Thread: freeze shimmy huh?

Ok...I have heard it spoken of here...never seen it taught on an instructional video...and have tried my damndest to get a quiver out of any muscle group by contracting so hard it produced a quiver out of sheer fatigue. Squeezed for long minutes...abs, gluts...you name it, I squeezed it hard...long... nada. I just dont have that much time in a song to produce one of these....Splain it to me...please. ..c::

I think it's on Leyla's "21 Shimmies and 1001 Variations". Maybe . . .

Ooops, I`m so sorry, it seems I have confused you in the other thread. I learn by watching and I am horrible at explaining Sorry!
Anyway, you DO tense your muscles, but the vibration doesn`t come from nothing. So standing still and just tensing will not get you anywhere.

The first time I did this, I just did a Raqia-shimmy and then tensed up my legs, which produced a much smaller, tenser shimmy.

Then I discovered that one of my teachers teaches it something like this:
Stand with your feet completely together and then do small, rapid "bounces" with both legs simultaneously. NB! You might want to wear a sportsbra for this ..l;,
I also learnt this as the Nagwa Fouad-shimmy, if you are familiar with that. Then, once you can practically read the newspaper while doing the Nagwa-shimmy, you change from moving both legs together to moving them separately, as in a Raqia-shimmy. In a perfect world, this should produce a freeze shimmy.
I hope this explanation can help you, I am really sorry for my non-existing explaining-skills. And English is not my mother tongue either, so that doesn`t exactly help my case If I had you here, I would show you in a heartbeat

I think too that Leyla Jouvana teaches this in the "1001 shimmies", but my DVD won`t play it anymore so unfortunately I can`t check that for you...

For me, my easiest "freeze" is out of my left thigh and my weight has to be on that leg to actually put enough tension into it to begin the freeze (a non-tensed muscle just can't produce it). Other "parts" of me can also "freeze", but it takes more concentration to begin a freeze from another muscle. Once I get my thigh going I *can* transfer the freeze elsewhere in my body. Yes, it is tensing the muscle up until it does that spasm-shaking thing. I remember my early ones as being entirely too tense (as in almost my entire body being rigid). My instructor had me focus and work on one muscle to develop mine (which might be why I'm a "leftie" for the freeze). ..g.: Not sure if this is of much help.

The couple of times I've heard it explained, I was told it's like your muscles are having a battle-they want to relax and contract at the same time. I don't know how this would work on other parts of the body, but freezing with one leg isn't too difficult.
First, stand straight, feet together, pointing straight ahead-then put one leg out to the side. I keep my leg about 2 feet out, but I'm 5'9", so for most people it's probably less. But-don't put your "freeze leg" too close to the body, or it won't work!
The leg that is out to the side is the one that will perform the freeze-it should be pointing straight ahead, but resting on the ball. Now, try to freeze it by having a "war" in the knee area. I haven't exactly figured out what works best for me, so I'm experimenting with where the war starts-knee, hamstrings, or the muscle group in front of the leg above knee (totally forgot what it was called!) It takes a few sessions, because the muscles get tired fairly quickly, but you should start seeing baby results fairly quickly. Your eventual goal is a tiny freeze that runs up that leg and into that hip, with no quivering movement past the waist. Good luck, I hope this made sense!
Nikki

[QUOTE=Dheisha;93950]I also learnt this as the Nagwa Fouad-shimmy, if you are familiar with that. Then, once you can practically read the newspaper while doing the Nagwa-shimmy, you change from moving both legs together to moving them separately, as in a Raqia-shimmy. In a perfect world, this should produce a freeze shimmy.

Gottcha, I have also heard this described as the "champagne" shimmy. Now since you are "drumming" your heels on the floor to achieve this, your weight must be on the front of the foot, therefore it is a stationary move, yes?

From Tedi For me, my easiest "freeze" is out of my left thigh and my weight has to be on that leg to actually put enough tension into it to begin the freeze (a non-tensed muscle just can't produce it). Other "parts" of me can also "freeze", but it takes more concentration to begin a freeze from another muscle.

Is this driven from the knee and quad - as in a one legged shimmy as discussed elsewhere. That would be two muscle groups, front and back of the leg to create a tiny vibration...yes?

From Micamica
Now, try to freeze it by having a "war" in the knee area. I haven't exactly figured out what works best for me, so I'm experimenting with where the war starts-knee, hamstrings, or the muscle group in front of the leg above knee (totally forgot what it was called!)

This sounds like Tedi's version as well. If what I am hearing you all say is correct...the freeze shimmy is just a very small knee/quad/hamstring driven move, except for the immobile heel driven bounce. The movement then migrates into the soft tissue of the abs to procuce the look. Muscle groups are not isolated...contracted to exhaustion, and then quiver of their own accord as you glide across the floor...yes? No?

i teach this move as a full body freeze during a cleo leg roll on the floor.i roll over to my head and heels, body bowed.i use my right leg on top of crossed ankles, ..hole over from ballet.tense the top leg, till it quivers,
if any of you were a ballet dancer, it comes from barrr work, tensing the top leg on point to quiver.....it's been awhile, can not remember the proper names ...

i roll over to my head and heels, body bowed.i use my right leg on top of crossed ankles, . Ok..that aint happenen!!! Next!

