Posture & Breathing for Middle Eastern Dance
By Miramar
© 1987, originally published in Jareeda
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Posture: The proper body alignment for belly dancing is very important. Stand tall with feet a little bit apart --
shorten the abdominal muscles (the area between the naval and pubic bone) by lifting up the pelvis slightly. Think of
moving the pelvis toward the naval. This lengthens the back, and will help you to isolate your movements, giving them
the integrity and grace they require. Next, bend the knees ever so slightly. This dance should be executed with a
slightly bent knee referred to as a “spongy knee”. Lift your ribs. Hold your arms out at the sides in a relaxed position
with the elbows slightly bent. Keep the shoulders relaxed and in a normal position, not raised. Relax your hands and
pretend like you are wearing finger cymbals by bringing your middle finger down and your thumb in towards your
middle finger. This will give your hand a more graceful appearance.
Balance: Balance is achieved by ever-shifting adjustments of weight distribution. Weight distribution is critical in
this dance. When a dancer is off-balance, she is greatly restricted from moving advantageously. “A person is on
balance when his or her physical organization provides the greatest number of possibilities for movement in a particular
situation.” ¹
Basically, if your feet are both flat, your weight should be evenly distributed between your two feet. However, if
one foot is on the ball and the other flat, the flat foot is carrying the majority of the weight and the foot on the ball is
for balance.
Breathing: Yoga practitioners believe breath is the link between the mind and the body. Proper breathing also
promotes proper posture and balance. It brings a sense of security and transforms the oxygen you breathe into usable
energy. Many students make the mistake of holding their breath while learning new movements, which only makes the
movement more difficult because the flow of energy to the body has been interrupted. Try the following breathing
exercise.
Breathing exercise: Lie down on the floor and get as comfortable as possible. Place your hand on your diaphragm
(the muscular area just below your chest, between your upper ribs, and right above your abdomen). Close your eyes
and relax. Breathe normally through the nose, observing the flow of your breath. Feel your chest expand as you inhale
and contract as you exhale. Try deepening the breath just a little, making it as even as possible. Concentrate on your
breathing, making it very slow, rhythmical, smooth and deep. Notice the calming effect in your mind and the relaxation
of your muscles. Feel the energy flowing into your body. Try this exercise standing up before you begin your next
dance session. Begin breathing smoothly and deeply before you begin to dance and continue to breathe throughout
your dance. Let your breath surround your movements. This will help to relax your mind so that your body can move
properly.
1 Gronbeck-Tedesco, John, L. Acting through Exercises, California: Mayfield Publishing Co., 1992, pg. 11.