Articles

 

Body Language

My students have often heard me talk about the ancient symbolic meanings behind some of the moves commonly seen in "bellydance". I thought perhaps I should share with our readers, as well.

Circles (hip circles, chest circles, wrist circles) Circles are an ancient symbol of wholeness. They represent the infinite cycle of life, death and rebirth. Circles can also represent spirituality. Circle dances symbolize the sun and the moon, the masculine and feminine and the fullness of life and it's experiences. Circles are at the core of life on a cellular level. We also find circles in ripe fruit on vines and limbs and in the belly of a pregnant woman.

 

The crescent (half circle) is symbolic of being open and receptive. The crescent shape is symbolic of female organs in the body.

 

Vibration (hip and shoulder shimmies, full body shimmies) The vibration expressed in the shimmy represents the invisible energetic atmosphere that surround us, our auras and the energy that animates us. It is the quiver of excitement in our breath and limbs. It is found in our heartbeat and is the pulse of life.

 

Waves or Undulations (bodywave up & down and sideways, bellyrolls, snakearms, hand waves) Waves (undulation) is in the many unseen forces of our universe. It is the pathway of heat and the way sound travels. It represents the serpent and also sexual energy. It is seen in the way snakes move and the belly of a woman in contractions. The undulation takes us deep within our spine, allowing us the freedom of open, flowing life force energy. Psychic energy, electric energy and sound all travel in waves.

 

Figure 8 (hips, ribcage) Symbol for infinity. Our blood flows in a figure eight throughout our bodies. Being that it is comprised of 2 circles flowing together as one, the figure 8 symbolizes balance. It is symbolic of the creative and destructive forces of nature, opposites and unification.

 

Spiral (spinning and turning) Spins and turns stimulate our energy system and can induce altered states of consciousness. Spiraling energy is associated with both creative and destructive forces of nature. The spiral symbolizes the seen and unseen, male and female and the unification of opposites due to the negative space contained within the spiral.

 

 

 

The Many Styles of Cabaret

American Cabaret: American Belly Dance comes in two different styles; Cabaret and American Tribal Style (ATS). Cabaret is the “glitzier” of the two. Basically, we have taken the Egyptian style bellydance and made it our own, sometimes incorporating the use of the veil for part or all of the choreography. American dancers also add other influences such as jazz, ballet and even Flamenco.

 

Egyptian Cabaret: Egyptian Cabaret is more of a contemporary Egyptian nightclub style of bellydance. Very controlled and refined, it emphasizes smaller, more distinct movements and can often include some ballet. It is about muscle control and precision. Egyptian law has many restrictions on a dancers' movements and costuming, and thus prevents dancers from performing floor work and certain pelvic movements. Egyptian dancers must wear midriff covers, so many Americans who dance this style will do the same.

 

Turkish Cabaret: Turkish Cabaret is almost the opposite of Egyptian Cabaret. The movements appear larger, more earthy and flamboyant. Leaps and pelvic movements are common. Though not a requirement of the style, Turkish dancers can be very scantily clad. Back-bends and Turkish Drops (although not good for the knees and back) are common moves associated with Turkish Cabaret.

Tribaret: Tribaret is a more sparkly version of tribal bellydance. The word tribaret comes from the words “Tribal” and “Cabaret”. The former bellydance superstar, Ansuya, is a good example of a Tribaret dancer. Some dancers also combine Tribal moves with Egyptian, Arabic, Turskish, or American Cabaret style, a “Fusion Cabaret”, of sorts.Whatever your style, always establish your roots in Middle Eastern dance technique, first. Styles change, technique does not!

 

 

What is American Bellydance?

American bellydance /Cabaret and Tribal.American cabaret, also known as American restuarant style or nightclub style, is a style of bellydance that developed in America. Its origins are both American and Middle Eastern, incorporating a melting pot of cultures in America that have resulted in a dance form that combines moves from multiple Middle Eastern cultures, combined with a distinctly American flavor. Cabaret style can include influences of jazz, ballet, Spanish fusion and various other styles of dance with the basics of Middle Eastern dance and modern Middle Eastern pop music. The costuming is not what you would find at a community event or family gathering, but rather, more "nightclub" or Hollywood influenced, with glitzy, sparkley two piece costumes and generally geared more for the adults.Tribal Style comes in various forms whose roots lie in ATS (American Tribal Style). ATS is an ethnic fusion style, influenced by Middle Eastern dance but " inspired by American artistic sensibilities." It has nothing to do with representing a particular tribe, but it combines movements and costuming to form one cohesive presentation or style. The "American" part of the label acknowledges that the dancers are continents away from the culture that created the dance form and are taking artistic license with it. While Egyptian dance celebrates a woman's femininity and maturity, ATS celebrates a woman's strength and power.Whatever style(s) a dancer chooses, it is important to remember that it is the style of the dance that can change, but technique does not. Establishing your roots and developing basic Middle Eastern bellydance technique is essential before branching out into other styles.

