Expert: Gia al Qamar - 7/15/2009

Question
QUESTION: Hey, my question is how do you do the hip roll? I try but I'm like moving my whole body...please help..what are the basic steps I just can't seem to move only my hips from side to side etc..

ANSWER: Marhaba Deshay!
I am confused by the term "hip roll".  I am not sure if you are asking how to do what I call a "figure 8" or is it a hip circle or possibly a belly roll that you are asking about?  Can you be more specific about the movement itself...what are you trying to do...write back and will break down the movement for you!
Gia
www.IDreamOfGia.com

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I've seen it on youtube..its called the hip roll. Its like moving your hips and upper and lower abs from side to side only...

ANSWER: Can you send me the URL of the clip?  I'd be happy to watch it and break it down for you!
Gia
www.IDreamOfGia.com

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Well I dont remember which one I saw. Can you just go to youtube and type in hip roll..you will see a lot of people doing it..because this email..is from my phone not computer

Answer
OK...from what I can tell from the videos on YouTube the 'hip roll' is what trained dancers would call an 'outside perpendicular figure 8" or, as it's called more commonly, a "maya".
Start by standing with your feet just slightly parted but firmly under your shoulders...you want to maintain a very close stance with your feet...this will help you later.
Let me digress for a moment to caution you to take care of your back in this movement...it's very easy if you have little or no dance training or if you're learning this without the aide of a live teacher to injure yourself...so proceed at your own risk!  I wholeheartedly urge you to find a reputable teacher who can assist you in, not only learning individual moves, but how to interpret the music so that you are REALLY belly dancing, not just showing off some cool moves!  ;)
OK...back to the lesson!
With your feet parted, you will soften both knees so they are bent.  Using your oblique muscles (these are on the side of your body), you'll contract, pulling your right hip up to the right side of your rib cage. You need to do this with ONLY your abs, not your legs or thighs!
It is also VERY important that you don't 'lean' your body to the left to try to facilitate this movement.  The isolation (meaning that you don't move the rest of your body) is what makes this look so 'cool'!

Once your hip is raised, you are going to trace a circle with your hip, as though you're drawing it on the mirror in front of you!  You'll take your hip from the raised position and circle it UP and OUT to the right side, then let it circle down to the ground and finally finish the circle under and pull it back in towards the body.  You will repeat this on the left side immediately after.
I am sure that you can tell that this is a difficult exercise to read and learn...much easier to learn in person from a teacher!  But with practice, you'll get the basics of this move.
The videos online also show a lot of abdominal 'layering' that isn't at all a part of this move in Middle Eastern dance...that is more like hip hop stuff and while it looks very fancy, is considered to be very much a modern 'extra' that is only layered on top of an already perfected figure 8 by very American dancers!
Good luck!
Gia
www.IDreamOfGia.com