Thread: Dangling 8 on one hip

Can someone please break down this move? I forgot how it's done. It's been four years since I did this move and I forgot how to execute it. Thanks!

decide if you will begin this move with hip moving forward or back on the count of one.

Method 1. Hip to floor - On a diagonal to the mirror, descibe a horizontal 8 (an infinity sign or mobius strip) with the presenting hip. Allow the leg and foot to be very relaxed and trail behind the movement of the active hip.

Method 2. Toe to hip. Diagonal to the mirror. Describe a lazy 8, an infinity sign or a mobius strip with the big toe of the presenting leg, allow the hip to follow as the toe grazes the floor.

Now integate the 2 methods and add muscular resistance to the move with the obliques.

How was that?

Never heard of a dangling 8.... very curious

Sounds like a figure eight on one hip only.

I am pretty sure that whats she meant. Standing side 8s is what I was taught.

Yes, thanks Anala, the standing side 8 is what I meant... never thought about doing them both. Cool!

Anala's Method 1 sounds like what I've always called a single-sided figure 8. Anala, I really liked the way you described both Method 1 and Method 2 - you were clear and concise, and your terminology made it very easy to visualze what you were describing!

Put your fist on your hip, thumb pointing to side. Imagine thumb being marker and you will draw on the side wall. Now, go through the alphabet. And again with other hip.

You can do this to get single side infinities/8s, etc also.

The way I was doing it, which made it difficult, was starting at the top of the "8" going down. I knew it was wrong because it "felt" wrong. Starting it with the toe is how I remember Delilah teaching it in her workshop video - thanks to Anala for the reminder.

I've been working with a Dina workship video, and a LOT of her combos are based on this move, or include it before a weight shift, in some form or another.

Great explanation, Anala.

you were clear and concise, and your terminology made it very easy to visualze what you were describing

Clear...concise...me....??? It must have been one of my brief lucid moments!

Thanks Shira and Lauren, I will treasure those compliments!

now that you have the shape of the motion down, you can smooth it out and juice it up by using your internal muscles: put your fingertips just above and inside your hip bone, and feel how that muscle works as you pull the hip up and back; your glutes come into play as you push the hip down and forward. or, at least that's what my body does. ;) take a few movements to see what your muscles are doing on your weight bearing leg. be conscious of those muscles and emphasize what they're doing and your 8 will be smoooooth and ooey gooey.

At this moment I feel like an alien in the world of Belly dance...w.:

The move sounds really pretty though.

Hooked...dont go all geeky on us...it is just a horizontal 8 - done on one hip only - on a diagonal , with your weight on the "off" hip.

Originally Posted by elisagamal

now that you have the shape of the motion down, you can smooth it out and juice it up by using your internal muscles: put your fingertips just above and inside your hip bone, and feel how that muscle works as you pull the hip up and back; your glutes come into play as you push the hip down and forward. or, at least that's what my body does. ;) take a few movements to see what your muscles are doing on your weight bearing leg. be conscious of those muscles and emphasize what they're doing and your 8 will be smoooooth and ooey gooey.

Yes, I feel that too. Thanks for throwing that in Elisa. I tend to use my pelvis so I'm trying really hard to work that one hip and glute, but when I do, I can feel the oblique work when I start at the bottom (hip lift, push to the back) and then the glute engage when I push my hip forward and down to finish the 8.

Originally Posted by HOOKEDNOVICE

At this moment I feel like an alien in the world of Belly dance...w.:

The move sounds really pretty though.

No, it's really easy once you get the hang of it. You'll be surprised. Just follow Anala's direction and you'll see. I think it's a very sexy move.

Wow, I'm surprised how many do not know this move. I first learned it years ago when I was a baby belly dancer with Delilah but over time forgot the execution of it (cataloged it in my brain though).

Is this the same as or similar to the bicycle hip (I learned that term from a Veena and Neena video, made sense to me so I continue to use it)?

I couldn't quite tell from the description (I'm not proficient at following moves textually)

Different from N&V's bicycle hip (though that's a nice move). The bicycle hip draws a vertical figure 8 lying sideways -- like, if you put chalk on your hip you'd be writing a sideways 8 on the wall.

The dangling 8 draws the figure 8 on a horizontal plane (slightly diagonal, but that's not important). One loop in front, one in the back. So you're drawing the 8 on the floor with your toe...and also an 8 parallel to the floor (rather than the wall) with your hip.

vertical figure 8 lying sideways

Would that not then make it horizontal??

Arggg!!! Poof!

