Bellydance Movements Thesaurus (also called the BDMT or BDT)
Moves that are bold are the ones that have been identified under another name. Names that appear in magenta 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. Below are some shortcuts to different parts of the list to help you find your move easier.
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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)
Algerian Shimmy (Moving Backwards), Hagala Shimmy (Moving Backwards)
3/4 Shimmy with a twist (Forward) (Hips)
Algerian Shimmy, Hagala Shimmy
4/4 Shimmy (Hips)
Egyptian Shimmy, Egyptian Straight Leg Shimmy, Shimmy, Straight Leg Shimmy
5 Count (Hips)
A
Airplane Turn
Airplane Turn (Cane)
Airplane Turn (Scimitar)
Airplane Turn (Veil)
Algerian Shimmy (Hips)
3/4 Shimmy with a twist (forward or backward), Hagala Shimmy
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)
B
Backward Crescent (Hips)
Balanced On Head Turn (Cane)
Balanced On Head Turn (Scimitar)
Balanced On Shoulder Turn (Scimitar)
Basic Arms
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)
Beshkan (Persian Finger Snap)
Big Circle (Hips)
Bobble Walk
3/4 Shimmy, Egyptian Walking Shimmy
Both Eybrows Rise
Bouncing Circle (Hips)
Broken Twigs (Arms)
Butterfly Turn (Veil)
C
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
D
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)
E
Egyptian Circle 1 (Hips)
Egyptian Circle 2 (Hips)
Egyptian Walking Shimmy
3/4 Shimmy, Bobble Walk
Envelope Turn (Veil)
F
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)
Pelvic Rock Shimmy, Pelvic Shimmy, Rocking Shimmy
Forward Crescent (Hips)
Jewel (walking with accent either hip pull or twist)
Full Drop (Floor)
G
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
H
Hagala shimmy
3/4 Shimmy (accent on the down) with a twist (Forward or Backward), Algerian Shimmy
Half Drop (Floor)
Hand Circles
Head Frame (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, Turkish Figure Eight
Horizontal Figure Eight 2 Walk
Horizontal Figure Eights (Floor -Kneeling)
Horizontal Head Circle
Horizontal Shimmy (Hips)
Twisting Shimmy, Washing Machine Shimmy
I
Inch Worm (Floor - Lying Back)
Indian Hands
Inner Hip Circle
Omi (alternative spellings include Umi, Ami, and Ohmi)
J
Jewel
Forward Crescent (walking with accent either hip pull or twist), Horizontal Figure Eight 2, Turkish Figure
Eight
K
Khaleegi 3/4 Head Circle
Khaleegi Half Head Circle
Khaleegi Head Circle
Kicking (Floor)
L
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)
M
Maya
Cobra, Reverse Vertical Figure Eight
N
O
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
P
Peeking Out (Veil)
Pelvic Rock Shimmy
Forward and Back Shimmy (Hips), Pelvic Shimmy, Rocking Shimmy
Pelvic Scoop (Hips)
Pelvic Shimmy
Forward and Back Shimmy (Hips), Pelvic Rock Shimmy, Rocking Shimmy
Pivot Hop (Jumps)
Pointing (Arms)
Push-Away
Arabian Horse, Gush, Side Samiha, Snake
Pyramid Head Frame (Arms)
Q
Queen Sheeba Walk
Queen Sheeba Walk (Veil)
R
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)
Rocking Shimmy
Forward and Back Shimmy (Hips), Pelvic Rock Shimmy, Pelvic Shimmy
Running Shimmy
Chinese Shimmy, ChooChoo Shimmy 1
S
Sail Turn (Veil)
Sarina
Snake, Vertical Figure Eight
Shimmy
4/4 Shimmy, Egyptian Shimmy, Egyptian Straight Leg Shimmy, Straight Leg 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)
Straight Leg Shimmy
4/4 Shimmy, Egyptian Shimmy, Egyptian Straight Leg Shimmy, Shimmy
Structural Roll
T
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 Figure Eight
Jewel (on the down with hip accent either pull or twist), Horizontal Figure Eight 2 (Hips)
Turkish Head Frame (Arms)
Turkish Head Frame 2 (Arms)
Turning (Floor)
Twist 1 (Hips)
Twist 2 (Hips)
Twisting Shimmy (Hips)
Horizontal Shimmy, Washing Machine Shimmy
Two Shake Gush (Hips)
U
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)
V
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)
W
Walking Hip Circle
Walking Hip Circle
Washing Machine Shimmy (Hips)
Horizontal Shimmy, Twisting Shimmy
Waterfall (Arms)
Windmill (Arms)
X
Y
Z
