Thread: Helping students relax into their shimmies

I have a whole crop of students at the moment who are inclined toward tight, rigid shimmies.

I'm working with them as much as I can to slow them down & help them relax. We've tried Hadia's seated-on-the-floor legwork, Nourhan's one-legged shimmies. I've tried counting the shimmies out, starting super slow and then double-timing. I've tried mental images ("try to make your inner thighs flap in the breeze!") and imagery (letting weight & energy drop into the legs, hips are hanging from a hook, etc.)

None of the stuff that usually works is working! I think it's partially a group dynamic... so many of them are tense that they're sort of feeding off each other's energy? Usually I have one or two students who struggle with this, but right now it's a roomful!

I need more ideas. How do you teach students to relax and slow down? Or how did your teacher do it?

Have you tried the seated-on-the-floor legwork for a good long time, at least 5 min., followed by 5 more min. standing and shimmying?

Originally Posted by dunyah

Have you tried the seated-on-the-floor legwork for a good long time, at least 5 min., followed by 5 more min. standing and shimmying?

Would only work if you are doing leg based shimmies which I've always felt are not as relaxed any way.

Try making them laugh. It's hard to be tense when you're laughing, especially if you tend to carry tension in your jaw. I used to use this song when practicing shimmies (it was in an advert at the time so everyone knew it) and it never failed to crack everyone up and they did relax more.

Originally Posted by kashmir

Would only work if you are doing leg based shimmies which I've always felt are not as relaxed any way.

Could you describe how to generate your non-leg-based shimmies? I'm curious.

Try letting them pick their heels off the floor, like they're running in place. In fact, don't tell them it is a shimmy drill, tell them you want them to run in place with only the balls of the feet staying on the floor. Let them pump their arms as they would in running. Tell them not to worry if their upper body bounces around.

Assuming this gets at least some of them using big loose leg movements, ask them to control the bounce and stop the arm movement while still running in place.

When they are all doing that, tell them they are doing an Egyptian shimmy. Eventually, of course, they'll want to get their heels back down on the floor, but I've found that this method works pretty well to break people out of their tight shimmy-thats-really-a-vibration concepts.

Originally Posted by dunyah

Have you tried the seated-on-the-floor legwork for a good long time, at least 5 min., followed by 5 more min. standing and shimmying?

Great minds think alike, Dunyah.. this is *exactly* what I did with them in class last night!

I teach both the Egyptian (leg based) shimmy and more torso-involved piston shimmy. In both cases, they just grit their teeth, tense up, and gooooo for all they're worth. LOL

It's the leg-based shimmy I really want them to master at this point though, because we're working on layering moves that work best with that shimmy.

Maybe instead of finding music that drives hard and fast, it might help to go the other direction with something slow and loping. It's pretty hard to tense up when you're listening to Bob Marley. (LOL, don't judge me. It's not my fault the local "World Music" selection didn't have anything but reggae in it when I was a beginner looking for music...and actually, I found it really useful for learning a walking shimmy because it has such a strong up-and-down bounce to it.)

Sometimes Khaleeji music has a similar feel to it, and it shouldn't be too hard to find something that's a comfortable tempo. You might want to look through your collection and see if there's anything that would work in that genre, especially if you own any Miami records, since they lean toward danceability. There are some slower non-Khaleeji pop songs that might work, too--something like "Halo min hali" by Hisham Abbas or even the rap song "Facebooky" by Ahmed Mekky. Do you own the CD "Allem Alby" by Amro Diab? He's got a couple of Western-flavored slow jams on that record that would be easy for a student to latch onto.

Originally Posted by Lauren_

Great minds think alike, Dunyah.. this is *exactly* what I did with them in class last night!

I teach both the Egyptian (leg based) shimmy and more torso-involved piston shimmy. In both cases, they just grit their teeth, tense up, and gooooo for all they're worth. LOL

It's the leg-based shimmy I really want them to master at this point though, because we're working on layering moves that work best with that shimmy.

I took a shimmy layering workshop with Sedona (wonderful dancer!) and she had us do the sitting on the floor leg shimmy exercise for even longer, like 10-15 min., then stand up and do it with layering for the same amount of time. I don't know if longer would help your students, but it has sure helped my shimmy layering. She said the secret is to be both strong and relaxed. Maybe they just aren't strong enough?

