Shimmies...ARGH!

[His_Einna]

Okay, so I've been dancing on and off for a while now, and have been dancing pretty much solid for about 6 months, and am getting quite good. But my shimmies just refuse to improve. I don't know what's going wrong, but shoulder shimmies always look obscene with me (big boobs) and hip shimmies just kinda...I dunno. They last about 3 seconds then either stall, or I end up looking like I'm running on the spot, with no isolation whatsoever.

Help!

 

[lizaj]

This all depends how much your off is in comparison to your on.Practise makes perfect especially isolation. If you are really committed to improving your technique you need to be a regular attender with a teacher (of good technique). And back that up with workshops.So if OFF>ON you're in danger of getting nowhere.
It also depends wether you are actually trying to do "shoulder" shimmies as opposed to "breast" shimmies.If you are learning Egyptian style dancer the shoulders do not really come into play.
Oh, and the size of your breasts is of no real concern so stop thinking they are. Khaled has the most fantastic chest shimmies,slender girls can look as impressive as ample. You just have to be careful not to be vulgar in your stance and technique.
If you are not at ease doing chest shimmies, you can always leave them out of your routines.

 

[Jane]

and hip shimmies just kinda...I dunno. They last about 3 seconds then either stall, or I end up looking like I'm running on the spot, with no isolation whatsoever.
Help!

Which type of hip shimmy is giving you trouble?

Have you tried making the hip shimmy very small and keeping your heels on the ground?

 

[His_Einna]

Yeah, I have...they do the same thing. It's almost like my knees are the only things that move if I try doing them that way, and my hips don't really do anything.

 

[Kashmir]

If you want a shoulder shimmy rather than a bust shimmy you need to articulate your shoulders ie with the torso steady right shoulder forward, left shoulder back then left shoulder forward, right shoulder back without twisting your torso. Start very slow. Then get smaller and faster. Make sure you aren't lifting your shoulders up - just forward and back. You need to learn to not use your upper traps (the big muscles joining your neck to your torso) but rather the muscles between your shoulder blades.

Try it riding a motor bike or driving a car.

For hip shimmies it does depend on which ones you do - but all require attention to weight placement on the foot, soft knees and lifted torso. If you are doing the hip up and down one (rather than the hip back and forward one) make sure the hip is moving up - not out. There should be little or no sideways movement because you pull in as you pull up. Thighs and glutes should be relaxed. Again perfect practice slowly - half speed. Then full and finally double.

Good luck.

 

[Kashmir]

If you are learning Egyptian style dancer the shoulders do not really come into play.

Depends on the Egyptian. Many Egyptian orientale styles do use a real shoulder shimmy. Others use a bust shimmy. Folk also tends to be bust.

 

[lizaj]

Depends on the Egyptian. Many Egyptian orientale styles do use a real shoulder shimmy. Others use a bust shimmy. Folk also tends to be bust.

Well that's what I always thought but I was corrected and told bust only at a workshop I attended.

 

[Kashmir]

Well that's what I always thought but I was corrected and told bust only at a workshop I attended.

By an Egyptian dancer or someone who was teaching Egyptian style? Has she ever watched (say) Aida Nour doing Orientale? Or Farida Fahmy?

 

[lizaj]

By an Egyptian dancer or someone who was teaching Egyptian style? Has she ever watched (say) Aida Nour doing Orientale? Or Farida Fahmy?

Quite ,but I think she's working on observations of the dancers on the scene she's currently observing.
We discussed how Turkish dancers like to be unique one-offs, I'm sure many Egyptian dancers think the same...why not do it this way? Why not use the shoulders? Why not just the breasts? I have to say I don't like shoulder shimmies myself except when they are just a brief "in slow motion"..know what I mean. I much prefer isolated breast shimmies but I grant when a mistress of the dance something else...they become attractive . That's the beauty of this dance..someone comes along and does it differently.

 

[Kashmir]

Quite ,but I think she's working on observations of the dancers on the scene she's currently observing.
We discussed how Turkish dancers like to be unique one-offs, I'm sure many Egyptian dancers think the same...why not do it this way? Why not use the shoulders? Why not just the breasts? I have to say I don't like shoulder shimmies myself except when they are just a brief "in slow motion"..know what I mean. I much prefer isolated breast shimmies but I grant when a mistress of the dance something else...they become attractive . That's the beauty of this dance..someone comes along and does it differently.

I've done a lot of classes with Aida - she's never said "do it this way" - rather I have watched how she does it. Got a great view at one time when she was wearing a backless leotardy thing of those shoulder blades pulling the shoulders back and forward

As a E cup I reserve my bust shimmies for channelling Fifi or comedy routines. If I'm dancing orientale it'll be a shoulder shimmy. Fits better.

 

[lizaj]

I've done a lot of classes with Aida - she's never said "do it this way" - rather I have watched how she does it. Got a great view at one time when she was wearing a backless leotardy thing of those shoulder blades pulling the shoulders back and forward

As a E cup I reserve my bust shimmies for channelling Fifi or comedy routines. If I'm dancing orientale it'll be a shoulder shimmy. Fits better.

Yeh maybe the cup-size denotes....