Moves on a spot
- Tilting hair (from side to side, front & back)
Tip: make rolls flow making it alternately with each shoulder
Variations: slowly rise up arms while rolling the shoulders and bring it back
- Shoulder shimmy (slow, fast)
Technique: start up slowly and alternately bring shoulders forward, let your chest follow, keep the neck and face relaxed, when feeling confident can speed up
- Snake arms (small or big amplitude)
Technique: alternately bring your arms by sides to the shoulder level and bring it back down. Shoulders relaxed. always think of 3 points while making the move: elbow, wrist, fingers. First bring the elbow up and the rest of the arm follows. Never let your arms wave uncontrollably.
Tip: imagine beams of energy coming out from the shoulder blades and radiating through the fingers. It will help the move flow and make your arms strong but graceful
- Wrist rotations
Technique: while rotating inwards lead with the little finger, outwards -with your thumb (can rise up the arms by sides at the same time as well as bring it down).
Variations: rise up your arms while rotating wrist and then bring it down or bring it forward and then by sides
Technique: push the rib cage from side to side, but make sure the shoulders relaxed and following chest move horizontally. Same with "front-back" move: push it forward with shoulder blades and backward with upper abdominals, when feeling comfortable change to horizontal circles (clockwise, counterclockwise)
Tip: before you begin the circle exercise complete "4 point" exercise first (slide the chest forward, side, back, side) then smooth it out.
Shoulders & Arms: Vertical and horizontal slides and circles are different! Make sure you feel the difference in between when practicing!
- Vertical slides (upward & downward, circle)
Technique: lift the rib cage using the shoulder blades and bring it back with upper ABS, when feeling comfortable change to vertical circles.
- Figure "8"
Technique: draw a horizontal figure "8" with your rib cage. Shoulders, neck and face are relaxed. Easier to start up with points (side, up, come back to center etc)
- Chest locks
Technique: can be made any direction (lift, drop, sides, front back), one or a few at a time, normally goes with a drum accent in drum solos)
Technique: undulating belly move from the upper to the lower belly and back.
Exercise: make a deep inhale and then complete exhale so there is no air in your lungs, hold your breath, draw the abdomen (feels like it sucked in) and then make a few (5-6) slow pushes with the belly muscles. Then inhale & relax. Repeat the exercise 3-5 times. Tones belly muscles, improves digestion and blood circulation in the relevant area.
- Upper Body Undulation
Technique: 4 points: push the chest forward with the shoulder blades, then lift it, bring it back with upper abs and drop it coming back to a neutral pose. After a few repetitions try to make flowing undulation (remembering about each point)
Note: shoulders relaxed and stable, when undulating move the body between the shoulders. Neck and facial muscles relaxed!
HIPS
- Slides (from side to side, forward & back)
Technique: push the hips horizontally from side to side, and then front & back, make sure that upper body is stable. When feeling comfortable smooth slides to a small circles.
- Big Hip circles
Technique: imagine yourself standing in a barrel with honey on sides and your aim is to clean up a barrel with circulate hip motions with soften knees. The rib cage is deviating to opposite side at the same time (ex. hips go back - rib cage is front, hips go right, rib cage - left)
Variations: the move can be done with dropping the head down while hips going back
- Horizontal figure "8" (inward & outward)
Technique: draw a figure "8" by making half a circle with the right hip and then another half a circle with the left hip. Make sure, that upper body is perfectly steel and knees are soft.
- Maya
Technique: imagine that there are two walls in front and behind of you, so you can only move hips from side to side without bringing it forward or back. Then alternately bring the hip first up (beginners can lift up the heal of the relevant leg), then push it to the side and down. Same with another hip. Make the move flow.
- Locks (lift & drop)
Technique: bring the right leg slightly forward, put all you weight on the left leg. Knees are slightly bend. Using right oblique abdominals and glutes lift the hip the drop it.
- Shimmy (slow & fast)
Technique: feet parallel, knees are soften, pelvic relaxed. Start up slowly and imaginary hit the floor with the heals (likIPSu are running) at the same time alternately straighten knees, keep your abs strong, upper body relaxed. When feel comfortable - speed up.
Variation: have fun making hip figures (circles, "8") while shimmying
Tip: shimmy is a great exercise to develop femininity and sexuality! When shimmying imagine ball (flower) of energy in the women's center, imagine that it's getting bigger and takes away all hurts and sorrows and makes you lighter!
Pretty much all described above movements can be made while traveling (forward, back, from side to side and diagonal)
TURNS
Tip: in order to make your turns nice and sharp, and to prevent dizziness if there are a lot of repetitive turns in the dance combination always try to focus your look on a subject, and while doing turn your head should be the last to start turning and the first to complete a turn.
