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While it’s not a move I teach early on to my students, I totally put this move into the “top 10 moves that every belly dancer must know” category. It can sometimes be a bit challenging for newer dancers to execute, but I find that once you get it under your hip scarf it quickly becomes a go-to favorite.

I am talking about – THE OMMI.

This deliciously gooey interior hip circle gets your oblique and pelvic muscles moving in some fabulous ways. In this video I will take you through the movement step by step and show you how to make it as graceful and fluid as possible as we drill it to music.

Let’s dive in!

Continue your adventure and learn more moves that every belly dancer must know with my free beginner belly dance program here!

The music used in this video is Electroshimmy from Dreams of Egypt Music for Bellydance by the fabulous Miss Thea. Support her online at: https://missthea.bandcamp.com

The belly roll is a quintessential movement for every belly dancer… BUT it’s much harder to do than it looks.

Luckily, with a detailed step-by-step breakdown, everyone can learn to control their abdominal muscles in amazing ways… and I am here to show you how! The belly roll is created from four basic movement ideas – and two of them you already know how to do.

In this video, I will take you through all the pieces you need create this movement and will have you belly rolling with the best of them!

(Be sure to watch to the end… you’re not going to believe what happens! 🫣)

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And join me for an online class and take your dance to the next level: SahiraBellyDances.com

Thank you for your questions!

Today’s lesson is inspired by YOU: Upward and Downward Ommis – What is the difference exactly?

Both the upward and downward (or reverse) ommi are gooey interior hip circles. In this video, I will take you through the differences between them in an organized, logical fashion!

Don’t know what an ommi is?

Start here!

Ommi

Reverse Ommi 

In an effort to become fantastic zillers, we often find ourselves trying to collect as many rhythms and patterns as possible into our repertoire. And while having a lot of rhythmic inspiration is fabulous and wonderful, I’m here to tell you that you don’t need dozens of rhythms under your hip belt to become a confident cymbalist.

In fact, with just a handful of ideas and a willingness to play and experiment (and count, too!) you can make magic with just a few really great ideas.

And the Masmoudi is one of them. This gem of a pattern is an 8-beat rhythm, so it gives you lots of great ideas to play with as a whole. But in addition to playing it straight through, you can also break it up into smaller pieces to fuel your zill creativity. I do it with this rhythm all the time.

In this video, I will get you started with the basic Masmoudi the way I original learned to play it, so you have a solid understanding of the pattern to be able to experiment with it later.

Enjoy and happy zilling!

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If you are an intermediate to advance level ziller looking to take your skills to the next level, I invite you to join my online course “Acapella Finger Cymbal Foundations” and learn how to create and dance to your own fabulous acapella finger cymbal solo. 

The fabulous music played in this video is: Gravity Egyptian Queen by Miss Thea

A beautiful and exciting Baladi song at one of my favorite belly dance festivals – Migrations Austin.

I put together this piece in the two weeks before the show – so there’s just a bit choreography mixed into the improvisation. The music is the kind that just sweeps you away… so I suspect I would have forgotten choreography in the moment, anyway!

Music is “Feeling Baladi” by Gaston Chaade

“Princess of Cairo” is one of my absolute FAVORITE classic belly dance composition.

Arguably one of the top 10 songs every belly dancer should know, this video will teach you a complex and nuanced advanced combination to Nagwa Fouad’s performance version of this iconic song.

In this video I’ll take you through the combination step by step, explain how I choreographed the movements to match the music and then practice the combination several times with music.

If you liked this combination you are going to LOVE learning the entire 5 minute choreography. SahiraBellyDances.com/Intensive

Registration is open through September 8th at 5pm CDT.

Missed the boat? Don’t worry! Subscribe to my email list to be notified when the course releases again! 

Learn the choreography in this exciting online intensive course!

SahiraBellyDances.com/Intensive

Sahira’s Shimmy Sirens perform to the classic belly dance song “Princess of Cairo” at the 2020 Migrations Festival in Austin, Texas.

Learn this entire choreography in an innovative 8-week online hybrid intensive that combines the best of on-demand and live online classes paired with community to create a learning experience that you will LOVE!

Join now. Registration closes on September 8th at 5pm CDT.

SahiraBellyDances.com/Intensive

Arm and hand movements have great power to make or break a belly dance performance. Beautiful, intentional muscular movements can add incredible polish and pizzaz to your dance.

In this video, you will learn the theory and step-by-step technique behind incredibly liquid hand waves that will totally mesmerize an audience.

Level up your arms and hands and take your dancing to new heights with me!

Now that you understand how important intentional hand movements are for a polished performance, I invite you to join me for my signature course “Elegant and Powerful Arms and Hands” – your complete guide to dancing with stronger, more graceful and more intentional arms and hands.

It’s time to banish confusion and throw boring and repetitive arm work out the door! Let’s focus on arms and hands.

http://SahiraBellyDances.com/Arms

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A huge thank you to the amazing Lauren Checchio for the use of her music in this video. Find her album here: https://laurenchecchio.bandcamp.com/releases

Elegant and Powerful Arms and Hands

Your complete guide to dancing with stronger, more graceful and more intentional arms and hands.

435 students enrolled

Last updated Mar 16th, 2026

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