Belly Dance Movements Thesaurus

1/2 Airplane Turn

1/2 Airplane Turn (Veil)

1/2 Turn

3 Count (Hips)

3 Step Turn

3/4 Shimmy (Hips) - Bobble Walk, Egyptian Walking Shimmy

3/4 Shimmy Gush (Hips)

3/4 Shimmy in a circle (Hips)

3/4 Shimmy with a hitch (Hips)

3/4 Shimmy with a twist (Backward) (Hips)

3/4 Shimmy with a twist (Forward) (Hips)

4/4 Shimmy (Hips) - Shimmy

5 Count (Hips)

Airplane Turn

Airplane Turn (Cane)

Airplane Turn (Scimitar)

Airplane Turn (Veil)

Alternating Eyebrow Raises

Ami - inner hip circle, Omi (alternative spellings include: Umi and Ohmi)

Arabian Horse - Push-Away, Side Samiha, Snake, Gush (Alternative spelling: Goosh)

Backward Crescent (Hips)

Balanced On Head Turn (Cane)

Balanced On Head Turn (Scimitar)

Balanced On Shoulder Turn (Scimitar)

Basic Circle (Veil)

Basic Egyptian (Hips)

Basic Egyptian in a circle (Hips)

Basic Egyptian Turn

Basic Egyptian Walk

Basic Egyptian With Cane Balanced On Hip

Basic Egyptian With Scimitar Balanced On Hip

Basic Turn (Veil)

Basic Twirl (Cane)

Big Circle (Hips)

Bobble Walk - 3/4 Shimmy, Egyptian Walking Shimmy

Both Eybrows Rise

Bouncing Circle (Hips)

Broken Twigs (Arms)

Butterfly Turn (Veil)

Chinese Shimmy - ChooChoo Shimmy 1, Running Shimmy

ChooChoo Shimmy 1 (Hips) - Chinese Shimmy, Running Shimmy

ChooChoo Shimmy 2 (Hips)

Circle Over Head Turn (Cane)

Circle Over Head Turn (Scimitar)

Circle with a shimmy (Torso)

Cleopatra 1 (Floor -Lying Side)

Cleopatra 2 (Floor -Lying Side)

Cobra - Maya, Reverse Vertical Figure Eight

Down on One Knee (Floor)

Drop (Hips)

Drop (Torso)

Drop Back (Hips)

Drop Forward (Hips)

Drop Forward and Back 1 (Hips)

Drop Forward and Back 2 (Hips)

Drop in a circle (Hips)

Drop, Kick (Hips)

Egyptian Circle 1 (Hips)

Egyptian Circle 2 (Hips)

Egyptian Walking Shimmy - 3/4 Shimmy, Bobble Walk

Envelope Turn (Veil)

Falling Leaf (Arms)

Figure Eight Swing (Cane)

Figure Eight Swing (Scimitar)

Figure Eight with a shimmy (Hips)

Fish Step* (Hips)

Flamenco Shimmy 1 (Hips)

Flamenco Shimmy 2 (Hips)

Flutter (Hands)

Flutter Turn (Veil)

Folkloric Walk

Forward and Back Shimmy (Hips)

Forward Crescent (Hips) - Jewel (walking with accent either hip pull or twist)

Full Drop (Floor)

Goosh (Hips) (Alternative spelling: Gush) - Arabian Horse, Push-Away, Side Samiha, Snake

Grape Vine (Veil)

Grape Vine Walk

Gush (Hips) (Alternative spelling: Goosh) - Arabian Horse, Push-Away, Side Samiha, Snake

Gush Walk

Half Drop (Floor)

Hand Circles

Head Frame 1 (Arms)

Head Frame 2 (Arms)

Head Frame 3 (Arms)

Head Slide 1 (4/4) - Hindu Head

Head Slide 2 (3/4)

Heart (Arms)

Helicopter Twirl 1 (Cane)

Helicopter Twirl 1 (Scimitar)

Helicopter Twirl 2 (Cane)

Helicopter Twirl 2 (Scimitar)

Hindu Head - Head Slide 1 (4/4)

Hip Circle in a circle

Hip Circle with a 3/4 Shimmy

Hip Slide

Hip Sway (Floor -Kneeling)

Hip Sway 1

Hip Sway with a soft kick

Horizontal Circle (Torso)

Horizontal Figure Eight 1 (Hips)

Horizontal Figure Eight 2 (Hips) - Jewel

Horizontal Figure Eight 2 Walk

Horizontal Figure Eights (Floor -Kneeling)

Horizontal Head Circle

Horizontal Shimmy (Hips)

Inch Worm (Floor - Lying Back)

Indian Hands

Inner Hip Circle - Omi (alternative spellings include Umi, Ami, and Ohmi)

Jewel - Forward Crescent (walking with accent either hip pull or twist), Horizontal Figure Eight 2

Kicking (Floor)

Large Hip Circle (Floor -Kneeling)

Lebanese Headache (Arms)