Originally Posted by Tourbeau

Maybe instead of finding music that drives hard and fast, it might help to go the other direction with something slow and loping.

Or maybe a kanoun taqsim?

Originally Posted by dunyah

I took a shimmy layering workshop with Sedona (wonderful dancer!) and she had us do the sitting on the floor leg shimmy exercise for even longer, like 10-15 min., then stand up and do it with layering for the same amount of time.

I like this exercise; my only problem is that the hip flexors are much more strongly engaged than in a standing shimmy. In fact, when I do the sitting leg shimmy exercise, my hip flexors start to really cramp up after a couple of minutes. Is there some trick to keeping them relaxed? Because of this issue, I generally only have students do this exercise about a minute at a time. I do however, tell them to do it every day.

She said the secret is to be both strong and relaxed. Maybe they just aren't strong enough?

Totally agree with this! And if they lack strength, there is not much to do except stress the importance of developing strength, because class drills 1x per week are not ever going to build significant strength.

I sometimes have students adopt a wider stance than normal for a bit so they can feel that exaggerated looseness; also I sometimes do some very simple arm patterns as we shimmy which serves as a distraction and sneakily loosens up the lower half.

Originally Posted by ssipes

I like this exercise; my only problem is that the hip flexors are much more strongly engaged than in a standing shimmy. In fact, when I do the sitting leg shimmy exercise, my hip flexors start to really cramp up after a couple of minutes. Is there some trick to keeping them relaxed?

Leaning back onto the hands rather than sitting upright helps a lot, but you're right they're more engaged. I also alternate with lying on our bellies and kicking our feet as if we're swimming with swim fins on (straight knees, protect the lower back by holding the pelvis neutral and not raising the head up high). This way we get to work the upper hamstrings a bit, too, and release the hip flexors.

Totally agree with this! And if they lack strength, there is not much to do except stress the importance of developing strength, because class drills 1x per week are not ever going to build significant strength.

Agreed!

Originally Posted by CFerhat

I sometimes have students adopt a wider stance than normal for a bit so they can feel that exaggerated looseness; also I sometimes do some very simple arm patterns as we shimmy which serves as a distraction and sneakily loosens up the lower half.

Oh, this might really help them get wobbly, I'll try it next week!

LOL how funny. apparently I started a rather similar thread around this same time 5 years ago. It's showing up on 'related threads' Guess I'll read that again too and see if I missed anything the first time around!

Helping students relaaaaax into the movements

Originally Posted by dunyah

Could you describe how to generate your non-leg-based shimmies? I'm curious.

It's a speeded-up hip rock contracting lateral flexors - obliques and quadratus lumborum. Yes, the knees bend - they have to - but the drivers - are in the waist. Personally, learning pre-breakdown - it was my default movement. Makes layering walking a breeze

What really helped me a lot when I was struggling to get a relaxed and loose shimmy was the realization that it's approximately the same movement you use to get a pair of well fitted jeans on. It was that lightbulb moment where I realized the extent to which my thighs were powering the motion (or the momentum of my thighs, rather). After that, I practiced a swing-y "down" emphasized hip movement with very bent knees, that eventually translated into a much more relaxed big shimmy.

Originally Posted by kashmir

It's a speeded-up hip rock contracting lateral flexors - obliques and quadratus lumborum. Yes, the knees bend - they have to - but the drivers - are in the waist. Personally, learning pre-breakdown - it was my default movement. Makes layering walking a breeze

Interesting. I tried googling for images of those muscles, but didn't find anything with exactly those names, but I get that you are saying the waist. In all my 30+ years of belly dancing, no one has ever taught me to shimmy that way. I don't know the term "hip rock" either. You learn new things every day on this forum!

Originally Posted by dunyah

Interesting. I tried googling for images of those muscles, but didn't find anything with exactly those names, but I get that you are saying the waist. In all my 30+ years of belly dancing, no one has ever taught me to shimmy that way. I don't know the term "hip rock" either. You learn new things every day on this forum!

The QL goes from the posterior iliac crest to rib 12 & transverse processes of L1-L5. I guess not everything is online.

I'm curious, what do you call the movement where the hip rocks on the sacrum vertically only with no sideways movement? (I have heard the term "bump" but this usually has a sideways component)

Originally Posted by kashmir

The QL goes from the posterior iliac crest to rib 12 & transverse processes of L1-L5. I guess not everything is online.

