More control over shimmies

[Rebecca_]

Hey ladies and gents,
I just thought I would share this tip with all of you. At a recent bellydance event here, I heard that Amar Gamal and Virginia dedicate at least 5 minutes a day to just shimmying. Not layering or anything, just standing there and shimmying.
I thought this was interesting, but I'd have a hard time remembering to do this for 5 minutes a day because my schedule is so random. So instead, I shimmy while in the shower.
I've been doing this for quite some time now, and I've noticed that I can layer a shimmy over anything much more readily, and I have a lot more control over my shimmies. I've also noticed mentally that I can think a lot less about shimmying and more about other aspects of the dance. Keep dancing everyone!

 

[Yasmine Bint Al Nubia]

Shimmy Practice

Hi Rebecca, your post was an excellent reminder on how consistent practice can make one a better dancer. Shimmying for 5 minutes actually takes alot of muscle strength and endurance and the byproduct is greater muscle or kinetic memory. Too many people want to learn everything so fast that they forget the major ingredient of practicing the art. Thanks for your tip!
Yasmine

 

[Mouse]

shower shimmies - I like it! I normally mentally run through routines while in the shower, but shower shimmies sounds like fun

 

[Moon]

Good idea Rebecca! I doubt if I even could shimmy for 5 minutes, lol.

 

[Safran]

Hey! It is a good idea indeed... I don't shimmy in the shower because that is usually the first thing in my mornings and at that time it is hard to execute even the necessary movements. But I do shimmy when I get out and start brushing my teeth. And when I do the dishes. And when I wait either the traffic lights to go green or for the bus. And it really does help a lot :dance:

As it is rather wintery here now, I also practice contracting stomach muscles while sitting on the bus to work - underneath all the layers of clothes I am wearing, it is not visible at all

 

[starrbursts]

I just shimmy....whenever. It's hard though because my muscles don't have that much control....my mom kicks butt at it though. I really don't get why when she only tried three times and she got it and i have been trying for a few weeks and I'm still not "getting" it. Eek. Not fair.

 

[Rebecca_]

Responding to everyone at once...

Yasmine - you bring up a good point. Maybe a lot of us dancers are too focused on being able to do something technically astounding once, but not so much on actual skill. I also found after doing this I can shimmy much more efficiently - as in I don't get nearly as out of breath, because I know exactly what muscles I can use.

Mouse - what about mentally running through routines *while* shimmying? Now there's an adventure. Just don't try to shave at the same time... disasters may result.

Moon - if you work at it, I promise you could. Start by just shimmying when you have shampoo in your hair, and then progress until you can do the full 5 minutes! I believe in you!

Maariku - I completely understand. I can barely form coherent sentences when I first get up in the morning, I'm a teenager still! (Although I am quickly running out of teenager time) All I can do when I get out of bed is pop my contacts in and stagger to class....Oh, and yay for practicing at strange times (on the bus, while doing dishes...) Ever find your in the middle of a conversation with someone and your hips have decided that it's time to start practicing bellydance without you telling them to?

Starrbursts - keep up the practice! And talk to your instructor and make sure you are using the right muscles to try to shimmy... that could be the problem.

 

[Shanazel]

Hmmm, I generally shimmy when I get out of the shower and discover one of my kids has stolen my towel. Gotta dry off somehow. I learned the techinique from Kelda, a golden retriever I used to have, who shimmied every time she got out of the river...

 

[Rebecca_]

Hmmm, I generally shimmy when I get out of the shower and discover one of my kids has stolen my towel. Gotta dry off somehow. I learned the techinique from Kelda, a golden retriever I used to have, who shimmied every time she got out of the river...

Shanazel, you seem to have hip upon one of the many different uses of the shimmy. Drying off.... I've never thought of that one before =)

 

[Aniseteph]

But I do shimmy when I get out and start brushing my teeth.....
As it is rather wintery here now, I also practice contracting stomach muscles while sitting on the bus to work - underneath all the layers of clothes I am wearing, it is not visible at all

I'm a toothbrushing shimmier too! And camels at the bus stop - very small ones . Difficult to do Egyptian walk without looking like a total nutter though.

Hee hee just think of all those bellydancers around the world all secretly practising as we go about our daily routines!

 

[Queenie]

Shimmies at the bus stop, belly rolls while on the bus, left-hand-ripples while brushing teeth and chest circles while on the phone
I'm going to try the 5 minute non-stop shimmying tip though, I still feel I could use a lot more control.

 

[Loubna]

when i in the kitchen, i do the hipdrops and the chimmy's.
Behind mine desk at work i try the bellyroll.
and in the shower i do also the chimmy's
In mine livingroom i do egyptain or the moroccon walk

I am new here and mine english is not very well, bud i am trying....because i love to talk about bellydance

mutch love

 

[Moon]

Hi Loubna, what is Moroccan walk?

 

[Rebecca_]

Well if we're all going to be confessing when we randomly practice dance... I shimmy walk on my toes or egyptian walk when walking most everywhere in my room or in my suite, mayas and drop kicks while on the phone, chest isolations while sitting down at desk working, really really little chest isolations when sitting in class, hip circles while washing dishes, whatever I feel like when room cleaning, and of course, shimmies in the shower It really does make boring things a lot more pleasant! I think my room is cleaner now that I dance while I clean

 

[Mouse]

I shoulder shimmy in the car at the traffic lights (a tip from my teacher), egyptian walk up and down the hallway, practice isolating stomach muscles just before going to sleep in bed :lol: I also do other things randomly

 

[miss_shimmy]

hi

 

[Yasmine Bint Al Nubia]

I am new here and mine english is not very well, bud i am trying....because i love to talk about bellydance

mutch love

Hi Loubna, Well your English is much better than my Dutch!

Hey guys I keep seeing the term Egyptian Walk, what is it? Can someone describe it? I think I know what it is,but by another name.
Yasmine

 

[starrbursts]

im on the same page with ya, Yasmine, what's an egyptian walk?

 

[Mouse]

The egyptian walk (the way I've been taught anyway) is a hip down walk where you lower the hip as as you step forward. You can then layer a shimmy over the top of the walk. I was told once by a teacher (not mine) that there are many walks/variations that have been taught as the egyptian walk so what I've learnt may not be what everyone else knows.

 

[gwinity]

The Egyptian Walk I was taught is this one: [Basic Egyptian or Step-Touch].

I randomly practice anywhere and everywhere I can: belly and shoulder rolls whenver seated (at my desk, on the train), shimmies, mayas and fig-8's whenever standing (on the train, washing dishes), shimmy walks around the campus, trying to layer and dance while waiting on the train platform!