Thread: Can someone help me with a dance move?

Originally Posted by Bahtya

Oooh I still can't get it to be smooth. I just know I am not transfering weight the right way. Norma I am watching your clip over and over and I feel like I am doing it, but I am thrusting the pelvis and rib cage out way to far as I try to sweep the leg back. it looks ridiculous!

Mmm. It's not really a thrust, and your rib cage has nothing to do with it. It has more to do with pivoting the feet.

Start facing front, drop the left hip to the front and back a few times, when you are ready to take the left leg back, the left leg comes back behind the right foot, the right foot pivots toward the left and your lower body should be facing somewhat left with the right hip in front. When you switch and do your right leg, your left foot now pivots to the right and your lower body is facing to the right.

It's what I meant by a diagonal. You are moving straight back, your upper torso is facing the front ( more or less) but your lower body alternates left and right. The weight change must happen at the exact same time. When you swing the leg back the other foot should pivot.

Originally Posted by norma

Mmm. It's not really a thrust, and your rib cage has nothing to do with it. It has more to do with pivoting the feet.

Start facing front, drop the left hip to the front and back a few times, when you are ready to take the left leg back, the left leg comes back behind the right foot,

As you are taking the left leg back are you lifting in the left hip so the leg can sort of come around and under you?

the right foot pivots toward the left and your lower body should be facing somewhat left with the right hip in front. When you switch and do your right leg, your left foot now pivots to the right and your lower body is facing to the right.

But is it a pivot or a leg sweep? I think I may be trying to make the sweeping leg too big and it can't get behing the weighted leg on time. It appears from these clips that the non weighted leg is sort of sweeping around to the back. (in the slower music clips like the Ameilia clip I posted)

It's what I meant by a diagonal. You are moving straight back, your upper torso is facing the front ( more or less) but your lower body alternates left and right. The weight change must happen at the exact same time. When you swing the leg back the other foot should pivot

I get this part, and can keep my torso facing front while turning my hips diagonally. It's when I try to swing the left leg back that it just looks like I'm lifting that hip to get the leg under and then how do I switch weight smoothly so I am ready with a lifted hip on the right side?

Sorry I am being so dense....

What happens if you keep the drops centered (just plain hip drops, not hitting front and back), and stretch the process out over six counts? Eventually, 4-6 will condense to one count, but does this help with the transitions?

Starting weight on L, facing L diagonal...
1 drop R
2 prep for next drop
3 drop R
4-5 start moving the R leg back and let your upper body turn as the leg comes around, come up on the L ball a little as you're turning so you can pivot without hurting your knee
6 shift weight R (now facing R diagonal)

1 drop L
2 prep for next drop
3 drop L
4-5 start moving the L leg back and let your upper body turn as the leg comes around, come up on the R ball a little as you're turning so you can pivot without hurting your knee
6 shift weight L (now facing L diagonal)

Maybe someone already suggested this but a few minutes with a live teacher would probably clear it up.

Originally Posted by dunyah

Maybe someone already suggested this but a few minutes with a live teacher would probably clear it up.

Of course ! But the responses here are quite helpful. I emailed my teacher today in fact. I have class tonight and I am for sure going to ask then!

Yeah, she's doing a more subtle version of the step as she's dancing to slower music and adding an undulation. But darn! I wrote a long post last night but apparantly it didn't post.

In a nutshell.
When you swing your leg back, let's say the left leg, the right foot should pivot at the same time. In the video above, she isn't swinging the leg all the way to the back like I am in mine, instead it's more of a semi-circle or heart as someone mentioned above. But still that left leg should end up behind the right foot and the right foot should pivot to the left. The upper body will still be facing front but the lower body will be facing in the direction of the right foot. That's what I meant by diagonal. Not only his the hip going forward and back but the lower body switches facing front to slightly right. Your torso should remain facing forward at all times, unless you really wanted to exaggerate the move and be dramatic which is always an option.

If you had someone take a video of you and sent me an email, I might be able to diagnose where you are having difficulty.

I don't know how to even upload from the vid camera to the computer

It's the pivot that is confusing me. You mean pivot the standing foot so I'm up on the ball and the heel sort of pivots to the side? Like if I am sweeping my L leg around behind the right (weighted) leg then as soon as the L leg gets into position behind the right heel I pivot the right heel sort of to the Left diagonal?

Originally Posted by Bahtya

I don't know how to even upload from the vid camera to the computer

It's the pivot that is confusing me. You mean pivot the standing foot so I'm up on the ball and the heel sort of pivots to the side? Like if I am sweeping my L leg around behind the right (weighted) leg then as soon as the L leg gets into position behind the right heel I pivot the right heel sort of to the Left diagonal?

Yep!

Okay,

*runs off to practice it*

It's a sophisticated move that does take some time to transition from stilted to fluid. So don't beat yourself up about it until you have done it 10,000 times