Bare The Midriff Of Your Costume to Show Off Belly Movements

The performance of the abdominal area is difficult to photograph. However, it is important that the costume be of two pieces for the abdominal area to be exposed.

A famous French painter named Eugene Delacroix who was a French Romantic oil painter was seemingly the first to paint a Moroccan woman dancing with an exposed midriff.

Not every dancer works her belly into pops, rolls, or vibrations. In order for audience members to see this action in performance the midriff or abdominal area needs to be exposed.

Dancers have folded dollar bills, flipped coins, or rolled a variety of objects to demonstrate the rolling action of the abdominal muscles, or will balance objects like the sword or the cane as an attention-grabber to acquire publicity.
 
Doing belly pops, rolls, and vibrations is a lot of fun, and actually quite a challenge requiring much effort, time, and practice.
 
How To Do A Belly Roll
 
Doing this movement will help you to realize how disciplined and focused the dancer must be in order to accomplish this isolated movement. This is an excellent movement to exercise your intestines and relieve constipation.

      1. Stand in front of a mirror and bare your abdominal area to see the movement.
 
     2.  Warm up the abdominal area by pushing the entire abdominal area out and then pull it inward. This will be done slowly at first. As the muscles respond to your commands the pushing and pulling will get easier. Have fun with this by playing drumming music and keeping time to the beats. This movement is known as the belly pop.

     3.  The belly roll itself is not really rolling; it is creating the illusion of rolling. After completing your warm-up exercises, it is time to isolate. Push out the belly or upper abdominal area while pulling in the lower abdomen or intestinal area. Then reverse by pulling in the upper abdomen, and pushing out the lower abdomen. Continue to repeat. This will take concentration, patience, practice, and time. After mastering this isolation the abdominal area will respond. Tip: It will help your focusing by placing a finger or your hand when commanding the upper and lower abdomen. Feeling the muscle respond under your finger or hand helps to confirm that you are in the right area especially when working without a mirror.
 
How To Do Abdominal Vibrations:

     1. Purse your lips slightly and pant like a puppy. Practice in short periods of time as you may become lightheaded. When first learning to do this cover your mouth with your hand in order to not have people see how you are doing this maneuver.

     2. Place the index finger and the third finger onto the diaphragm of the chest (between the upper rib cage) you will feel the diaphragm push in and out beneath the finger tips. 
 
     3. After you are able to perform this movement, remove your hand from your mouth. Some people have a problem with their nostrils flaring. If this should happen to you, notice the panting breath and control it at the point where the nostrils do not flare. 

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