Thread: Confusing Omis & level hip circles

I have noticed that many times new students will invert the omi and the level hip circle, and my fellow instructors at the studio noticed the same thing. I went out of my way to fix this problem and try to cut it off at the pass with my students, constantly pointing out the distinct differences between the two. I would teach the moves back to back, heavily break down each one and emphasis that one is level and one is tilting. In one the knees alternate bending, in the other they do not. Etc. etc... but I would still see it. What is this strange phenomenon?

I don't currently teach, but this has really been bugging me!

FWIW, one of my instructors called the Omi/Umi the "Tilt-a-whirl". We "got it" immediately!

as a student I am still irked that some teachers have just referred to omis as small hip circles, now that I am understanding the difference more. Too many definitions are getting channels crossed. Or something.

Rather than teaching them back to back - I only teach "horizontal hip circles" aka "doughnuts" aka "oriental circles" to beginners. One, because they are not naturally part of most people's dance vocab; two, improves oblique control; three, kinder to the lower back.

Once they have them under their belts and have some ab control they can branch out to "tilting circles" aka "african circles". (Around here an "omi" is a vertical circle rather than a tilting horizontal one)

Originally Posted by kashmir

"tilting circles" aka "african circles". (Around here an "omi" is a vertical circle rather than a tilting horizontal one)

Question: if the omi (in any of it's variant spellings ) is so called because it is similar/the same as a Polynesian dance movement -- then how can it be a tilting circle in one place and a vertical circle in another. And which one is an "internal" (infernal? LOL) circle?

BTW, I'm about the only one in my area that teaches vertical hip circles (and by this I mean left side, lift (not tuck), right side, return to basic position, rather than what I call a bicycle hip (one-sided to the front, the back or the side). . .. Oh I'm so confused...c::

Actually I find it useful to teach both together from the start. That way they see the difference between the two.

to teach the level circle I really emphasise lifting up in the pelvic floor and keeping the lower abs pulled up, especially as they go round to the back. And I show them how my hip belt stays level that way.

Then we do an omi and they see how that feels different because the pelvis moves differently, the hip belt doesn't stay level and the knees bend alternately.

they seem to pick up the difference well but there again I drill them both every single week in beginners class

Kat, I'm fascinated by your vertical hip circles - but I don't really understand what they are

I think that for many students, 'omis' are the circle that comes more naturally to them - particularly if they've done other dance forms where those sort of circles are the norm. So perhaps the students are just reverting to type when they get the circles muddled up. I, too, like drilling both types of circles one after the other so they can really feel the difference. I guess you can only keep trying to correct and explain in lot of different ways, so that hopefully one explanation will 'click' with your students. In case it helps, here's some things I do to emphasise the difference:

- For horizontal hip circles, I liken it to dancing with a corseted dress on - you can't bend in the middle. I get the students to place their hands across the front and back of their waist, while they circle, to stop them bending in the middle.
- I face side-on to demonstrate hips going back with a straight back, and get the students to do this, too. I ask them to pull in their tummy muscles, as this helps keep the pelvis from tilting.
- If students are still tilting I get them to lock their knees straight and do a smaller, horizontal circle, so they can get the feeling of not pumping the knees up and down.
- We also practice hip-slides on occasion, as this seems to be a difficult movement for many students, and is a crucial part of horizontal o's/8's
- For omis, we practice the sides of the circle (like hip flicks, pumping knees up and down) and then the forward and back (bent knees, tilt pelvis) so they can understand the mechanics of the move.
- I flow from a big horizontal hip circle to a medium horizontal circle ("bring the feet closer together but don't start bending in the middle") then an omi ("now bend the knees and bend in the middle")

I liken the level hip circles to doing hula hoop, it seems to help some.

Originally Posted by kat

Question: if the omi (in any of it's variant spellings ) is so called because it is similar/the same as a Polynesian dance movement -- then how can it be a tilting circle in one place and a vertical circle in another. And which one is an "internal" (infernal? LOL) circle?

Hi Kat, I have had about 7 or 8 regular teachers from living in different places and studying with more than one at a time. In my experience, some describe the "tilting circle" and some the "vertical circle" and some a "rolling circle" for pretty much the same movement. I think it is really just how you visualize the shape made by the movement. Are you describing the entire pelvic area? To me that is a rolling or tilting circle. However if I imagine a pencil in my navel or off one hip bone that describes a vertical circle. The main variations I've seen with omi/African circle/pelvic circle/tilting circle/Moroccan circle/etc are how soft or angular the overall move is and how much to contract the abs in the front part of the motion.

