There are many types of shimmies in bellydance, but for most bellydancers the easiest to do are the basic hip shimmies. These are the most commonly performed and despite their relative simplicity, they’re dynamic movements. The basic hip shimmy can be done either as an isolated forward & back (horizontal twisting) motion of the hips, or an up & down (vertical) motion of the hips. Each individual dancer will find that either the horizontal hip shimmy or the vertical hip shimmy is easier to do. I always tell my beginning students that it doesn’t matter which one they prefer. Both shimmies look virtually identical, so what’s important is that the student tries both and then practices the one that feels the most natural for her body type and is the easiest to do. More experienced bellydancers may want to master both shimmies so they can perform advanced layering techniques and sustained shimmy sequences. Of course, if any of the other belly dance shimmies are preferred by a dancer (shoulder shimmies, knee vibration shimmies, etc.) that’s OK too.

You’ll find that whether you’re shimmying by yourself or receiving an enthusiastic response from an appreciative audience, shimmies are some of the most magical of all belly dance moves.

The moves I usually do are circular, rolling movements like circles and figure 8’s of the hips and ribcage, undulations, head and shoulder rotations, and body vibrations (see my blog “Good Vibrations – Shimmy On”). These moves give me the most ‘bang’ for my workout ‘buck’. Because circular belly dance movements work in a full range of motion (360 degrees of direction), my muscles get thorough, condensed exercise, especially in the all-important core area. I know I’m not going to get an aerobic workout in 3-4 minutes, but I can get my circulation going and massage my stressed muscles and joints.

For me, the 3-minute workout almost always tricks me into doing a much longer workout. Usually by the time my first song is over, I’m enjoying myself so much that I just let the music continue to play, and before I know it, 10 songs (about 30-40 minutes or more) have just flown by. That’s what happens when you’re having fun!

So even if I just bellydance for 3 minutes, I know that I’m getting the most out of my time by doing full range of motion and vibrating movements. The enjoyment factor usually insures that I end up dancing longer than 1 song and getting an aerobic workout too.

Any belly dancer will tell you that it feels great to shimmy. I know of no other dance form that has as complex and refined a vocabulary of so many different types of shaking movements (horizontal hip shimmy, up & down hip shimmy, knee/body vibration, stomach flutter, shoulder shimmy and bounce shimmy, to name a few). There’s no doubt in my mind that it’s a wonderful way to release stress and tension, especially when you dance to music that inspires you to move energetically.

Modern life is so fast paced and complicated. Working, taking care of family members, following the news, and dealing with the duties and obligations of everyday life takes its’ toll.

Because modern life is so relentlessly hectic, and our attention is focused on the tasks we have to do, most of us don’t even notice the stress building up until it reaches some critical point and our minds and bodies break down in some way. Belly dancing helps us become more aware of our body, so that we’re more apt to pay attention to our stress before it gets too high.

Ideally, we should just shake and shimmy every time we get stressed out. However, that just isn’t possible in today’s society (you’re co-workers will think you’re out of your mind if you immediately try to ‘shake it off’ every time your boss yells at you!). So we belly dancers make up for it when we have the opportunity to dance – a socially acceptable way to shake and shimmy to our heart’s content.

There are many physical, mental, and emotional benefits to shaking your body. An excellent article to read is “Shake Away Your Stress & Tension” on Lea Houston’s web site, SelfCareCelebration.com. Belly dance techniques are a proven and safe way to get the benefits of shaking, but Lea’s information will show you that most any shaking will do.

After a hard day’s work, or even just when I can grab a private moment or two, I’ll do a few shimmies. Try it. You can get all shook up and feel great!

Some companies have developed whole body vibration exercise machines. When viewing a video demonstrating one of these machines, I couldn’t help but notice that the affect looked exactly like a couple of popular belly dance movements – the up & down (vertical) hip shimmy and the knee vibration shimmy. Of course, in bellydance, we also have other shimmies, such as the hip twist (horizontal) hip shimmy, the shoulder shimmy, bounce shimmy, and stomach flutter, to name a few. I’m sure the various belly dance shimmies have similar health benefits to those attributed to the whole body vibration machine.

So, if you’re interested in the benefits of vibration exercise and you can’t locate a facility that has these body vibration machines, try bellydancing. It’s a low-tech, but highly enjoyable, alternative.