 

 

Folkloric Dance Styles

In a previous article, I wrote about the many styles of *cabaret*. I thought it would be appropriate to list some of the different FOLK dances associated with "bellydance".  So, here goes:

 

Karsilama

Turkish. This is a line dance to an interesting 9/8 rhythm that can be counted 1 2 3, 123 (three slow, three fast movements). To hip and shoulder shimmies are added hops, dips, and jumps for lively change from the usual sultry bellydance.

 

Dahiya Egyptian Scarf Dance

Dahiya is a version of the haggallah dance of Mersa Metruth, Egypt borders with Libya to the West. This dance was introduced to Vancouver in the late 70s by Denise Enan. The dance features lots of hip and shoulder shimmies as the dancers wave colourful hankies to accent flirtatious and saucy moves.

 

Ghawazee

Egyptian Gypsy Dance. The Ghawazee are a family of dancers with their own distinct style of dancing passed on from mother to daughter. It is believed they were originally a tribe called the Nawara that came to Egypt possibly from Persia. The men of the family play music and the women’s performances at festivals, weddings and private parties support the family. The movement vocabulary is more limited and repetitive than a raks sharqi routine but the dancers are able to continue their mesmerizing shimmies and zill playing for hours.

 

Zar

Egyptian Trance Dance. Trance dancing is a healing tradition found in many areas of the Middle East. The zar is usually held at a private home, muscians are hired and an entrance fee is charged. The mostly female participants will partake by clapping and zaghareeting until they hear a particular rhythm that calls them and then dance in repetitive movements such as head tossing to induce trance and thus dispel unharmonius energies.

 

Tunisian

This is a very vigorous dance done almost entirely on demi pointe and using horizontal hip twists almost nonstop. The traditional costume is descended from the Roman toga and are held together with fibulas (the original safety pin?). Experts in this style dance with a water jug balanced on their heads.

 

Khaleegy

Saudi Arabian Gulf. This dance utilizes an oversized overdress as both costume and prop. The dress is held up in front like an apron and made to billow as the pelvis undulates gently to a R-L-R, L-R-L stepping pattern. The dance also features lots of spins, chest drops and tossing of unbound hair from side-to-side. The huge sleeves are at times held up like a hood to frame head slides or used coquettishly like a veil.

Bandari

Persian Gulf. Like the Arabian Gulf dance, Khaleegy, this dance uses the pelvis-rolling R-L-R, L-R-L stepping pattern. Persian people perform this at parties, travelling around in a circle and sometimes stepping into the centre for a solo with encouragement from their friends. The main variations are in the arm movements.

 

Raks Assaya 

Egyptian Cane Dance. Prop dances are a fun change of pace and this one comes from Egypt’s pastoral tradition. It is also a coquettish parody of the men’s martial arts stick dance, tah’tyb.

 

 

Finding your Center

As we are currently working on spotting, spins, weaves and other moves that require traveling and turing, I am always reminding my students to "find your center". In order to maintain balance while spinning and traveling, the body must be aligned properly so that the pull of gravity remains straight through the midline of the body. Anything outside of that and you will lose balance.So how do you find your center?One very simple thing you can do is to be aware of that point at which you think you are going to fall over. Really focus on finding this point. While you are turning, be alert as to when you are about to hit the point where you feel as if you are losing balance, then work on pulling your body back into the center. If you've already tried this and it just isn't working, there are a couple of exercises that you can do to help fine tune balance.Start by standing straight up with your feet hip-width apart and weight evenly distributed. Slightly bend your knees and lift your toes. From there, lift one foot slowly off the floor and do a couple of ankle rotations. If you are having trouble keeping balance while doing this, you aren't centered. Repeat this with your other foot.Now, slowly lift yourself up onto your toes and bend your knees. Slowly lower your heels while your knees are still bent and then straighten your legs. Now reverse the whole procedure. Do this a few times and you'll really get the hang of where your center is.Another trick to working on your balance is by performing a passe. This is where you place your foot on or near the knee of the opposite leg. While doing the passe, balance on your toes on the foot that is still grounded and perform a single turn. Now do this with your other foot and practice back and forth a few times. This may work better if you're standing in front of a full body mirror so you can keep an eye on your posture.As a side note, good posture not only comes from strong muscles and control of your muscles, but also from your emotion and mental state. In other words, poor self-image and lack of confidence can contribute to poor posture. Stand as if you are proud! (Keeping in mind that lack of humility hinders growth) Had to throw that in there! ;-) As always, the key is PRACTICE!

