Umi and the "washing machine" shimmy!

Selkie

New member
Her names for the moves are making me just fall out of my chair giggling. Washing-machine shimmy? Rocker shimmy? My teacher calls these the forward shimmy and side-to-side shimmy, respectively, but it is interesting to learn that there are regional names. Makes communication confusing, though! My teacher also teaches the forward shimmy/twist shimmy/washing-machine shimmy as isolated from the ribs. Looking at other dancers local to me, it seems to be the norm around here.

(now giggling at the bgm for the 'washing machine shimmy' video -- that's "Sidi Mansour", and my teacher teaches us a simple beginner routine to that song. Hee!)

A tip for beginners, if you haven't already got one, get a coin scarf! The jingle really helps you learn to isolate quickly. Its help is particularly noticeable when learning ribcage shimmies. The audio feedback really helps!
 

da Sage

New member
You isolate the movement to the hips? No ribcage movement?

We also isolate the twisting movement from the upper body. Locally it's called a Tunisian, but we are told in every class to swing our hips back and forth "like a washing machine).:D
 

tim ema

New member
.............................A tip for beginners, if you haven't already got one, get a coin scarf! The jingle really helps you learn to isolate quickly. Its help is particularly noticeable when learning ribcage shimmies. The audio feedback really helps!

I totally agree! I wear jinglies on my ankles, hips and around my neck - it really helps me detect when I'm including unwanted body parts! LOL! Especially important since I don't have a full length mirror.

Interesting, selkie and da Sage, that you both also are taught to isolate from the ribcage. That seems to be the norm. I will do it that way.
Thanks so much, everyone!

:)
AT

.....all these regional names remind me of my other hobby - crocheting. With the exception of the 4 main stitches, no two crocheters seem to use the same term for the same stitch! Another mostly female, village pursuit which evolved without guilds or academies standardizing it.
Ain't it GRAND? :D
 

tim ema

New member
Thanks for the well wishes, Ludy!

The music in the vid sounds like Loreena McKennit..."Between the Shadows" I think (also called Persian Shadows), from the album "The Visit".
I could be wrong.

:)
AT

Okay - I'm crazy...I'm quoting my own posts!
Just a correction: the song is "Egyptian Music" by Loreena McKennit

:)
AT
 

tim ema

New member
Hi,

I found Between the Shadows, but not Egyptian music. Which cd is it on?


Jahbie

That's a darn good question! I downloaded it, but have not been able to determine which CD it's from. Possibly one of her movie soundtracks. I have emailed her official website - hopefully I'll get an answer.

PM me and perhaps I can find a way to get you and the song connected!
:)
AT
 

Ludmilla

New member
Jahbie - Thanks for this link and saying which track, which CD! yes, you are right! -- Such a lovely song -- and great for practice - mesmerizing....

Tim'ema - Thanks!! I am going to check out the song you mentioned! Thanks for getting back to me on it-

Hm I think I may have other song questions for you, and all..........
-- Ludy
 

jahbie

New member
My pleasure! I live in the UK and when I started dancing in 1997 there was very little music available. It seemed as if someone danced to Marco Polo at every haflah, so I'm really familiar with it.



Jahbie
 

Aniseteph

New member
international domestic appliance differences

... I'd hate to see what the move would look like if front loading washers caught on in the US! ROFL! Might be rather an uncomfortable move!
:)
AT

Aha! :rolleyes: Most washing machines here in the UK are front loaders, so it makes no sense at all to me. For me its a twisty shimmy. But we do do ribcage washing machine circles...

I guess all references to washing machine moves on this most international forum ought to specify where the door is!
 

artemis

New member
Omi/Umi which I am told is named from Hula and Polynesian Dance A Hula dancer told me the Omi in hula is actually a little different than what bellydancers usually do for this move--but I know nothing about Hula so I can't expand on it.

I learned hula before I started belly dancing, so I may be of help in clarifying this. The Hawaiian word that is used to describe a circular movement of the hips is 'ami. There are different styles of hula, depending on the teacher, so the movements may be done different technically. So far based on what I learned and seen (on video), it looks like the hip circles in belly dance are not done with as much of a bent knee as I've learned in hula. =)
 

Outi

New member
Sorry this is Off Topic but I wonder if there is somewhere a "dictionary" for different belly dance moves? There can be dozens of different names for same movement and at least for me some terminology used can be really strange when name does not have any visible connection with the actual movement like *umi* or *maya* (I still have no idea of what movements these really are)

Maybe this kind of "dictionary" could be added here on Orientaldancer.net :)

I'm not sure if someone alredy answered, but here is in Finnish: Umi tarkoittaa lantion pysty-ympyrää (afroa) ja Maya on lantion pysty kahdeksikko alhaalta ylös.

It's easier to explain in Finnish, because we have same vocabulary (at least most of it is same).
 

Silvinka

New member
The umi is nothing more then a small hipcircle, or turkish hipcircle. You can't do an egyption circle ( with no "bending" of the pelvic area ) in a small size. The reason why it is called also a "turkish hipcircle" is that in turkish style there is no other circle, besides a chiftitelli circle :)

And concerning the differnent names for the same movements....that's because of different teachers, from different countries, from different styles etc. So don't be confused about that... if you reconized a movement, stick to the name you know :)
 
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