Days 1-2 of Practical Training: A Complete Analysis of Introductory Exercises for Reducing Abdomen, Waist, and Hips, along with Practical Experience from a Performance Show.

On days 1 and 2, we'll be practicing lifting and lowering the waist and hips, which helps reduce belly fat. Because there's less center-of-gravity movement, it's relatively simple for beginners. One of the goals of this chapter is mastering the basic stance for belly dancing. Even in later stages of the dance, the basic stance remains the foundation for all movements. Ignoring this will halve the effectiveness of your practice, so make sure you master it thoroughly. Key points for lifting and lowering the waist: To avoid twisting your waist forward or backward, keep your knees pointing roughly forward. When lifting and lowering one side of your waist, pay attention to the stability of the other side that serves as the fulcrum. Key points for lifting and lowering the chest: To avoid hindering chest movement, keep your shoulders naturally lowered. Tighten your abdominal muscles, keep your back straight, and stabilize your lower body.

Day 1: 1. Hip Shimmy. Utilize knee bending to create a height difference in the waist. Practice: 1. Stand with your body against a wall. 2. Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Knees naturally bent. Knees pointing straight forward. 3. Keeping the waist position unchanged, gently straighten your right knee. Tighten your right abdominal muscles. 4. Keeping the waist position unchanged, gently straighten your left knee. Tighten your left lower back muscles. 5. Bend your left knee again, returning the waist position to the starting position. Dance Movement: 1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart, right knee slightly bent forward. 2. Lift your right hip. Practice repeatedly, and try increasing the speed once you get used to it. Effective for: waist, hips, thighs, and correcting pelvic tilt. NG: Do not let your hips slide to the left. Do not arch your back, otherwise the hips will not be able to fully lift and swing.

Day 1: 2. Hip Drop with Kick. Maintain your weight on the supporting leg, using your abdominal and gluteal muscles to lift and lower your hips, not your legs. Practice: 1. Support yourself against a wall with one hand at a 90-degree angle to stabilize your center of gravity. Lift your right foot, making your left foot the supporting point. 2. Keep your left knee straight, lift your right hip directly upwards. 3. Lower your right hip vertically without shifting. Dance Movement: 1. Focus on your right foot movement; step forward, lifting only your right hip. 2. As you lift your hip, your previously bent right leg should straighten naturally. 3. Lower your waist again. Point your right foot and gently slide it forward and to the right, as if kicking. 4. Lift your hip and naturally return your toes to your starting position. NG: If the knee of one leg is bent, the right hip will slide outwards. When lowering your hip, tighten the gluteal muscles on the supporting leg side; otherwise, your hip will slide to the left or right. When retracting your toes, remember not to bend your knees.

Day 2: 3. Arabesque. This is an elegant single-leg lift. Keep your weight centered. Practice: 1. Basic stance. Extend your wrists naturally to the sides. 2. Step forward with your right foot, touching the ground with your left toes. Raise your right arm, extending your left arm naturally to the left. Avoid leaning forward. 3. Land your right heel, simultaneously bringing your left foot back to its original position alongside your right. Dance Movement: 1. Basic stance. Arms in a clasping position. 2. Shift your weight to your right foot. The key is to keep your left toes on the ground; maintain this position. 3. Chest expansion. Similar to ballet movements, avoid lifting your leg too high. NG: Shifting weight forward. After stepping forward with your left foot, touch the ground with your right toes naturally. Simultaneously, raise your left arm, extending your right arm naturally to the right. When returning to the starting position, bring your right foot to your left and repeat on the other side.

Day 2: 4. Chest Lift & Drop. This chest lift exercise can strengthen abdominal muscles. Instructions: 1. Keep your back pressed against the wall from the shoulder blades down. 2. Inhale deeply through your nose, naturally tightening your abdominal muscles. 3. Exhale through your mouth. Tighten your abdominal muscles. Dance Move: 1. Basic standing posture. Tighten your lower abdominal muscles to stabilize your lower body. Lower your shoulders. 2. Inhale, lifting your chest significantly to extend the pectoral muscles vertically. 3. Exhale deeply, lowering your chest. Finally, use your abdominal muscles to completely exhale. NG: Arching your back while lifting your chest is a major cause of lower back pain. Once your shoulder blades leave the wall, you will develop a hunchback.

Tae's Column 1: Let's Go to a Restaurant Show! The belly dancing craze that has swept the nation in recent years continues to gain popularity, characterized by the dancers' close interaction with the audience. I used to perform belly dance shows 2-3 times a week at a Turkish restaurant called "ZAKURO" in Nippori. Clothing Advice: Remember to wear shoes when belly dancing in a restaurant. For beginners, I recommend wearing soft-soled flat shoes. Also, be careful not to get your clothes dirty when dancing near the tables. It would be a disaster if your flowing long sleeves snagged on a customer's plate full of food (laughs). Makeup Advice: Because it's a performance, you must choose different makeup looks depending on the distance between you and the customers. I focused more on my eyes when doing my makeup, which made them look more three-dimensional. Interaction with Customers: Don't make any mistakes in your dance steps. Secondly, make sure to communicate with your eyes and maintain a smile.