 

 

Finding the Beat

One of the biggest issues many students encounter is being distracted by all of the other sounds they hear in the particular piece of music they are learning choreography to. Because of all of the other instruments being played along with the drum rhythms, the music can sound much faster than it is, or also slower, depending on the instruments and how they are being played. What is important to understand is that all other instruments are being played in time with the drum beat. Timing is a critical skill that not just the musicians, but also the dancer must master, as dancing requires one to be in harmony with the music. Whether you feel the music or understand the mathematics of music, timing is key in executing your choreography successfully and in time with your music.So how do we find the beat? Let's start with what IS the beat. A beat is the basic time unit of a piece of music. A sequence of beats is referred to as the rhythm of a song. Most often, music is characterized by both stressed (strong) and unstressed (weak) beats. The speed at which these beats occur is the tempo.The first step in finding the beat of music is to listen for the stronger beats. Perhaps you hear a group of four or eight beats, with the first beat seeming a little "louder" or "stronger" than the next three (or seven). You might hear some thing like: "ONE, two, three, four, ONE, two, three, four..." or: "ONE, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, ONE, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight..." Try clapping your hands to the stronger, louder beat, and tapping your foot to the next three, weaker beats. You should be clapping once and tapping three times: this is the beat.The best way to become good at finding the beat is to listen to a lot of different types of music and, if time allows, ask your teacher for a little help in finding the beat. With time and practice, you will soon be keeping time to music without even trying.

 

 

Swords in Bellydance

People often ask where the sword dance came from and many believe that it originated in the Middle East.Though the origins of sword dancing are unclear, in the Middle East, and some other parts of the world, there is a tradition of dancing while balancing something on the head. This can include a tray, pot, glass, or candelabra. That is not to say that all sword dancing is about balancing the sword on your head. It can also be a musical interpretation of sparing and twirling, etc. Again, for another topic. Sword dancing could have originated from a mix of cultures included in the Ottoman Empire, Turkey, Arabia, Egypt, Syria, and North Africa, and would have probably stemmed from ancient weapons dances and sparring techniques that eventually made their way into the dances of those cultures. An example of that would be the "Ghillie Callum", a Sword Dance known as the ancient dance of war of the Scottish Gael and is said to date back to King Malcolm Canmore (Shakespear’s MacBeth). Another example would be the cane dance, or stick dance, authentic to Middle Eastern Dance, in particular, the Saidi region of Egypt. Probably one of the more "authentic" versions of the bellydance, today, cane dancing can be traced back to the combat skills of the Saidi men in ancient days. Later, women used the stick to playfully "mock" the men while dancing, and has evolved into the women's cane, or stick dance, that we see today, known as "Raks Al Assaya". Most cultures do have a "weapons dance" of some kind that dates back to ancient war dances and sparring techniques. The sword dance is not quite that new to the bellydance realm. In fact, modern day bellydancers with swords can be traced back to an 1876 painting by Jean-Leon Gerome, "Sabre Dance in a Cafe". The painting depicts a dancer with a sword balanced on her head. It is believed to be the inspiration for sword dancing, today, which has become popular for bellydance performers all over the world, including the Middle East and North Africa. One thing is clear and that is that everyone is intrigued by the sword and the ability to dance while balancing it on the head.  During a conversation with a friend from Egypt, it was revealed that sword dancing in the Middle East originated in Saudi Arabia. All you have to do is look at their flag. He ought to know, so let's go with that! So, dance away and don't drop that sword! Happy Dancing! For more information on The History of the Sword Dance, visit: http://www.ehow.com/about_6626548_history-sword-dance.html

 

 

Am I ready for Sword Dancing?