As a student, I found it easier to learn the omi (but I suspect my first omi's were very unrefined looking). I think what some teachers in this thread suggested with drilling them together would be very helpful for students to really get how they feel very different. Though maybe not for absulute beginners (i.e. the first couple lessons) as they would need to have one move down first inorder to accurately feel the contrast. I learned the omi in my first 8 week beginner sequence after a few weeks with the flat hip circles. I don't think I mixed the two up, but I did find the rolling circle easier as at that time the flat one took a lot of concentration. Drilling them together actually helped me better understand the flatter hip circle as well as refine my omi.

Originally Posted by kat

Question: if the omi (in any of it's variant spellings ) is so called because it is similar/the same as a Polynesian dance movement -- then how can it be a tilting circle in one place and a vertical circle in another. And which one is an "internal" (infernal? LOL) circle?

BTW, I'm about the only one in my area that teaches vertical hip circles (and by this I mean left side, lift (not tuck), right side, return to basic position, rather than what I call a bicycle hip (one-sided to the front, the back or the side). . .. Oh I'm so confused...c::

Me too..c::

I don't know horizontal from vertical but i do know it gives me vertigo just thinking about it. I like it simple, hip circle, I've learned omi/umi's differently from different instructors.... I given up on them and just do hip circles.....c::

For me, a hip circle is a pushing outward type of motion, whereas an omi is a pulling inward type of motion.

When I have taught (and been taught) both of these movements they are broken down into 4 parts. With the hip circle, its slide right, push front, slide left, then pull back engageing the lower abs to keep the posture correct and protect the lower back. I have found it helpful for some to keep their hand on their hips at first, and really focus on keeping that belt line straight. Then its just a matter of smoothing out the stops.
With the umi, I learned it as a movement controlled by muscular action. First squeeze the left glute to drop the right hip, then relax the keft glute to acheive a neutral center, then squeeze the right glute to drop the left hip, then relax and tuck the lower abs to pull the pelvis back. It was easiest for me to repeat this both directions several times and then smooth out the stops later.

I like to think of them this way:

Omi - your hips are below the rim of a cup trying to touch it all around the rim
horizontal - your hips are above the rim trying to touch all around

I really like the tilt-o-wirl too as long as they don't forget front and back ,r:;

I don't know if this is the same as what everyone's calling an omi, but the circle my instructor taught me (ugggghh I remember THAT particular class) isn't really a "hip" movement at all. She taught us to keep our hips neutral, and the only thing that moves are the abdominal muscles.
She taught us to first to contract one oblique, continue the contraction to the navel, and then continue the contraction on to the other oblique, and then relax. This causes the hip to go along for the ride and it gives the impression of forming a circle but there is no conscious movement of the hip itself. The tighter the contraction, the larger the circle. The result looks like what Tito does in this clip at 00:29
http://youtube.com/watch?v=QXkTG_Qi0...elated&search=

Regards
Priscilla

Priscilla, wow, that's very different from how I learned it or teach it, but I like it! I may experiment with thinking about it & teaching that way a bit.

(and thanks for the Tito clip, I just plumb love that man!)

Hi Lauren,
It's very different from how I learned it from my first teachers as well. It took me forever to get the hang of this particular circle because I was so accustomed to actually rotating the hips themselves.
My teacher would catch me very time I began circling my hips and ask "What's that LATIN hip thing you're doing?" ..cr.: It has a completely different look when the hips are actively leading the movement than when they are just neutrally following the movement of the abdominal muscles.

Ahhh Tito. I think I've watched this clip 3 dozen times just to see his undulations. ehhh, I mean his technique.

Regards
Priscilla

Originally Posted by jessedan

I don't know if this is the same as what everyone's calling an omi, but the circle my instructor taught me (ugggghh I remember THAT particular class) isn't really a "hip" movement at all. She taught us to keep our hips neutral, and the only thing that moves are the abdominal muscles.
She taught us to first to contract one oblique, continue the contraction to the navel, and then continue the contraction on to the other oblique, and then relax. This causes the hip to go along for the ride and it gives the impression of forming a circle but there is no conscious movement of the hip itself. The tighter the contraction, the larger the circle. The result looks like what Tito does in this clip at 00:29
http://youtube.com/watch?v=QXkTG_Qi0...elated&search=

Regards
Priscilla

That's just what I meant by a pulling inward type of motion--the circle is powered by the muscle contractions into the core.