I'm curious, what do you call the movement where the hip rocks on the sacrum vertically only with no sideways movement? (I have heard the term "bump" but this usually has a sideways component)

Not sure, maybe what we call piston hips, the hips move up and down. Maybe we should start a new thread, are we hijacking?I'm interested in what you are saying, but I don't know all the names of the muscles and joints like you do.

Originally Posted by dunyah

Not sure, maybe what we call piston hips, the hips move up and down. Maybe we should start a new thread, are we hijacking?I'm interested in what you are saying, but I don't know all the names of the muscles and joints like you do.

Yes, she's talking about what we would call 'piston hips' and the shimmy she's talking about is what we'd usually call the piston shimmy, or Turkish shimmy, in the US.

Though back when I started it was just called a 'shimmy' LOL the Egyptian one came later, with Raqia Hassan, I think.

Have you tried having them bend over (like toe touches), relaxing the upper body so it just hangs, THEN having them shimmy? It's a little silly (and will make them feel that way a bit), but for some it can really help them relax into the shimmy.

Originally Posted by TediThomas

Have you tried having them bend over (like toe touches), relaxing the upper body so it just hangs, THEN having them shimmy? It's a little silly (and will make them feel that way a bit), but for some it can really help them relax into the shimmy.

Please do not do this. Think about what is happening - all the upper body weight is hanging off one (very important) joint. Just "hanging over" can damage discs and tear ligaments - shimmying on top of this is adding insult to injury. (For the record, flopping over, toe touching etc has been on the no-no list for over a decade)

We've definitely folded at the hip crease and shimmied. (don't worry, Kashmir, we didn't hang, just bent). Both very slowly (this is where it's easiest to catch them trying to lock their knees!) and at medium tempo.

Originally Posted by Lauren_

Yes, she's talking about what we would call 'piston hips' and the shimmy she's talking about is what we'd usually call the piston shimmy, or Turkish shimmy, in the US.

Well, some of you would. :) To my teachers in the mid-Atlantic it was the hip shimmy, the bent-leg shimmy, the Lebanese shimmy, or occasionally the wubba-wubba.

(And until just now I thought "piston hips" were Soheir Zaki hips aka down hips aka chonks. Live and learn.)

Originally Posted by Lauren_

Though back when I started it was just called a 'shimmy' LOL the Egyptian one came later, with Raqia Hassan, I think.

Yes! I can say with absolute certainty that Jillina brought that one to DC in 2003.

Originally Posted by dunyah

Interesting. I tried googling for images of those muscles, but didn't find anything with exactly those names, but I get that you are saying the waist. In all my 30+ years of belly dancing, no one has ever taught me to shimmy that way. I don't know the term "hip rock" either. You learn new things every day on this forum!

I call this one the "hip rock" or "tick tock" shimmy, too.

I teach 3 basic shimmies: this one (the hip rock), the swivel (twisting), and the leg-driven "Egyptian." I don't teach them all in the same session; generally, I teach one type in a session, then "preview" another one at the last class as an intro to the next session.

Deborah

Originally Posted by Suzana

Well, some of you would. :) To my teachers in the mid-Atlantic it was the hip shimmy, the bent-leg shimmy, the Lebanese shimmy, or occasionally the wubba-wubba.

By 'we' I meant 'people who use the term 'piston hips.' I would never presume to speak for all American dancers when it comes to BD terminology... but I figured if she calls Kashmir's 'hip rock' by the name 'piston hips' then 'piston shimmy' wasn't a long shot.

In my experience it's caused by lack of leg strength. If you are open to doing some ballet exercises (please no one hate me for bringing ballet into this conversation), I find that doing 100 quick plies instantly does the trick for my students. I know it's unconventional, but it really does help.

I somehow imagine that doing 100 quick plies would not make my legs instantly stronger, thought it might make them a great deal more *tired*, but that's just me.

Especially if they were 100 quick grands plies. In fourth.

I've actually found that getting the students going with a very slow shimmy that gets sped up over the course of a few minutes in conjunction with the 6 arm positions takes the students' focus away from the shimmy and gets them focusing on the arm positions (and what I'm saying, mostly silly things) instead of their lower body, which then relaxes their shimmy! If I can get them doing it without thinking about it, they unknowingly relax and begin improving.