Props seem to be ever so important to the Western bellydancer for reasons that are a whole other topic, in itself. One of the most frequently asked questions students and audience members alike ask me is, "How long does it take to learn to dance with a sword?" The answer is as simple as it is complicated. It depends on the individual. Ballet students do not immediately start dancing on pointe when they sign up for ballet class. The technique must be mastered before wearing pointe shoes or else it can cause permanent and irreparable damage to the ankles and feet. The time it takes varies from student to student, but the bottom line is that the technique has been mastered and the body strengthened and prepared for the next level. The same applies to sword dancing. If you have not mastered isolations and good posture, you will be unable to balance anything on your head while dancing. If you are still moving your shoulders while trying to do a hip shimmy, you will need to take more time mastering body isolations and control. Then the next question is, is your neck able to carry the weight of a sword? If you have disc issues in your back and neck, you may want to reconsider putting that kind of weight on your head while dancing. The average sword weighs between 3 to 5 lbs and while that doesn't seem like a lot, your neck, especially, will know the difference.How long does it take? When you have mastered technique, that's how long it takes. Is it necessary? No. Balancing something on your head does not make you a bellydancer. The use of props is fun, especially for the Western audience, but a bellydancer is only a bellydancer if she can move her audience with emotions through her body language, facial expressions and the aura she projects, not the use of props. Do you want a circus act or a wonderful experience in music interpretation? That's up to the individual to decide. My personal philosophy is that less is more. I use props sparingly. While the sword is my personal favorite prop, I do not use the sword for each and every number that I do. It makes for a nice surprise for the audience when you do something unexpected.

 

 

Emotion in a lackluster world

I have often said "let your heartbeat be the rhythm and your spirit the dance." What is your spirit? It is who you are. It is what makes you YOU, it is what makes you tick, what motivates you, what drives you to act, what makes it all worth it. It is your passion.Today's world is not very conducive to a life of creativity. Time is a major factor and we have very little of it. Stress overides all other emotion and leaves it lost in the realms of the unknown.Take some time for YOU. Determine what motivates you, what makes up your spirit. Who are you? Then close your eyes and dance. Are you a comical person? Are you serious? Are you passionate? Sensual? Happy? What drives you? Is it justice? Peace? Generosity? Love? Let it show in your dance. It is the emotion that you project as a dancer that makes the dance special and pleasing to your audience. It is far more important, even, than what you do. And certainly by far more important than props. Emotion. A lackluster dance full of cartwheels and firebreathing dragons is nothing compared to the emotion a dancer projects and can make the audience feel!

 

 

Can you dance without music?

Not many people have ever experienced or witnessed a dance without the presence of music or sound. To many, the idea of dancing without any kind of music seems odd and maybe even impossible. But dance is a language, afterall. A body language, if you will. Like the actor portrays a character through acting out his or her persona, a singer sings his or her thoughts and emotions with voice, a dancer uses body language not just to interpret music, but to express and emotion or thought. As our favorite resident drummer always says, everyone has rhythm. Our heartbeats alone give us an inner rhythm that can be felt by simply placing our hands on our chest. Next time, try something different: dance to the wind blowing through the trees. As the trees sway, dance along. Dance to the sound of birds chirping in the distance. Dance to the beat of your own heart. Dance to convey an emotion, express a thought, or just for fun...without external music. A dancer can be his or her own music. It can be challenging to some, but I believe that it is a good exercise. If you can express an emotion through dance without music, how much easier will it be when there is music to accompany your dance? Try it and let me know what you discover!

 

 

So you think you can teach?

Ok, you have taken lessons for a few months and decided that you really like bellydancing. In fact, you like it so much, that you would like to teach it, too. So where to begin? Well, let's start with a few basic questions that you should ask yourself and answer honestly.

1. What makes you think that you are qualified to teach Middle Eastern Dance after only a short time of lessons? You don't see novice ballerina's teaching ballet, right?

2. Have you mastered the technique of this dance genre? (How is your own posture? Are you still using your legs to move your hips? Can you teach ALL levels and various styles well, effectively and safely?)

3. Are you knowledegable enough on the subject of Middle Eastern Dance to be able to answer your student's questions?(What style do you teach? What is the difference between the styles? Do you know the history of the bellydance? Where did each style come from? (The list goes on) Do you know the difference between Beledi, Ghawazi, Raks Sharqi, Turkish, Egyptian, Lebanese, Romani Gypsy, American Cabaret, ATS, Fusion...?)

