Thread: Gliding travelling/choo choo step

Does anyone know how to do this step (about 1.05 minutes)? And the best way to practice it.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLy1xe35eoE]YouTube - Randa Kamel[/ame]

If I had to guess, I'd say she is doing the regular tippie-toe footwork with a pelvic drop layered over it. I think it's this scooting footwork on demi-pointe Online Dictionary - ABT, not the more percussive footwork that we use in a choo-choo shimmy. At any rate, it looks like the "bump" is coming from her doing a pelvic drop on step R, and release on step L, drop+R, release+L, drop+R, release+L,... As for learning it, I assume it's like anything else. Start slow, and work up to full tempo.

It is a cross step in relevee with an abdominal accent out plus a hamstring accent layered on top - with an underlaying shimmy.

Practice by cross stepping without level change or turning your hip when you step, start slow...once you can travel without these issues bothering you, add an abdominal contraction IN (center abdomen/lower abdomen).

Dont try to SIT into the movement as this is detremental to your knees, hips AND lower back.

Keep a turn out in the thighs.

Dont take big steps. rather small fast ones.

Now once you get this, start with your abs IN and release to neutral to hit the accent. This way you will always have an appreciation for the "non-accented" part in the movement which is actually assisting you with not hurting your back and knees inbetween the ab accents out.

For more effect you may add a hamstring accent up on the front leg (accents are on the front leg in the combo she is doing).

Dont worry about adding the shimmy. Practice it with the foot work SEPARATELY - and then try to put it all together once you can do the two combinations separately successfully.

Enjoy... if this doesnt help - book me for a private ;) lol

Originally Posted by david

It is a cross step in relevee with an abdominal accent out plus a hamstring accent layered on top - with an underlaying shimmy.

Are you sure about this? I'm not seeing what I would call an abdominal accent (an intentional moving of the abdominal muscles), as much as the result of the way the abs naturally change position when the pelvis rocks down and backward. It looks like she's rocking her hips down-down-down (which makes her butt bounce up-up-up) on the video to me, but of course, the video isn't optimal conditions for viewing, between the dark costume, the strobe lights, and the video resolution. I'm also not seeing much of a shimmy--the swags of fringe just look like they're bouncing along on the reverb of the movement of her body to me. Of course, I defer to you if you've studied with her or seen her dancing up close and know this is how the move breaks down.

this is a reverse horse step, with the emphasis on the accent in as opposed to the horse step with accents the belly out.

i love this step, and randa uses it a lot :-)

Shareen el Safy teaches this step on a couple of her videos, and she says it was one of Fifi's fave steps. When Fifi did it, it was much bigger and more "folky." I LOVE the way Randa does this -- she really floats but still manages the accents nice and sharp.

Originally Posted by Tourbeau

Are you sure about this? I'm not seeing what I would call an abdominal accent (an intentional moving of the abdominal muscles), as much as the result of the way the abs naturally change position when the pelvis rocks down and backward. It looks like she's rocking her hips down-down-down (which makes her butt bounce up-up-up) on the video to me, but of course, the video isn't optimal conditions for viewing, between the dark costume, the strobe lights, and the video resolution. I'm also not seeing much of a shimmy--the swags of fringe just look like they're bouncing along on the reverb of the movement of her body to me. Of course, I defer to you if you've studied with her or seen her dancing up close and know this is how the move breaks down.

:) Hey Tourbeau. Yes I am 1001% sure. I have personally been "fondled" by Randa because I didn't get what she was wanting us to do in a class back in the day (read: 2002 or 03) and at other occasions of movement demonstration during the SBDF that year (Stockholm Bellydance Festival). I use this step a lot too - it's actually REALLY common in Egyptian style.

I guess you could achieve a similar visual result with the movement you describe - however, in Egyptian posture, that would have an increased potential of a lower back injury when done while traveling with a cross step and attempting such a strong accent. It would also limit the range/speed of your movement.

Here is 1 example of the same step with the accent in (Randa is going out) at 0:45:
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27xk7iEDlTw]YouTube - Raqs Sharki DaVid of Scandinavia[/ame]

And more folk inspired here at 0:28 - still reverse of Randa:
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsJzfcUw9vg]YouTube - Raqs Sharki DaVid of Scandinavia[/ame]

And here at 2:24 & 3:26 - still reverse of Randa and at
1:12 & 1:44 with the accent on the side:
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMm7owJXkR8]YouTube - Raqs Sharki by DaVid of Scandinavia[/ame]

Randa steps/crosses on the front leg first with the accent and then moves the back leg.

I am stepping first on my side or back leg THEN crossing with the front leg.

:)

Actually, it looks like she may even be assisting the accent from the back thigh, I cant really tell which one she's doing from the flickering on the video, but she does do both.

Thank you everyone! It's really helpful advice. DaVid, if I lived close to you I would definately book some private lessons, you have a fabulous Raks Sharqi style!!

Originally Posted by Delial

Thank you everyone! It's really helpful advice. DaVid, if I lived close to you I would definately book some private lessons, you have a fabulous Raks Sharqi style!!

Hehe, thank you Delial, I was mostly poking you with the private lesson comment, but I do appreciate the compliment. I hope to see you if I'm ever in the UK teaching or performing again.

Originally Posted by david

It is a cross step in relevee with an abdominal accent out plus a hamstring accent layered on top - with an underlaying shimmy.

Practice by cross stepping without level change or turning your hip when you step, start slow...once you can travel without these issues bothering you, add an abdominal contraction IN (center abdomen/lower abdomen).

Originally Posted by Tourbeau

Are you sure about this? I'm not seeing what I would call an abdominal accent (an intentional moving of the abdominal muscles), as much as the result of the way the abs naturally change position when the pelvis rocks down and backward. It looks like she's rocking her hips down-down-down (which makes her butt bounce up-up-up) on the video to me, but of course, the video isn't optimal conditions for viewing, between the dark costume, the strobe lights, and the video resolution...

Originally Posted by david

I use this step a lot too - it's actually REALLY common in Egyptian style....
I guess you could achieve a similar visual result with the movement you describe - however, in Egyptian posture, that would have an increased potential of a lower back injury when done while traveling with a cross step and attempting such a strong accent. It would also limit the range/speed of your movement....
Actually, it looks like she may even be assisting the accent from the back thigh, I cant really tell which one she's doing from the flickering on the video, but she does do both.

It looks very similar to a move done by Mona Said and Shoo Shoo Amin in the 70s-80s. Their muscular initiation was different from DaVid describes. It wasn't an abdominal accent in to lengthen the lower back, it was lower back muscles lengthening (the multifidus and others) to achieve the lower back lengthening/top of pelvis rocking back accent. The abdominals remained relaxed. They also used this back initiated pelvis movement in a shimmy, so could get it quite strong and fast.
That being said- a lot of the newer (ie Raqia Hassan trained) dancers also achieve this move with lower abdominal contractions.
In this video it's really difficult to tell. She may be doing a combination. Or it may be exactly as DaVid described. I just wanted to add the "history".

great breakdown... "hamstring accents" - now that's something we don't hear too often, but I remember that from your workshop at Cairo Carnivale a couple years ago!

Thank you, I'm glad it helps :)

....and for good measures, I know that the hamstring is one of the many muscles involved at that location in the body while doing this movement....HOWEVER, it's just uneffective to go all Latin here and mention a bunch of muscle names that will just confuse people ;)

"You will feel a "increased awareness" in the upper-back thigh region".....

:P