Lebanese Lift Jump

Lebanese Lift Jump (Hips)

Lift (Hips)

Lift (Torso)

Lift and Drop with a straight leg (Hips)

Lift Back (Hips)

Lift Forward (Hips)

Lift Forward and Back (Hips)

Lift in a circle (Hips)

Lift Side (Hips)

Lotus 1 (Hands)

Lotus 2 (Hands)

Maya - Cobra, Reverse Vertical Figure Eight

Ohmi - Inner Hip Circle, Omi (alternative spellings include Umi and Ami )

Omi - Inner Hip Circle, Ohmi (alternative spellings include Umi and Ami)

One Eyebrow Raise

One Hand Twirl (Scimitar)

Outer Hip Circle

Peeking Out (Veil)

Pelvic Scoop (Hips)

Pivot Hop (Jumps)

Pointing (Arms)

Push-Away - Arabian Horse, Gush, Side Samiha, Snake

Pyramid Head Frame (Arms)

Queen Sheeba Walk

Queen Sheeba Walk (Veil)

Release (Hips)

Reverse Horizontal Figure Eight (Hips)

Reverse Horizontal Figure Eight Walk

Reverse Horizontal Figure Eights (Floor -Kneeling)

Reverse Undulation (Body Wave)

Reverse Vertical Figure Eight (Hips) - Maya, Cobra

Reverse Vertical Figure Eight Gush (Hips)

Reverse Vertical Figure Eights (Floor -Kneeling)

Running Shimmy - Chinese Shimmy, ChooChoo Shimmy 1

Sail Turn (Veil)

Sarina - Snake, Vertical Figure Eight

Shimmy -  4/4 Shimmy

Shimmy (Floor -Kneeling)

Shoulder Drop

Shoulder Lift

Shoulder Shimmy

Shoulder Thrust Backward

Shoulder Thrust Forward

Side Samiha - Arabian Horse, Gush, Push-Away, Snake

Sitting To Lying (Floor -Kneeling)

Slide (Floor -Kneeling)

Sliding Shimmy (Hips)

Small Circle (Hips)

Small Hip Circle (Floor -Kneeling)

Snake - Arabian Horse, Gush, Push-Away, Side Samiha, Sarina, Vertical Figure Eight

Snake (Floor -Lying Side)

Snake Arms 1 (Singles)

Snake Arms 10 (Forward)

Snake Arms 2 (Side)

Snake Arms 3 (Down, In Front)

Snake Arms 4 (Down, In Back)

Snake Arms 5 (Up)

Snake Arms 6 (Up, Together)

Snake Arms 7 (Up, Apart)

Snake Arms 8 (Up, Forward)

Snake Arms 9 (Up, Back)

Soul (Arms)

Spin

Step Ball Change (Veil)

Step Ball Change Walk

Stomach Flutters (Floor - Lying Back)

Stomach Rolls (Floor - Lying Back)

Structural Roll

Sufi 3/4 Head Circle

Sufi Half Head Circle

Sufi Head Circle

Tear Drop (Veil)

Teeter-Totter (Hips)

The Slide (Floor)

Throwing Away (Veil)

Tidal Wave (Veil)

Toreador Turn (Veil)

Toss (Veil)

Toss Forward and Catch (Veil)

Toss Forward and Pull Back (Veil)

Toss Up (Veil)

Tuck (Hips)

Tunisian (Hips)

Tunisian walking forward (Hips)

Tunisian in a circle (Hips)

Tunisian Walk

Tunisian walking backward (Hips)

Turkish Drop (Floor)

Turkish Head Frame (Arms)

Turning (Floor)

Twist 1 (Hips)

Twist 2 (Hips)

Two Shake Gush (Hips)

Umi - Inner Hip Circle, Omi (alternative spellings include Ohmi and Ami )

Undulation (Body Roll)

Undulation (Floor -Lying Side)

Undulation (Hands)

Undulation (Side view) (Floor)

Undulation to the Front (Floor -Kneeling)

Undulation to the Side (Floor -Kneeling)

Vertical Circle 1(side to side) (Torso)

Vertical Circle 2(front to back) (Torso)

Vertical Figure Eight (Hips) - Snake, Sarina

Vertical Figure Eight Gush (Hips)

Vertical Figure Eights (Floor -Kneeling)

Walking Hip Circle

Walking Hip Circle

Waterfall (Arms)

Windmill (Arms)

Moves that are bold are the ones that have been identified under another

name.  Names that appear in purple are alternative names that are not used on this site but, have been identified as a move listed on this site.  Sometimes more than one move may share the same alternative name.

This Thesaurus was created as an effort to increase good communication of movements when a visual aid is not available.  There is no specific name that is right or wrong for any movement.  This is in no way a complete list and probably never will be.  If you know a move on my site as something else please fill out the Thesaurus form and I will add it to the list.  This thesaurus is to be used for educational purposes and should not be printed or reproduced in any way for profit.