4. Have you learned how to actually teach and what are your credentials and do you know the legalities involved?

5. Does your teacher think you are ready? Do you even have a teacher, or are you self taught through videos? (For another topic altogether!) Deciding simply that you want to teach is not good enough reason to begin teaching. Understand that teaching is an actual job that you have to work at. It is a service that you provide for others. It is not all about the teacher and what the teacher thinks or wants. Not everyone is even cut out to be a teacher. As with any other job where one is expected to have been schooled, has earned a degree, certification, or diploma and has had a certain amount of experience in the field, so it is with dance, as well. My former teachers have had masters degrees in performing arts, specialized teaching degrees and various other forms of dance certifications and awards. Not to mention the many years of hard work they have put into mastering the dance. The students that pay you to teach them are expecting their money's worth. They will learn soon enough that their teacher is only a mediocre student herself and eventually you will lose business. Approaching your teacher and asking her (or him) if they feel you are ready and where you need improvement would be a much better way to begin your new endeavor of teaching bellydance. Most will even be willing to give you private lessons to work on the areas that may need improving and to help you to improve your own teaching technique, as well.You could also attend your teacher's beginner's classes and observe their teaching style and how they approach beginner level students. You may even be able to assist her in teaching the class and become an apprentice for a while. But to just jump in and start teaching without having the qualifications can be very harmful to this dance genre as a whole. Inexperienced teachers will produce poor dancers. It makes for watered down technique which, over time, will result in a poor quality dance genre that people will soon tire of. The best way to preserve the beauty and mystery of this wonderful dance form is to master the art before going out and teaching it yourself. It would also show respect for another culture by not watering down the beauty of their dance.

This also applies to students who try to "help" the teacher by showing new students how to do certain moves in class. You, too, are a student and have not yet mastered the moves, yourself, and as such are not qualified to teach someone else how to dance. It is not only bad manners to do this in someone else's class, but it also makes it more difficult for both the teacher and student whom who have tried to "help". As a teacher, I then have to undo all the wrong things you have taught the other student. Also, teaching someone else's choreography without permission can be problematic for several reasonsthat I will save for another topic. But, legally, it is best to ask permission from the creator of the choreography if you want to teach someone else the dance you learned in class. Bottom line; your job is to learn. Let the teacher do the teaching. A good teacher wants his/her students to exceed their own capabilities. Trust your teacher to help you meet your goals!I recently attended a performance where some of the students were taught by an inexperienced teacher-wanna-be and the audience was none too impressed. Fortunately, there were other very good dancers performing at the same venue, so the audience was able to see the beauty, femininity and real technique used in Middle Eastern dance. The other dancers will likely not be invited again. Better to wait until you are ready than to jump in too soon and risk ruining your reputation as a dancer and teacher, not to mention ruining the beauty and reputation of this dance genre. For the love of the dance, master it before teaching it. And remember (to quote one of my favorite dancers, Jillina) “a good teacher never stops being a student!”

 

 

Evolving within the realms of tradition

Many well intentioned dancers believe that dance, like any other art form, is a constantly changing and evolving art, which, in and of itself, is true. But some feel they should incorporate other forms of dance that don't always blend well with Middle Eastern Dance’s deep rooted traditions. Yes, art evolves. However, one must understand the traditions of the art form and know it’s roots, and, as teachers, make certain that our students understand the difference. If you are teaching your students a burlesque number, than call it burlesque, not bellydance. Make sure it is not listed as a bellydance class and make sure your audience is aware of the fact that you are not performing a bellydance. Contrary to what some may think, burlesque has nothing to do with bellydance. Bellydance can be used in burlesque, but that doesn't make bellydance "burlesque". (One can use any dance genre in a burlesque routine, but that is for another topic, as well.) I would think that the people of the Middle East would know what their own dances are about better than we do, so it is important to be respectful to another's traditions.In our ever changing, politically correct world, we often try not to offend others by excluding them from being labeled as "bellydancers." I believe that this contributes to the misconceptions of this beautiful dance. As Americans, we may not fully appreciate tradition as many other cultures do. We are a new country compared to the rest of the world and do not have the ancient history and traditions that go along with having been around for centuries. Having been raised in Europe, I have come to understand that, while dance evolves as any other art form does, there are some things that one just simply must leave to tradition. If a Bellydance Superstar decided to make changes to the dance and add a risqué burlesque to this ancient tradition, it would not make it “bellydance”. It is like adding hip hop to the traditional folkloric Austrian dance, the “Ländler”, which has it’s roots in the waltz and dates back to the 15th century. The Ländler hasn't changed much since that time. There are some things that just simply remain steadfast in tradition and should be respected as such.This in itself creates controversy, when, logically, it should not. Art can evolve within the realms of tradition. Respecting it’s roots can preserve the bellydance as it evolves. That means avoiding the addition of those dance forms that have it’s roots in streaptease. Doing so only adds to the misconceptions and, in this dancer’s opinion, is disrespectful to another’s culture. Stripping is about sex. Bellydance is about dancing, rich in tradition and culture.Many of us traditional dancers have worked very hard to dispell some of the myths surrounding the bellydance. In some areas, this can be more difficult than in other areas. Larger metropolitan areas have a diverse population of people and are perhaps more understanding of cultural differences. Smaller towns and communities tend to be less accepting of “foreign” things, especially when it comes to this dance genre. It is for this reason that some of us have had a more difficult time dispelling the myths surrounding this dance than perhaps others have. All it takes is a simple little act such as listing a striptease show or workshop in an otherwise bellydance related listing. I can just imagine how many people would tell me, “I told you so!”Unfortunately, it is human nature to use good things for the wrong reasons. There will always be a certain few who turn the bellydance into a lap dance.

