How to do the camel or Bellydance Undulation

I learned how to do the bellydance camel in a non dancing environment. Let me tell you a story.

When I was just a mini me I used to train in the swimming pool almost every day for 3 or 4 hours. Can you believe that I was being trained to become a pro swimmer?

The truth is that I was always in awe inside the water, but not for the reasons you might imagine.

I love to feel the water running on my skin, and I enjoyed so much finding out ways to make my movement more precise and efficient. So I could be faster with less effort.

When watching competitions in the television, I was always amazed with those underwater images. The swimmer body flow just after jumping into the water. 

Swimmers seemed to be mermaids with those serpentine movements.

I’ve always like mermaids, specially after The Little Mermaid came out when I was just 6 years old. I think this film left a mark in many little souls out there, right?

How to do the camel (or how to move your spine as a mermaid)

Later on, I discovered belly dance and at the same time I started my biology degree at uni.

I was already hooked with anatomy and movement when I started uni, but learning that there was a whole group of animals with a lot in common in terms of movement was a gate for a different understanding.

Camels are mammals, as well as dolphins, killer whales, humans and mermaids (at least from waist to top, hehe).

As mammals we all share a particular way of moving our spine, front to back and back to front, on the sagittal plane.

In order to do the camel properly, apart from lots of practise, you can visualize a couple of things: 

• That your are drawing circles in the air with your chest and hips.
• That you are a mermaid, a dolphin, or the best swimmer just after jumping into the water. 

WARNING! Injury prevention is always a priority. The camel is a movement that increases the tendency to over extend your lower back.

If you are a lower back pain sufferer already, first of all, take care of your self and heal, and if you decide to do the camel do it gently and keeping the control of your core, ok?.

This said, let’s get on the video. To get a fully understanding a video is the best I can offer. Press play now.

And after having watched the video, please do share in the comments: Did you know how to do the camel already? Did you find the video useful? Have you been explained this movement in a different way?

Thanks a lot for being here one more week, see you in the next video.

Hugs, 

Zahida.

Are you a beginner in bellydance? Have a look at my free class: Bellydance your First Steps!