Adding a feather boa to your shimmy makes it look more impressive and eye-catching. This quintessential burlesque move involves shaking your shoulders rapidly as you move your body from front to back or back and forth. Wrap your boa around your neck, letting the long ends drape down your arms. Hold the ends out from your shoulders with your elbows slightly bent as you shimmy. If you like, you can move your arms and the boa from side to side as you shimmy your upper body for an added visual effect.
Bumping and grinding can look silly or sensual depending on your choice of music, your costume and your attitude while you dance. Hold the boa behind your body so it crosses your hips or upper thighs. Move your hips from side to side or in a circular motion. Meanwhile, pull the boa from side to side in the opposite direction of your hips. Make your movements quick and exaggerated for a comedic effect or slow down to make the dance more seductive.
As you dance, experiment with wrapping the boa around your body in different ways. In addition to criss-crossing the boa over your chest and back, you can wrap it around your hips, up your leg, or vertically around your torso. Try wrapping your body in the boa and slowly unraveling it throughout your dance.
Your boa does not have to be on your body to add a layer of interest to your dance routine. Try waving it back and forth about your head in time with the music, twirling it in circles as you turn or wrapping it around your dance partner's body as you interact. For a showstopping finale, swing the boa above your head like a lasso, then toss it into the audience or toward your dance partner.