 

 

Musicality

As a teacher, the biggest problem I encounter with my students is their musicality, or lack of it. It is difficult to teach, IMHO, and perhaps even more difficult to learn, if one does not have a natural feel for music and an understanding of the mathematics that make up the music. Emotion and musicality go hand in hand when performing. Here is a link to a well written article on musicality that I thought I would share: http://dancenerds.blogspot.com/2010/02/dance-tip-importance-of-musicality-and.html

 

 

 

Muscles that control the hips

One thing that I have noticed in the dance realm is that, even the otherwise most respected and most "popular" dancers, do not seem to understand the concept of muscle functions. And yet, they all attempt to be fitness experts. Dancers are not fitness professionals anymore than fitness professionals are dancers. They are two completely separate professions. Teaching fitness requires certifications and understanding of basic kinesiology and teaching skills. The handful of dance teachers that also happen to be fitness professionals have a very difficult time undoing the misinformation presented by other dancers. Unfortunately, because they are well liked, they are also trusted. Keep in mind that just because you like someone and they are fabulous dancers, doesn't mean that they know EVERYTHING. We all make mistakes. So, with respect to all dance teachers, this post is meant to dispel some of the myths out there regarding what muscle does what.

Once and for all, the obliques do not lift the hips! The walls of the abdominal cavity are supported entirely by the strength of surrounding muscles since there are no bones that provide support for this region. To make up for the lack of skeletal support, the three layers of muscles in the abdominal wall run in different directions. In the outermost (superficial) layer is the external oblique muscle, whose fibers run anteriorly downward and toward the midline. In the second layer, the fibers of the internal oblique muscle run posteriorly and downward. These muscles are responsible for TORSO ROTATION. Also, to dispel yet another myth, there is no such thing as upper and lower abs. The abdominals are just one long sheet that runfrom about your rib cage to your pelvis. You cannot work one part without working the whole thing. Many times we cannot see an entire 6 pack, it is because we have excess fat or loose skin over them. Belly fat tends to be lower, so we can see the two "bumps" of the 6-pack. If you are doing reverse crunches, make sure you are not using your hip flexors or momentum. The reason we typically "feel" these exercises working in the lower section of the abdominals is because these exercises use primarily the iliopsoas (a hip flexor) which originates deep below the lower portion of the rectus abdominis. This muscle is the one that fatigues and because we feel it in the abdominal region, we assume we are working our "lower abs" when we in fact are not. There is absolutely no way to trigger a contraction in one specific area of the abdominal muscles. (Taken from the ACE (American Counsil on Exercise) Fitness Matters newsletter written by Chief Exercise Physiologist Cedric X. Bryant, Ph.D.)

Which leads to the muscles concerning the hips.

 

Muscle: Iliopsoasrefers to the combination of three muscles:psoas major, psoas minor, iliacus

Function: pelvic tilt

 

Muscle: Rectus Femoris (Quads)

Function: Hip flexion (with illiapsoas) and knee extension (with vastusgroup--vastus lateralis, intermedius and medialis)

 

Muscle:Gluteus Maximus (Butt)

Function: Hip extension and external rotation

 

Muscle: Gluteus Medius & Minimus & Tensor fasciae latae (Outer thigh)

Function: Hip Abduction

 

Muscle: Adductor Magnus and Adductor Brevis & Longus (Inner thigh)

Function: Adduction and external rotation and adduction, flexion & internalrotation, respectively