Dance Technique

Posture   Warm Ups   Isolations   A List of Movements   Step Combinations

What Level of classes should I be taking?

The links above lead to information about general Technique matters.  There are a couple more that I am currently working on, so do check this page for updates.

Apart from those generalities, I don't propose setting out a detailed Movement Database here, but there are a few sites with good comprehensive dance technique instructions.

Try:

Soul Studio Bellydance Dictionary
Well organised database of dance moves, with printable guides
Cassandra's site
She has a set of Movements pages
Natasya's site
A Work-in-Progress online text-book, with lots of pictures
The Piper Method
Contains descriptions of moves and steps at different levels

These are the most comprehensive sites I have found on the net. There are other sites that include some excellent dance technique information. Check out Shira's site (Look in the How to Do Some Belly Dance Moves Pages) and Kashmir's site (look in the How To Section), or here for an American Tribal Style Movement Vocabulary.  For a site with animated pictures of the moves, try the Raqs Sharqi UK site- Nikki is hosting pages originally created by Botticelli.  And finally, for some step combinations, try Anthea's site.

The main problem you will encounter is that each teacher has her own vocabulary for movement names. So try not to get fixated on the names of moves, but look at what you actually do, and see how that relates to the moves you are used to & what you or your teacher calls them.

VERY IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER

As all these sites will tell you, written instructions online are certainly not an adequate replacement for a good, knowledgeable teacher, who can correct you when you are not doing a move properly and could risk hurting yourself, and who will make sure you warm up correctly and cool down afterwards.