Tips on developing good belly dance isolations
Isolations distinguish every style of belly dance from other types of dance. In bellydance, for example, you often move parts of your upper body without moving your lower body or vice versa. Good belly dancers manage to make this isolations look precise yet effortless. Below I have listed some tips on how you can work on improving isolations.
1. Integrate your belly dance workout with other disciplines such as, in particular yoga and Pilates. Both these disciplines enhance focus and concentration on specific muscle groups.
2. You can practice upper body isolations while sitting down , which will stop you from moving the lower body.
3. Start practising belly dance isolations slowly and really concentrate on the muscles involved, until you become 
confident with that particular movement.
4. Do not hold your breath; you can try to do the movement and talk or count aloud at the same time, to make sure you are breathing regularly.
5. To practise shoulder taks isolations, try and rest your hands, with arms in second position, against the wall. In this position, you will be able to concentrate on the muscles under the shoulder blades to push forward and release back.
For gluteus and lower/upper abdominals isolations, it is worth trying Suhaila Salimpour’s drills as explained in her fitness DVDs “Fitness fusion series”.
Last but not least, drill a lot! All the bellydance movements and isolations you learn need to be drilled a lot in order for them to get into your muscle memory.
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