Thread: Help! Training my feet...

So this week in class my teacher pinpointed an area that I really need to work on...it's kind of one of those guilty weaknesses that I know I have but I've been simply too lazy to crack down on it. Well, she finally cracked down on it for me and here it is: when I'm travelling, my feet don't move in time. .w.: She told me to get rid of everything else I'm doing and focus on where my feet are, where my weight is, where they are moving to, and, like the good student I am, I'm going to work on that. But I was wondering if anyone else has had this problem, and how they retrained themselves?

I can't speak to retraining of your feet personally (not that I didn't have my own problems during my early years and don't still have some areas I need to focus on more than I do)...

I can speak from a teacher's point of view. Aside from everything else I work with my students on, the one thing I stress the most when I work with them on traveling steps, movement phrases and choreographies IS their feet and where their weight is. Over the years, as I've studied with other teachers, I've found that when I am having a problem with a step or movement combinations (and other dancers around me too for that matter) it usually boils down to "where the weight is" and its transition. There are several steps (that involve more than just the feet) that I routinely teach where I tell my students that if they can get the feet correct, the rest will follow. Some of my longer term students may feel that I harp on the feet way too much, but for me it makes a huge difference in whether I can "get" what another teacher is trying to impart (movement wise), so it is likely just as important for my students.

Hopefully other Bhuzers will be able to address this question more from a "been there done that" perspective than I've been able to do.

hi muneera -

I've had a couple of students over the years who had the same issue. some times it was really perplexing - their hips were in time, arms in time, everything in time... but their feet.

I give them a pretty simple exercise to do, and it usually ends up helping a lot. first, you need to be really clear on hearing the rhythm of the music. listen for the "doums". you want to be sure to step on the "doums". not necessarily every doum, and you may be stepping on beats that aren't doums. for example: with beledy you would be stepping on the doums that coincide with beats 1 and 4 of the 8 count measure - doum doum tek a tek doum tek a tek. or, walking faster, it would be doum doum tek a tek doum tek a tek. now that you know when to put your feet on the ground, here is the trick: stomp! really put your feet down like you mean it! make noise when you hit the ground, and don't be shy about it. step firmly with confidence, like you know what you're doing.

see if that helps. :) it's also a great technique to pound (ha) a new combination into your muscle memory. always, always, always - trus that if you move your feet, your butt will follow. if you step on the doums, you will always be in time and will always be moving at an appropriate pace for the music. I do the stomping bit a lot even with advanced dancers when we're working on a new choreo that doesn't flow naturally for them.

you can also use the stomping-plus-doums idea to help you dance to an unfamiliar rhythm (like a semaii). or to find interesting syncopation: with the beledi, try stepping on doum doum tek a tek doum tek a tek and see what flows.

one more thing to try: get really familiar with how it feels to finish a count with a "touch" versus "walking it out" - how to step with a weight change, and how to step without putting weight on the stepping foot. example: you are going to walk (stomp!) 4 beats forward and 4 beats back.

try touching on beats 4 and 8: walk forward r, l, r, tap your l foot but don't step on it and immediately step back l, r, l, tap r - continue by stepping forward on the r foot.

walking it out: walk forward r, l, r, l, then continue back r, l, r, l.

a weighted or unweighted step are often the critical detail that helps you to always be on the correct foot in a combination or choreo. another critical detail is being sure to have the correct number of footfalls - no extra 'fudgey' steps, like you might add in a spin, and not too few. GOOD LUCK!

You´ve already gotten some relly good advise by Eliza and Tedi, but I´ll add my two cents. My experience is that it boils down to 2 difficulties, at least in my students. One is difficulties in hearing the rythm and knowing when to step to be in time. This is kind of being tonedeaf, but instead you are rythm deaf to a certain level. Often it´s possible to work on it and improve ones skill to hear the beat.

The other thing is that you are not used to moving your feet so fast. Often bellydance require really fast feet and if you had no former dance training your body simply isn´t used to moving so fast. This also is fully workable. Just practice, practice practice travelsteps. Use a slower beat first and than gradually a faster one.

My students sometimes panics when they need to do fast stuff and get really stumbly, and it really helps to do it slow first so that their bodies get used to the moving pattern and then speed it up.

I feel that most of my students who are struggling with being on time with their feet have a bit of a problem with both.

Another thing that is important when you do faster stuff is that you feel that you are in balance. If you start feeling wobbly it´s common that you start being late. So also to work on posture and getting your abdomen engaged to give you balance and support could help.

