These tips aren't about how to do the moves; you'll learn those with your teacher!   What these tips are for, is to give instant improvements to your dance no matter what level you are.

The first thing you have to do to be a belly dancer is stand like one. You have to emit a feeling of confidence, beauty and elegance. You cannot be a weak or feeble dancer in belly dance.

Standing up straight can't be that hard can it?

Your neck must be long and straight. Be careful not to put your chin in the air as this gives off the feeling of snobbery.   

Your shoulders must be down and back. If your body is slouched over, you're being hostile and give a feeling of shy, depressiveness. When people watch you dance, no matter the level you are at, they want to feel invited to watch; having your shoulders back does this. Be careful though not to put your shoulders back too much as to push your breasts out as this is not at all inviting for people to watch. It could be viewed threatening by some women and cheap by others and they will not want to watch.

Be happy and confident with your dance. Smile and stand tall. Interpret the music with your body. All of this helps towards making you look a lot more beautiful and watchable with your dance.

No one wants to see a shy uncomfortable dancer because it makes them uncomfortable too!

Be confident with your dance but whatever you do, don't be stuck up and snobby with you dance. Watching a dancer who is in love with herself and not with the dance is awful. Love yourself and your body but don't be stuck up and use the dance to show off.

Also be confident in class.  Ask questions  and clarify anything you don't know. You're paying so demand help when struggling with a move. Many teachers unfortunately don't care if the majority of the class are doing the move wrongly.

Always use a mirror when practising a move this way you can make sure that you are doing the moves correctly. A lot of the time people are doing the moves wrong but don't realise. Also If you are doing  the move right, you don't always realise that you are slouching or that your arms are in the wrong place.

Arms are a big big part of any movement so don't forget them. make sure that they are as elegant as the movement you are doing.

Make sure your wrists are down and your hand is slightly up. Make sure your hand isn't too far up so you look as though you're doing a stop sign.

Moving your arms: I find the best thing to do when doing snaky arms is to lead with the elbow and follow with the wrist and then the tips of the fingers.

NEVER EVER LOCK YOUR KNEES no belly dance move requires for you to lock your knees. It's not only bad for your legs but it takes the power of your movement away from your hips and traps it into your knee. Your knees should always be slightly bent.

This is key to doing a shimmy you should never lock your knees otherwise it makes it impossible.

A move that a lot of people, even good dancers, forget to not lock their knees on is the hip drop. When doing a hip drop your supporting leg should be slightly bent.  This improve the move, making it more snappy and energetic.

By all means choreograph your dances, but don't over choreograph them so that there is no freedom in the dance, and that every movement is planed down to a tee. Let the choreography have a bit of flexibility. Belly dance is an expression dance, so leaving slight flexibility in your choreography allows you to express your feelings at that particular instant.

If you are going to choreograph so that every movement is counted, or if you have to because it's a group dance then learn it REALLY REALLY well so it is second nature. There is nothing worse than seeing people dance like robots. There is also nothing worse than watching people dance  without a smile because they are concentrating on counting the moves out, or trying to remember what move is next. For people watching it is torturous because  they feel the worry of the person and they start to worry and hope that the dancer they are watching remembers the next movement.

Don't use props (stick, veil, malaya lefe) too soon. Unfortunately too many dancers use props too soon to cover up or compensate for their mediocre, uninteresting dancing. Props should be only used by advanced dancers. I don't use props. I'm still trying to master my dance. If you're not confident enough to dance without a prop then you probably shouldn't be dancing with one.

Don't think that dancing with a prop is that important, and don't put too much emphasis on it. The best belly dancers in history didn't use props that often or if they did it was only part of a show and was done very, very well. It isn't the basis of their performance. Why? because their dance is so good it doesn't need the frills of a prop to promote it. If they do use a prop it is more of an extension of their dance. Some dancers like Sohair Zaki never used props.

The Biggest Tip:

Enjoy your dance and Smile

It's just the best to watch someone enjoying their dance, no matter their level.