Hair whipping/tossing/flipping
- Thread starter Ahava_Melantha
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Yame
New member
There are no official names for belly dance moves in general since we have no standardized dance vocab, though some more common moves tend to have names that most people use and recognize.
Hair moves aren't really part of belly dance, from what I've observed, they've only started being used more recently and even so, today's Egyptian dancers don't use them that much. Lebanese do them more, whips especially, but for the most part I think it's Western dancers, specially Russians, that are way overdoing the hair moves. So there aren't any widely recognized, consistent names for them in the belly dance community.
With that said, I do have my own names for some of the hair moves I do. I do most of them in folkloric dances as opposed to belly dance. Keep in mind these are the names *I* use and in no way universal. The first two are from the metal "scene."
1. Headbang - head/hair moves forward and back, repeatedly. Can be done with the upper body bending forward a little bit or a lot, which I call a "dip."
2. Windmill - head moves in a small circle. Neck is tilted slightly forward so the hair forms a somewhat vertical circle in front of you. The head moves without visible movement of the neck.
3. Circle - head moves in a big circle, with the neck bending side, forward, side, and back, with visible movement of the neck. The hair forms a circle on top of your body, which is more horizontal rather than vertical.
4. Whip - The whip is either a windmill or a circle done really, really, really fast.
5. Toss - The most common hair move in Khaleegy, I think. You tilt the head slightly to each side, "tossing" the hair over each shoulder as the body bounces.
6. Flick - Pretty much a toss, but the accent is on the up and not the down, so the hair doesn't necessarily need to go over the shoulder.
7. Back eight - For this move I mostly use my upper body, drawing a sideways 8 (or infinity) with my shoulders (keeping the whole upper body very attached, not trying to isolate the shoulders) and allowing the movement to follow through to my neck and head. I either look forward or up slightly, so my hair forms a sideways figure 8 behind me.
8. Front eight - The goal is for my hair to form a sideways figure 8 in front of me. I generate it by "drawing" a sideways figure 8 with the tip of my forehead, with my neck tilted slightly forward like in the "windmill." For my hair to do anything in this move requires a lot of force, so I have to use my upper body like in the back eight above. The more upper body I use, the bigger and wider the 8 will look... the less upper body and more neck I use, the 8 becomes taller and more narrow.
Note: to differentiate a back eight from a front eight, you are basically starting at different points in the infinity. For a front eight, you are starting at the top middle, but for a back eight, you are starting at the bottom middle.
9. Hair shimmy - This I got from Iraqi Kawliya, you shake your head like you're signaling "no" really really fast, to give the effect of a hair shimmy (looks best when facing away from the audience, lol).
Another sort of hair shimmy can be achieved with very quick head slides instead of shaking the head, but it'll be slower and more subtle... the point of this move is usually the head slide and not to shimmy the hair, anyways.
10. Helicopter - Grab your hair into a pony tail and make the tail go in quick circles.
Well, there are plenty more but these are the ones I use the most, except for the whip, which I don't do at all since it feels dangerous and uncontrolled.
Hair moves aren't really part of belly dance, from what I've observed, they've only started being used more recently and even so, today's Egyptian dancers don't use them that much. Lebanese do them more, whips especially, but for the most part I think it's Western dancers, specially Russians, that are way overdoing the hair moves. So there aren't any widely recognized, consistent names for them in the belly dance community.
With that said, I do have my own names for some of the hair moves I do. I do most of them in folkloric dances as opposed to belly dance. Keep in mind these are the names *I* use and in no way universal. The first two are from the metal "scene."
1. Headbang - head/hair moves forward and back, repeatedly. Can be done with the upper body bending forward a little bit or a lot, which I call a "dip."
2. Windmill - head moves in a small circle. Neck is tilted slightly forward so the hair forms a somewhat vertical circle in front of you. The head moves without visible movement of the neck.
3. Circle - head moves in a big circle, with the neck bending side, forward, side, and back, with visible movement of the neck. The hair forms a circle on top of your body, which is more horizontal rather than vertical.
4. Whip - The whip is either a windmill or a circle done really, really, really fast.
5. Toss - The most common hair move in Khaleegy, I think. You tilt the head slightly to each side, "tossing" the hair over each shoulder as the body bounces.