The longer I dance and teach the more aware of how critical feet and weight placement are to this dance. Watch other dancers and watch their feet. Watch videos of Fifi Abdo (or any other dancer you like) and watch her feet (when they're visible). Watch your teacher's feet. (I'm convinced that watching other good dancers makes one a better dancer). And yes, concentrate on getting the feet right, and add the rest as the feet become solid. You're lucky your teacher caught it and will be conscious of helping you with it. Sending happy twinkle-toes vibes -- m

What everyone said.

Originally Posted by zumarrad

What everyone said.

Zum - can always be counted on for words of wisdom

..l;,

How about those early classical training exercises... and I mean Early. Tinies A and B anyone?

Near on the first thing you learn is how to count and step to music. All the little cuties in a circle, arms behind the back, stepping out from the hip with a point, the toe touching down on the count.

I've started using this in my foundations class, first with easy rhythms and vary the tempo, then more difficult rhythms and vary the tempo, then with more complex music, then with more complex steps... the trick is to keep to the stepping only and no hands and no embellishments.

I have had a good response from using this to deal with timing issues before they become, well, issues.

Re-training is Hard. You have to be really commited and the thing that will probably work the best is something boring and repetitive that you'll need to do many many times to over write what your body is already trained to do... you're not just re-training your feet but your brain too ..g.:

Thanks everyone! This has all been really good advice. It's really puzzling to me, because although I didn't have dance training before I started, I was a total band nerd throughout middle school and high school, so I know how to find the beat, and can march to it (left, left, left right left!). I think for some reason I only think of my feet as the way to get from point a to point b, rather than the foundation for everything else.

Originally Posted by muneera

Thanks everyone! This has all been really good advice. It's really puzzling to me, because although I didn't have dance training before I started, I was a total band nerd throughout middle school and high school, so I know how to find the beat, and can march to it (left, left, left right left!). I think for some reason I only think of my feet as the way to get from point a to point b, rather than the foundation for everything else.

Huh. Well that's strange. Marching band, but you don't step to the beat in belly dance. I think then you can rule out the rare disorder of "no rhythm" (which to be honest was my first thought when I read your post).

Great advice here.

All great advice, but I'd like to add another thing I see often with newbies.
Most will take too large of a step when traveling. This alone will throw off your timing just because your steps are too big. I'm constantly saying "smaller steps" when the music speeds up. We practice traveling with our feet not going past the middle of the other foot. Think of it like a shimmy for your feet. The faster your shimmy, the smaller the hip movement to keep the speed.

Also, if you can think ahead to the next move coming up, you can prepare as to what foot you need to have your weight on to start that move. Weight placement is critical in this dance - as the others have already pointed out.

Good luck in finding your Happy Feet

Originally Posted by muneera

Thanks everyone! This has all been really good advice. It's really puzzling to me, because although I didn't have dance training before I started, I was a total band nerd throughout middle school and high school, so I know how to find the beat, and can march to it (left, left, left right left!). I think for some reason I only think of my feet as the way to get from point a to point b, rather than the foundation for everything else.

ha! a lot of my students who have perfect timing except for their feet are musicians. and then there's my husband - musician by trade, but though he can keep time with his feet and hands, trying to teach him to dance about threw out my back before I gave up. ;)

what you said about feet being the way to get from point a to point b really strikes a chord: it's a big theory of mine that most new bellydance students only really *see* what's going on between the shoulders and the hips when they're learning - and most bellydance teachers don't teach anything above the shoulders and below the knees. it's all about the hips/shoulders/belly. but it ends up being like building a beautiful house without a foundation and no electricity or landscaping: foot work, foot placement and weight shifts are critical for being stable and in time, and expression and breathing are critical for being relaxed, engaging and real.

Originally Posted by amirahdancer

All great advice, but I'd like to add another thing I see often with newbies.
Most will take too large of a step when traveling. This alone will throw off your timing just because your steps are too big. I'm constantly saying "smaller steps" when the music speeds up. We practice traveling with our feet not going past the middle of the other foot. Think of it like a shimmy for your feet. The faster your shimmy, the smaller the hip movement to keep the speed.

I'm in 100% agreement, and find this with my students a lot. They just want to take these giant steps, which not only throws off the timing, but also I think makes it harder to do any hipwork at the same time.

