Thread: POWER!

I was just watching Asmahan on the Youtube and great googly moogly has she got power. Not to mention some serious glutes.

So how do you (general or personally) access that power? Is it something you learn over time or have already?

I want the power!

I think it's a combination of building up muscle strength and just learning how to use those muscles effectively in dance. I feel that strength training has helped my dance a lot, so I really think it would help other dancers build power. Particularly, I've fallen in love with kettlebell workouts. The basic swing builds a lot of strength in my hips and legs. It's all in the hip snap..here's a tutorial to give an idea:

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0jalJ-3e7U]YouTube - Kettlebell Swing[/ame]

Of course, there are other ways to build up strength, but this has worked for me. When I started, I didn't even think it would help my dance. But when I watched a recent video I noticed a lot more strength/power in my hip moves!

Another thing I've noticed is when I align my body properly, I can get more force behind a move. Depending on where I put the majority of my body weight or where my leg is, I get a more/less sharp movement. So, playing around with those things might help too.

I think it depends on your manner of dance for example if youre more soft dancer from the begining, if this softness comes from inside and is in your every dance then it will be hard for you to change this manner, yes you can learn you can try but it won't look so good on you as YOUR soft manner because its you and nobody else. Some dancers are strong some are soft but they dont copy each other because they know that nothing is better than their own manner because its "theirs"

Originally Posted by jamielynn

I want the power!

Oh, that's easy!

Here you go:
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_BRv9wGf5pk&feature=PlayList&p=F94845787F4 82387&playnext_from=PL&playnext=1&index=7"]YouTube- Snap.-.I've Got The power[/ame]

I just opened a videoclip thread about Randa. I was 100% sure she'd have a killer workout to be so strong and to have these strong impulses from her moves. Then I found a vid with an interview where she says: only dancing! .w.:

Now, how can this be!?

I guess it's one's character. It has got to do with the way you are so that's how you dance. But you can learn also to put in more energy into your dancing, to make moves bigger and bolder and your strength increases with training, but then somebody has to watch you and tell you: MORE!

Its a combo of working out all the time and doing several shows almost every night. That feeling of power wont come across unless you really do have a strong body. Its not easy to get to that level, and thats why so few dancers look like that.

I work out almost every day right now and since ive been doing that ive found that the power in my legs is a lot better and my overall endurance is great!

I would suggest working out with a focus on cardio and legs.

Originally Posted by Nailah_Christina

I think it depends on your manner of dance for example if youre more soft dancer from the begining, if this softness comes from inside and is in your every dance then it will be hard for you to change this manner, yes you can learn you can try but it won't look so good on you as YOUR soft manner because its you and nobody else. Some dancers are strong some are soft but they dont copy each other because they know that nothing is better than their own manner because its "theirs"

I think there is definitely an element of stylistic choice to having power in your dance. Once you get beyond the simple muscular strength to execute the movements and the cardiovascular conditioning to perform, it is a matter of preference for how much energy you put into your movements. There are audiences who look at Randa and are appalled by how strong and masculine she is, as opposed to someone like Suheir Zaki, who was also technically an outstanding dancer and clearly had the strength to dance for hours on end, but who always had a delicacy and softness to her movements. Power comes from both having an understanding of how to actuate movements and possessing the muscular development to make the moves really pop. Working out will help you achieve that, but it isn't a requirement for the dance. You can do well-executed and traditional hip articulations without looking like you can crack walnuts between your thighs--it's a matter of what effect you want to create on stage.

You mean star power? If so, Amaya has a DVD called just that.

Originally Posted by Nouria

I just opened a videoclip thread about Randa. I was 100% sure she'd have a killer workout to be so strong and to have these strong impulses from her moves. Then I found a vid with an interview where she says: only dancing! .w.:

Now, how can this be!?

I guess it's one's character. It has got to do with the way you are so that's how you dance. But you can learn also to put in more energy into your dancing, to make moves bigger and bolder and your strength increases with training, but then somebody has to watch you and tell you: MORE!

Randa has classical ballet training and started performing in a national folklore troupe as a teen.. so that must have been intensive muscle building at an early age ..l;, oftentimes people who keep dancing all their lives are able to retain the muscle tonus just by these movements. Or maybe warming up/dancer's strengthening exercises are subsumed by her under "dance training" if she's been socialized in such a professional dancer environment?

Mirah Ammal-perfect. I just need those red shoes and poof-POWER!

"Power comes from both having an understanding of how to actuate movements and possessing the muscular development to make the moves really pop." Tourbeau

YES! I think a combination of strength and control is the main issue. To have the underlying technique combined with the attention to control the moves is what I want to focus on.

Originally Posted by Nouria

I just opened a videoclip thread about Randa. I was 100% sure she'd have a killer workout to be so strong and to have these strong impulses from her moves. Then I found a vid with an interview where she says: only dancing! .w.:

Now, how can this be!?

I guess it's one's character. It has got to do with the way you are so that's how you dance. But you can learn also to put in more energy into your dancing, to make moves bigger and bolder and your strength increases with training, but then somebody has to watch you and tell you: MORE!

Randa said she practised every day. many hours. she practised even when her feet hurt. she performed even when her feet were bleeding. she said you must work hard. you must practise. she was so intense. love her to bits.

So, are you guys in favor of the same muscularity we see in the Eastern Europen dancers as well? if not...what would you say the difference is. Why this one, and not that one? Discuss...

Not every "strong" dancer is strong in the same way. Some are "emphatic" in their movements. Some are "aggressive," "uncontrolled," or "wild." I think Fifi Abdo can be more "masculine" than most Egyptian dancers. Dina has a strength to her movements that is almost "confrontational." I like the softer, squishy classical Egyptian style, so I don't tend to enjoy a lot of Eastern European dancers. I don't want to name names, but I can think of one EE dancer who attacks her routines like she's got roid rage. Different strokes for different folks, though. Not everyone defines beauty the same way.