The shimmy is perhaps one of easiest movements to learn and one of the hardest to maintain. It involves planting the feet flat and firm to the ground, keeping the legs reasonably close together and relaxing the rest of the body, including the hips.

The thighs are the engine of this movement. There are several techniques which produce several different effects.

Egyptian or "straight legged" shimmy
This involves keeping the legs straight but not locked. Drive the movement with the thighs, allowing the knees to move freely. The hip is loose and relaxed with no tension in any other part of the body. This shimmy is perhaps one of the easiest to sustain and due to the straight legged nature of the posture allows for ease of layering for undulations and shimmy twists.

Bent legged shimmy
Keep legs close together and bend knees slightly. This shimmy produces a more rolling effect. The knees move freely.

Shivers
There are two ways to produce shivers - with straight legs or bent knees. The straight legged shiver is more often performed with the body weight on one leg and this supporting leg is the one that shivers. The bent leg shiver produces exquisite tremors which can be layered with figure eights and walking.