When doing a combination, I encourage my students to do just the footwork first if they're having a problem, and they can add the other movements onve they know where their feet are going. I'll tell them, "If the feet aren't working, the hips don't have a chance in Hell." Heck, even I have to do that sometimes in choreo workshops!

Originally Posted by zumarrad

What everyone said.

ditto ..l;,

Originally Posted by laura 2

I'll tell them, "If the feet aren't working, the hips don't have a chance in Hell." Heck, even I have to do that sometimes in choreo workshops!

So very true and I like your comment, I'm going ot have to try that one to see if it will shorten their steps. I also demonstrate the difference in what a large stepped move looks like compared to a smaller stepped one. I exaggerate it so they really can see just how unattractive large steps can be ..g.:

Just saying it another way - the feet are the foundation and when you are practicing travelling steps, strip all other movements away and just practice the footwork until it feels natural - then layer the rest on top.

Also, remember to complete your phrases: for example, if it's an 8-count phrase, make sure you are still stepping in time on the 7 and on the 8. I sometimes see students anxious to not miss the following phrase, and they rush, or doubletime, or supress the 7 and 8, thus throwing off timing at the beginning of the next phrase.

I sure wish a teacher of mine would have cared about feet placement. A lot of the students would feel so much more confident in their dance if she did, and be able to learn the choreography quicker and more accurately.

Originally Posted by laura 2

I'm in 100% agreement, and find this with my students a lot. They just want to take these giant steps, which not only throws off the timing, but also I think makes it harder to do any hipwork at the same time.

When doing a combination, I encourage my students to do just the footwork first if they're having a problem, and they can add the other movements onve they know where their feet are going. I'll tell them, "If the feet aren't working, the hips don't have a chance in Hell." Heck, even I have to do that sometimes in choreo workshops!

This is definitely one of the problems, huge steps, and my teacher has been harping on me over it for ages now (I think I managed to avoid her noticing that I'm off the beat for so long because we hadn't worked on improvisation...definitely more apparent now). What can I say - I like big, extravagant sweeps of my feet (and apparently I need to get over it)...c::

I'm not trying to be contrary here, but just want to point out that there are schools of thought in ME dance where there is no emphasis placed on the feet. Morocco was here a year or so ago and during her workshops, people kept asking "what are your feet doing" or "what foot are you on". Her general response was that she didn't pay attention to that - she dances from her center (belly) and the feet just follow, and she didn't seem to have much use for paying any attention at all to the feet. My impression from her workshops was that focusing on the feet first was a very backwards "western" way to approach Bellydance.

Granted, this was a mind-boggling concept for me. ..c:: I need to know what my feet are doing at all times. I've been known to fall over, otherwise.

Originally Posted by elljay

I'm not trying to be contrary here, but just want to point out that there are schools of thought in ME dance where there is no emphasis placed on the feet. Morocco was here a year or so ago and during her workshops, people kept asking "what are your feet doing" or "what foot are you on". Her general response was that she didn't pay attention to that - she dances from her center (belly) and the feet just follow, and she didn't seem to have much use for paying any attention at all to the feet. My impression from her workshops was that focusing on the feet first was a very backwards "western" way to approach Bellydance.

Granted, this was a mind-boggling concept for me. ..c:: I need to know what my feet are doing at all times. I've been known to fall over, otherwise.

Well quite not the same, but I never know what foot I´m as far as left and right are concerned, that is not important at all, I just dance;) I never count either, I hear in the music what comes next. Breaking it dowmn to left and right and counts is something I do when I teach, but when I learn myself or when I choreograph I never do that, I listen to the music and dance.

I sometimes actually find it hard when students ask me a lot of questions about what foot, what arm and so on. I also get confused if teachers talk to much about how they are doing a certain move. I need to see and follow. Over the years I have learnt that most of the people wants to know left and right and counts so I of course prepare for this, but still, If you ask me on what foot I´m on I almost always need to think for a couple of seconds.

Originally Posted by elljay

I'm not trying to be contrary here, but just want to point out that there are schools of thought in ME dance where there is no emphasis placed on the feet. Morocco was here a year or so ago and during her workshops, people kept asking "what are your feet doing" or "what foot are you on". Her general response was that she didn't pay attention to that - she dances from her center (belly) and the feet just follow, and she didn't seem to have much use for paying any attention at all to the feet. My impression from her workshops was that focusing on the feet first was a very backwards "western" way to approach Bellydance.

