slow music, sword and floor work. It’s also one of those movements that feels good to do because it doubles as a great stretch, increasing flexibility in the back and core muscles.  

  Anna will teach you one of the most used traveling steps in belly dancing – the step together step. Includes demonstrations of three popular layers you can use on top of this simple footwork: the hip circle, the tush push, and the hip-over. Enjoy!  

  Learn the basic step touch traveling step, plus two popular variations and arm movement suggestion, including posture details.      

Anna will teach you how to do the basic belly dance grapevine traveling step, as well as several ways to modify it. This video includes… – Basic 8 count breakdown of the Grapevine traveling step – 4 count breakdown – Modified Grapevine breakdown – Taking the Grapevine Backward    

Learn two of the most quintessential movements in belly dance – the unweighted hip lift and hip drop. You can’t go to an Arabic nightclub, wedding, or party without knowing how to do these.

Learn how to do two of the most essential movements in Belly Dance, the weighted hip lift and hip drop with Anna – founder of Ahlam Academy in Houston TX. Anna will start with a breakdown of each move, then she will show you some of the trouble spots many newer dancers have with this fun but challenging set of belly dance moves. As well as, how to correct them. Special attention is given to maintain good posture to perform…