NECK & HEAD
- Head slides (a horizontal move from side to side, forward back, or circulate motions)- Tilting hair (from side to side, front & back)
SHOULDERS & ARMS
- Shoulder rollsTip: make rolls flow making it alternately with each shoulder
Variations: slowly rise up arms while rolling the shoulders and bring it back
- Shoulder shimmy (slow, fast)
Technique: start up slowly and alternately bring shoulders forward, let your chest follow, keep the neck and face relaxed, when feeling confident can speed up
- Snake arms (small or big amplitude)
Technique: alternately bring your arms by sides to the shoulder level and bring it back down. Shoulders relaxed. always think of 3 points while making the move: elbow, wrist, fingers. First bring the elbow up and the rest of the arm follows. Never let your arms wave uncontrollably.
Tip: imagine beams of energy coming out from the shoulder blades and radiating through the fingers. It will help the move flow and make your arms strong but graceful
- Wrist rotations
Technique: while rotating inwards lead with the little finger, outwards -with your thumb (can rise up the arms by sides at the same time as well as bring it down).
Variations: rise up your arms while rotating wrist and then bring it down or bring it forward and then by sides
CHEST
-Horizontal slides (from side to side, front - back, circle)
Technique: push the rib cage from side to side, but make sure the shoulders relaxed and following chest move horizontally. Same with "front-back" move: push it forward with shoulder blades and backward with upper abdominals, when feeling comfortable change to horizontal circles (clockwise, counterclockwise)
Tip: before you begin the circle exercise complete "4 point" exercise first (slide the chest forward, side, back, side) then smooth it out.
Shoulders & Arms: Vertical and horizontal slides and circles are different! Make sure you feel the difference in between when practicing!
- Vertical slides (upward & downward, circle)
Technique: lift the rib cage using the shoulder blades and bring it back with upper ABS, when feeling comfortable change to vertical circles.
- Figure "8"
Technique: draw a horizontal figure "8" with your rib cage. Shoulders, neck and face are relaxed. Easier to start up with points (side, up, come back to center etc)
- Chest locks
Technique: can be made any direction (lift, drop, sides, front back), one or a few at a time, normally goes with a drum accent in drum solos)
BELLY & UPPER BODY
- Tommy roll (downward & reverse)Technique: undulating belly move from the upper to the lower belly and back.
Exercise: make a deep inhale and then complete exhale so there is no air in your lungs, hold your breath, draw the abdomen (feels like it sucked in) and then make a few (5-6) slow pushes with the belly muscles. Then inhale & relax. Repeat the exercise 3-5 times. Tones belly muscles, improves digestion and blood circulation in the relevant area.
- Upper Body Undulation
Technique: 4 points: push the chest forward with the shoulder blades, then lift it, bring it back with upper abs and drop it coming back to a neutral pose. After a few repetitions try to make flowing undulation (remembering about each point)
Note: shoulders relaxed and stable, when undulating move the body between the shoulders. Neck and facial muscles relaxed!
HIPS
- Slides (from side to side, forward & back)
Technique: push the hips horizontally from side to side, and then front & back, make sure that upper body is stable. When feeling comfortable smooth slides to a small circles.
- Big Hip circles
Technique: imagine yourself standing in a barrel with honey on sides and your aim is to clean up a barrel with circulate hip motions with soften knees. The rib cage is deviating to opposite side at the same time (ex. hips go back - rib cage is front, hips go right, rib cage - left)
Variations: the move can be done with dropping the head down while hips going back
- Horizontal figure "8" (inward & outward)
Technique: draw a figure "8" by making half a circle with the right hip and then another half a circle with the left hip. Make sure, that upper body is perfectly steel and knees are soft.
- Maya
Technique: imagine that there are two walls in front and behind of you, so you can only move hips from side to side without bringing it forward or back. Then alternately bring the hip first up (beginners can lift up the heal of the relevant leg), then push it to the side and down. Same with another hip. Make the move flow.
- Locks (lift & drop)
Technique: bring the right leg slightly forward, put all you weight on the left leg. Knees are slightly bend. Using right oblique abdominals and glutes lift the hip the drop it.
- Shimmy (slow & fast)
Technique: feet parallel, knees are soften, pelvic relaxed. Start up slowly and imaginary hit the floor with the heals (likIPSu are running) at the same time alternately straighten knees, keep your abs strong, upper body relaxed. When feel comfortable - speed up.
Variation: have fun making hip figures (circles, "8") while shimmying
Tip: shimmy is a great exercise to develop femininity and sexuality! When shimmying imagine ball (flower) of energy in the women's center, imagine that it's getting bigger and takes away all hurts and sorrows and makes you lighter!
Travelling steps
Pretty much all described above movements can be made while traveling (forward, back, from side to side and diagonal)
TURNS
Can be done on a spot (one ime or multiple, slow or fast) or can be used as the way to change a spot
Tip: in order to make your turns nice and sharp, and to prevent dizziness if there are a lot of repetitive turns in the dance combination always try to focus your look on a subject, and while doing turn your head should be the last to start turning and the first to complete a turn.