Granted, this was a mind-boggling concept for me. ..c:: I need to know what my feet are doing at all times. I've been known to fall over, otherwise.

Morocco is famous for her quote of "your feet are there to stop your ankles from hitting the ground".

Personally, being based in more modern (reda inspired) oriental rather than "real" raqs sharqi, the role of the feet is pretty huge for me. But, when Morocco was here last year I asked her specifically about the feet and she said (paraphrasing) one of the things "we" tend to do is flick or kick our feet out when we change weight, step or transition and that is a no-no and that "we" tend place emphasis on fancy flippy floppy feet embellishments when the action should be happening up higher.

After that workshop I have been training to minimize unwarranted foot action as it *is* a distraction, just as after working with Dr Mo I calmed down my arms alot. So even though I think Morocco is correct, for the moment I have found peace with the fact that I need to know what the feet are doing before everything else falls into place. Maybe it's a learning necessity for me or maybe it's just the result of my training which is more reda sharqi than real sharqi *shrug*

Originally Posted by katja

Well quite not the same, but I never know what foot I´m as far as left and right are concerned, that is not important at all, I just dance;) I never count either, I hear in the music what comes next. Breaking it dowmn to left and right and counts is something I do when I teach, but when I learn myself or when I choreograph I never do that, I listen to the music and dance.

I sometimes actually find it hard when students ask me a lot of questions about what foot, what arm and so on. I also get confused if teachers talk to much about how they are doing a certain move. I need to see and follow. Over the years I have learnt that most of the people wants to know left and right and counts so I of course prepare for this, but still, If you ask me on what foot I´m on I almost always need to think for a couple of seconds.

When I'm dancing I don't pay attention to my feet either - as what foot I'm on and when. It just comes natural for me to be able to keep my feet going no matter what direction I am going,

BUT, when learning choreography and dancing in a group, I have to be aware of foot placement because it will make a difference visually to the audience if my feet are doing something different than the others - at least if I'm on the opposite foot than everyone else.

Teaching students is the same way. If you are teaching them a combo and need them to travel right to left, then they will need to have the weight on the correct foot in order to make that happen. I emphasize finishing out the phrase (as someone else pointed out earlier) If you know you are going to lead off with the R foot in your next move or combo, you must have your weight on your L foot in order to step with your R foot. Just getting my students to understand that is a huge step in the right direction (pun intended) ..g.:

Originally Posted by amirahdancer

When I'm dancing I don't pay attention to my feet either - as what foot I'm on and when. It just comes natural for me to be able to keep my feet going no matter what direction I am going,

BUT, when learning choreography and dancing in a group, I have to be aware of foot placement because it will make a difference visually to the audience if my feet are doing something different than the others - at least if I'm on the opposite foot than everyone else.

Teaching students is the same way. If you are teaching them a combo and need them to travel right to left, then they will need to have the weight on the correct foot in order to make that happen. I emphasize finishing out the phrase (as someone else pointed out earlier) If you know you are going to lead off with the R foot in your next move or combo, you must have your weight on your L foot in order to step with your R foot. Just getting my students to understand that is a huge step in the right direction (pun intended) ..g.:

When teaching I of course do this too, and pay quite a lot of attention to it, especially when explaining transitions. But if they just ask me out of the blue what foot I´m on, I nearly almost need to dance that part to know what I´m doing.

But when learning myself I hardly never ask, I simply don´t learn that way. I look and mimic and most of the time I get it right. I have had some workshop experiences with some teachers where I always been on the wrong foot. This has of course something to do with where they put their weight. But this has only happened a couple of times during my 15 years of dancing.

So I don´t mean that you should dance on what foot you please, I just am not so concerned with left and right, I dance and it usually comes out right. But I know that weight transfer and foot placement is important and therefore important to explain and talk about.

I struggle with this as well. I was doing okay with the smaller step and the counting but still seemed half a beat behind.... Then a couple people introduced me to turn out for the feet and it help make some of the transitions easier to do. Therefore, less time and I was no longer chasing the beat..... Be careful, foot turnout isn't appropriate everywhere.

Speaking as a leftie, foot placement in choreos is sometimes very important for me. obviously when I dance solo, my weight transfers come naturally for what I am going to do next - but when dancing in a group who all favour the oppoosite foot from me it sometimes doesn't work for me. I wouldn't be worried tat the audience could tell - they aren't looking at your feet after all, but as a newbie - the next move sometimes goes wrong because i'm not on the right foot

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