6. Flick - Pretty much a toss, but the accent is on the up and not the down, so the hair doesn't necessarily need to go over the shoulder.
7. Back eight - For this move I mostly use my upper body, drawing a sideways 8 (or infinity) with my shoulders (keeping the whole upper body very attached, not trying to isolate the shoulders) and allowing the movement to follow through to my neck and head. I either look forward or up slightly, so my hair forms a sideways figure 8 behind me.
8. Front eight - The goal is for my hair to form a sideways figure 8 in front of me. I generate it by "drawing" a sideways figure 8 with the tip of my forehead, with my neck tilted slightly forward like in the "windmill." For my hair to do anything in this move requires a lot of force, so I have to use my upper body like in the back eight above. The more upper body I use, the bigger and wider the 8 will look... the less upper body and more neck I use, the 8 becomes taller and more narrow.
Note: to differentiate a back eight from a front eight, you are basically starting at different points in the infinity. For a front eight, you are starting at the top middle, but for a back eight, you are starting at the bottom middle.
9. Hair shimmy - This I got from Iraqi Kawliya, you shake your head like you're signaling "no" really really fast, to give the effect of a hair shimmy (looks best when facing away from the audience, lol).
Another sort of hair shimmy can be achieved with very quick head slides instead of shaking the head, but it'll be slower and more subtle... the point of this move is usually the head slide and not to shimmy the hair, anyways.
10. Helicopter - Grab your hair into a pony tail and make the tail go in quick circles.
Well, there are plenty more but these are the ones I use the most, except for the whip, which I don't do at all since it feels dangerous and uncontrolled.
Last edited:
Yame
New member
So just to apply my vocab above, in this video starting at 02:03 what she does are circles, she speeds them up into whips, slows back down into circles, speeds up into whips... all that while spinning of course... :clap:
Amulya
Moderator
Yame, thanks for that, makes perfect sence, I suggest we keep these names 
I never know how dancers do the windmill while turning, that looks amazing, but I don't think I can do that without falling over and breaking at least one limb.
The only ones I use are the back figure 8 (only once per dance) and side to side (flick it over the left shoulder and then flick it over the right shoulder) and that also only once per dance. I do some sort of hair flick in spins but more because it's necesairy. To make sure my hair ends up where I want it: behind me.
I never know how dancers do the windmill while turning, that looks amazing, but I don't think I can do that without falling over and breaking at least one limb.
The only ones I use are the back figure 8 (only once per dance) and side to side (flick it over the left shoulder and then flick it over the right shoulder) and that also only once per dance. I do some sort of hair flick in spins but more because it's necesairy. To make sure my hair ends up where I want it: behind me.
Darshiva
Moderator
There is only one reason why I don't do hair tosses nor indeed any head moves. I've been in several car accidents (as a passenger - I still don't drive) with each case of whiplash affecting my neck worse than the last. All head & neck movements cause me pain (as does balancing pretty much anything on my head) so they aren't for me. But I sure do envy those who can add them to their performances.
gisela
Super Moderator
Darshiva, there are several ways of flicking, fluffing your hair only with your hands, and not move the neck. Those should probably also be done in moderation though.
I have seen some grab the hair and throw it to the other shoulder. When you turn your back, put your hands in he hair and "fluff" it, on the accent in the music.
I have seen some grab the hair and throw it to the other shoulder. When you turn your back, put your hands in he hair and "fluff" it, on the accent in the music.
Zorba
"The Veiled Male"
That's why this kind of thing is best done as an accent - i.e. ONCE. Uh, well maybe the latter shouldn't be done at all!:lol:Hair tossing, boob tossing, cookie tossing- it all loses its impact after a while.
Zorba
"The Veiled Male"
I think you need a new driver!
Darshiva
Moderator
The first accident was being run over whilst crossing the street (I was about 10) - that did my back and my neck in so bad I've been on level 4 pain in both since and now level 4 counts as 'no pain' because that's my normal level.
The second was my father who was drunk, on a run to the bottle-o and told me not to tell the police he'd been drinking or else.
The third was the same but this time not drunk just bad driving.
Guess who is no longer a part of my life?
The second was my father who was drunk, on a run to the bottle-o and told me not to tell the police he'd been drinking or else.
The third was the same but this time not drunk just bad driving.
Guess who is no longer a part of my life?