Originally Posted by Lauren_

Different from N&V's bicycle hip (though that's a nice move). The bicycle hip draws a vertical figure 8 lying sideways -- like, if you put chalk on your hip you'd be writing a sideways 8 on the wall.

The dangling 8 draws the figure 8 on a horizontal plane (slightly diagonal, but that's not important). One loop in front, one in the back. So you're drawing the 8 on the floor with your toe...and also an 8 parallel to the floor (rather than the wall) with your hip.

Ah, thank you. That's helpful. So a slight diagonal bent is okay then? My hip tends to rise a tad on the "slope" of a one-hipped 8, whether vertical or horizontal.

Anala, it threw me for a sec too but I got it. Since horizontal was used earlier to describe the dangle, calling the bicycle hip move completely vertical may be unclear as to whether the hip would be making an 8 top to bottom (like how you see the number 8) or an infinity loop (side to side). Sideways vertical = infinity loop in a vertical plane from the floor. Horizontal from the wall, I suppose though!

aaarrrrrg...poof!!!! poof!!!!

What's with the poofing? I'm missing something here.

I dont have that really cool head exploding smilie!!! I need one!!!

Originally Posted by anala

I dont have that really cool head exploding smilie!!! I need one!!!

Rofl! You're going to run out of heads Anala

Originally Posted by anala

vertical figure 8 lying sideways

Would that not then make it horizontal??

Arggg!!! Poof!

OK, let me try rephrasing it.. I've got an idea.

The bicycle hip draws an infinity symbol on a vertical plain -- like, if you put chalk on your hip you'd be writing an infinity symbol on the wall beside you.

The dangling 8 draws the figure 8 on a horizontal plane (slightly diagonal, but that's not important). One loop in front or your hip's neutral position, one behind. So you're standing with your weight on one leg...and drawing an 8 parallel to the floor with the unweighted hip.

Lauren, I believe you need to reverse those descriptions...

The dangling 8 draws the figure 8 on a vertical, not horizontal. The bicycle hips are on the horizontal.

"So you're standing with your weight on one leg...and drawing an 8 parallel to the floor with the unweighted hip."

yes but, with both these moves you are drawing an 8 parallel to the wall, not the floor.

Originally Posted by jasani

Lauren, I believe you need to reverse those descriptions...

The dangling 8 draws the figure 8 on a vertical, not horizontal. The bicycle hips are on the horizontal.

"So you're standing with your weight on one leg...and drawing an 8 parallel to the floor with the unweighted hip."

yes but, with both these moves you are drawing an 8 parallel to the wall, not the floor.

Now I'm confused - I thought the dangle looked like this: 8, parallel to floor - hip is going forward and back (horizontal to the floor). And bicycle hips looked like this: 00 (best I can do for an infinity loop), parallel to the wall, hip is going up or down and around (horizontal to the wall).

No?

Make sure to keep the unweighted knee from kicking out when you are coming down and back up. Our teacher had to walk around and litteraly hold peoples knees so they didn't flap open and draw attention to the crotch.

We are in a virtual studio with mirrors on 2 walls. One in the front as we face it and one behind us. There are also 2 walls that are to the left (it is blue) and right (it is red) of us that have no mirrors. We have a wooden floor and we have a white ceiling. Our references will all be as students with all of us facing into the mirror at the front of the studio - so all of directions are now the same. You now must call parallels to either the side walls, or front and back mirrored walls.

We shall begin our drills on the left diagonal facing the left forward corner of the room that features the blue wall on the left and the front mirrored wall to our right...lets us now begin. Our right hip is now presented to the mirror.

Originally Posted by yaalini

Now I'm confused - I thought the dangle looked like this: 8, parallel to floor - hip is going forward and back (horizontal to the floor). And bicycle hips looked like this: 00 (best I can do for an infinity loop), parallel to the wall, hip is going up or down and around (horizontal to the wall).

No?

8 = vertical to the wall. - dangling eight
oo = vertical to the wall - bicycle hip. Why? Are bicycle wheels like this 8, or like this oo? Bicycle wheels are verticle , which is to say they are upright or oo. if the bicycle was laying down on the ground, the wheels would be horizontal. Right?

Hope that helps. If you're doing it on a horizontal, it's just a one hip figure 8.

I understand your confusion now. You're thinking that oo is horizontal, Yes it can be done parallel to the floor and on one hip, but that's not the bicycle nor is it the dangling 8.

Originally Posted by Michelle75

Make sure to keep the unweighted knee from kicking out when you are coming down and back up. Our teacher had to walk around and litteraly hold peoples knees so they didn't flap open and draw attention to the crotch.

That is the hardest part, making sure the knee doesn't kick out. Thanks for pointing that out Michelle.