Product Review

Shimmering Hips is an instructional video program on one of the most sophisticated techniques of belly dance - shimmy layering. Created by Oriental dance star and acclaimed belly dance instructor Shahrzad, this video workshop is designed for dancers wishing to take their dance art to a new level.

The program opens with a lesson on posture and muscle control accompanied by strengthening drills to help you sharpen the isolations and develop muscle memory to create a strong and controlled shimmy technique.

In the Technique section Shahrzad offers tips to improve your execution of the main types of bellydance shimmies - Egyptian, choo-choo, twist, and chest shimmy, and in the Layering section she introduces shimmy layering exercises.

She starts by combining shimmies with slides and weight shifts, and gradually proceeds to more complicated layering movements including circles, figure 8s and traveling steps. Shimmy layering practice is set to drum beats featuring popular belly dance rhythms to help you maintain proper pacing and improve your focus on the musicality of percussive movement.

All of the technique and layering introduced in the program is put into several combinations perfect for practice or performance.