In addition to these torso movements, dancers in many styles will use level changes, traveling steps, turns, and spins. Some common shimmies include relaxed, up and down hip shimmies, straight-legged knee-driven shimmies, fast, tiny hip vibrations, twisting hip shimmies, bouncing 'earthquake' shimmies, and relaxed shoulder or rib cage shimmies. There are many types of shimmy, varying in size and method of generation. Shimmies are commonly layered over other movements, and are often used to interpret rolls on the tablah or riq or fast strumming of the oud or qanun (instrument). Shimmies, shivers and vibrations: Small, fast, continuous movements of the hips or ribcage, which create an impression of texture and depth of movement.These basic shapes may be varied, combined, and embellished to create an infinite variety of complex, textured movements. Typical movements include horizontal and vertical figures of 8 or infinity loops with the hips, horizontal or tilting hip circles, and undulations of the hips and abdomen. These movements require a great deal of abdominal muscle control. Fluid: Flowing, sinuous movements in which the body is in continuous motion, used to interpret melodic lines and lyrical sections in the music, or modulated to express complex instrumental improvisations.Lifts or drops of the hips, chest or rib cage, shoulder accents, hip rocks, hits, and twists. Percussive: Staccato movements, most commonly of the hips, used to punctuate the music or accent a beat.The following attempt at categorization reflects the most common naming conventions: Many dancers and dance schools have developed their own naming schemes, but none of these is universally recognized.

In common with most folk dances, there is no universal naming scheme for belly dance movements. Although some of these isolations appear similar to the isolations used in jazz ballet, they are sometimes driven differently and have a different feeling or emphasis.

Unlike many Western dance forms, the focus of the dance is on isolations of the torso muscles, rather than on movements of the limbs through space. Belly dance is primarily a torso-driven dance, with an emphasis on articulations of the hips.

White lyrical costume