Thread: Drills

I'm looking for some drills to do with my beginners...did a search of the forums and came up with a ton of references to drills, but couldn't find any actual descriptions. I wasn't taught using drills, so I'm a little clueless on the topic. But I recognize their importance and want to share this with my students (so that I can give them some good homework!)

So what kind of drills do ya'll do? How long? Etc etc etc.

Any help is appreciated!

I need some too!!!!

A drill is a short sequence or combination repeated over and over. It may include layers etc.

eg basic shimmy - ensuring the looseness, smoothness, and timing can be maintained for (say) 3 minutes.
or basic shimmy with weight change, with walking, layered over isolations
or basic step with a range of layers eg start plain with basic arms, then add (say) hip or shoulder shimmy, change arms, travel (sideways, around self, around circle), travel and change direction, add undualtion or hip circles or ...

The point of any drill is to repeat often enough to get it into muscle memory and build stamina but it must be repeated correctly.

I do a lot of drills in my class Here are some of the ones I do for a brginner class. Everthing is repeated in order for 3-4 minutes:

Shimmy for 8 beats (one pulse for each count),
Double time the shimmy for 8 counts
Quarter time the shimmy for 8 counts
Repeat

Shimmy shoulders for 8 counts
Shimmy hips for 8 counts
Repeat

Hip bounce on the right for 8 counts
step back to transition to left
Hip bounce on left
step forward to transition to right
Repeat

Traveling steps across the floor and back again
Traveling step for 8 counts
One of the previous stationary drills for 8 counts
Traveling step for 8 counts
Repeat

I come up with new ones each week so that they don't get bored. Then build a short combination with the techniques we drilled.

Another thing you may want to drill is the difference between movements eg difference between a hip drop and bending the knee (this was needed after a student had been away from class for a few months working on her own and returned doing plies instead of hip drops) - hip drop for 8, bend kne for 8, hip drop, bend, hip drop, bend for 8; repeat.

I also do the same for hip drop vs hip lift, forward and backwards figure eights etc.

Thanks so much for all the help! I've been doing some of the things ya'll have described, but this is definitely a step beyond...one that I'm kicking myself for not having seen!

..g.:

Yay!