One trick that worked for me is to stand on one leg and let the other one 'shake' (as if you're cold :) Its easier if you don't have any weight on it to get the freeze going at first, and it avoids tensing up the whole body.

If that works, try it with the other leg as well, and if that works you can try it with weight, standing on both legs.

I don't tense up the muscles completely, its more like a 'loose shiver' but still very small movement.

Hope this makes any sense!
Khalida

[quote=anala;94060]

Originally Posted by Dheisha

I also learnt this as the Nagwa Fouad-shimmy, if you are familiar with that. Then, once you can practically read the newspaper while doing the Nagwa-shimmy, you change from moving both legs together to moving them separately, as in a Raqia-shimmy. In a perfect world, this should produce a freeze shimmy.

Originally Posted by Dheisha

Gottcha, I have also heard this described as the "champagne" shimmy. Now since you are "drumming" your heels on the floor to achieve this, your weight must be on the front of the foot, therefore it is a stationary move, yes?

My weight is definitely on my heels when doing the Nagwa-shimmy. My heels are not leaving the floor at all, you need the floor to "fuel" the shimmy.
The Nagwa as I learnt it, or as a preparation for freeze, is stationary, however when you are able to do the "real" freeze, you can do whatever you want with it, on flat feet or in relevé, walk, twist, 8`s, you name it.

rapid "bounces" with both legs
If your heels are weighted, this is knee driven ,yes?

Shiver. Think of being really cold and shivering. Now, shiver with control. Easy, eh?

I do it two different ways. Soraia Zaied teaches this shimmy as a tiny quick front to back movement of the legs, with both legs together. She places both feet together and slightly bends the knees. Then you straighten and bend both legs together at the same time very quickly and very tightly. It's not a big movment, it's a very small back and forth movement of the legs. Heels are kept firmly on the floor, they don't bounce. She stresses that in order to keep the "shiver" at the hips and abdominal area, it's important to contract the glutes at the same time. If the glutes aren't contracted, the movement will travel upwards to the head and then everything shakes including your hair.
The other way I do it is a tiny side to side movement of the hips (as opposed to up and down). This is how Suha Azar teaches it, though she doesn't call it a freeze shimmy. It can be kept very small, or it can be made as large as you want, and it's entirely thigh driven.
You can also shift your weight on both of these shimmies and do them on one leg at a time (on the weighted leg)...or on both legs.

Regards
Priscilla

Rita,
I thought you had a teacher in AZ? Who is it?

Why?I can still learn from books and other things and still have a teacher cant I.
Why would you want to know that private information for?There are alot of places you can go to.Whos your teacher?

Rita, when people here ask who your teacher is, they dont mean it as an attack! or as getting personal info from you. it's just out of interest, to see if they know her, what style she does, or what dancing community you are in. it's to get to know you.

most people on here wouldnt mine telling others who their teachers are, they often say so when they introduce themselves, it's not considered secret information ;-). we all share information about workshops we go to, events we go to, etc as well.

anyway, good luck with your studies and practicing!

Artemisia

To.artemisia_danst
Oh,ok.
Good luck.

rita: it also gives us a point of reference. Most people have dance 'families' which they belong to. This helps those of us who have been around for a while understand not only who you are studying with, but also where you are coming from, what type of back ground you have. There is a lot of difference between the way Turkish shimmies are done and Egyptian shimmies are done/ there is also a difference in how the two are taught and driven. Our knowing who your teacher is will give us a great deal of information about style, etc.

{{{HUGS}}}

Freeze shimmies are good with ice cream.

Souzan

To come at this from a different direction... (whole different set of muscles, as muscles are what we are targeting to achieve this movement/shimmy) envision this (aka put yourself in this mindset... or physicality):

You are trying to open a jar. The lid won't budge. So you grab hold of it and "torque" with all your might to open it. What happens (especially when it won't budge)? Your arm muscles start to spasm from the effort and they shake like nobody's business. *This* is the concept of the "freeze". Most of us can make our arm muscles do this with just a little focus. Now, try to translate that muscular concept into a nice large muscle mass (like your thigh). ..g.:

I actually use it (the freeze shimmy) and teach it as well..but I was confused when another dancer...English was not her first language...stated that she contracted her muscles to the point of shaking. She didnt mention the release, so I was trying to clarify in my mind if this continous clenching was providing the movement as the muscles became exhausted...kind of like you were deliberatly invoking that odd involuntary twitching you can get after a good run. I'll tell you the reason that interests me. I once took a long workshop with Karen Barbie (sp?) from Texas...I swear, I saw just that type of shimmy on her abdomen just before she would begin any movement. I was in the front of the class..and when I saw it, my mouth droped open. She told me to close my mouth...she did that in a light hearted sort of way...and when I began to talk excitedly and point at the region of her body that did this quiver she quickly changed the subject. It has haunted me ever since...

Originally Posted by zamora

i teach this move as a full body freeze during a cleo leg roll on the floor.i roll over to my head and heels, body bowed.i use my right leg on top of crossed ankles, ..hole over from ballet.tense the top leg, till it quivers,
if any of you were a ballet dancer, it comes from barrr work, tensing the top leg on point to quiver.....it's been awhile, can not remember the proper names ...

I have a feeling there's footage of you doing that on YouTube.