Figure 8

DancerAU

New member
Hello.
I am a beginner to belly dancing. In tonight's lesson we were shown what looks to me, a very tricky form of the figure 8. I can do inward and outward but there's one that's like vertical? Can't remember the name my teacher used but the steps went something like start with drop the knee down, crunch out, lift the hip then come back to neutral then down the otherside, trying to keep feet flat but can move them.

Anyone know what I am trying to explain? I am having difficulty with the crunch and lifting up the hip, i feel as though I've run out of muscle to move. If anyone has any cheat ideas to help me master this move I would really appreciate it.
thank you
 

gwinity

New member
Are these Mayas? My teacher teaches them as follows:

Feet straight, knees bent, pelvis tucked under. Push R hip out to the side, roll it up,straightening R leg & dropping L hip at the same time. Repeat on L side. (The reverse ones I was taught: start in same position, lift R hip, roll out and over, bending R knee to drop hip/straightening L leg to lift L hip. I find these up-and-over ones harder.) Imagine your body is squished between two panes of glass, and you can't twist or stick your bum out. Your body will move, but as you practice, try and keep your upper half as steady as possible.

You'll feel it in the mucles around your hip joints (we did drills in it on Monday, and it still hurts!), and depending on how tight your leg muscles are, you may feel it in your knees and the outside of your ankles, too.

I'm not describing it very well... maybe one of the more experienced dancers/teachers can help more.:redface:
 

Zumarrad

Active member
My first thought was "upwards vertical 8" apart from this crunching business. If by crunch you mean squeezing up into your side so that it forms little rolls, then that sounds like a variation on the maia, that I have seen tribal dancers do. You do a drop on one side, then pull the hip up and over? It sort of looks like you're at the centre of an m.

OR if it is an upwards vertical 8, then what you describe as "crunch" is a slide out, followed by pulling the hip up and inwards.

A lot of this is down to practice and getting the strength and flexibility in your obliques. It will come in time.
 

Aniseteph

New member
It sounds like an upwards vertical 8 to me - I was taught R hip down, out, up, in, then L hip the same. So when the hip is pushed away from the centre it is moving up. The mayas/maias (?spelling) I've been taught go the other way - hip up and out and down and in, so at the furthest from the centre the hip is moving down.

If you are trying to do either with flat feet remember to really bend your knees - if they are straight it is impossible to raise the hip without lifting the heel off the floor. I learnt with heels coming off the floor when the hip is up, which is easier but I think some teachers say it's WRONG :shok: (cheating? ;) ). It might be because there's a tendency to use the leg muscles to push the hips when the move should be coming from abdominal muscles... but I may be wrong. With flat feet you really do use those muscles and it's hard work (very toning for the waist though!). And like Zumarrad said, the strength and flexibility comes with practice.
 

Mariesaffron

New member
Figure 8

Gwinity, in your answer you said the movement start by pushing the R hip out to the side etc, the more apropiate answer will be ( and I second Aniseteph) R hip down, out, up and in. Marie
 

gwinity

New member
Gwinity, in your answer you said the movement start by pushing the R hip out to the side etc, the more apropiate answer will be ( and I second Aniseteph) R hip down, out, up and in. Marie

Whoops, you are perfectly correct, Marie! I originally typed it like that, too, and can't remember why I changed it. :redface: I'll leave it to the more experienced people who know what theyr'e talking about to offer advice...
 

DancerAU

New member
Wow! How easy is that..........just kidding.

But putting it in writing like that makes it so much easier to learn. I stuck your instructions in front of me. I think I am doing it, with my hands on my hips but can't keep the momentum when I take my hands off my hips.

Thank you so much for all your wonderful replies. It is great to be able to see it in writing to know where our hips have got to go.
Cheers
 

Q-Tip

New member
Sorry for bumping an old post but I'm having trouble with the vertical figure 8's.

When I do a horizontal figure 8 from side to side I can see it in my head so my body can do it.

With the vertical figure 8 I can't seem to visualize it and thus am having problems doing it. (On Ariellah's video she does a vertical figure 8)
 

Mara2

New member
Sorry for bumping an old post but I'm having trouble with the vertical figure 8's.

When I do a horizontal figure 8 from side to side I can see it in my head so my body can do it.

With the vertical figure 8 I can't seem to visualize it and thus am having problems doing it. (On Ariellah's video she does a vertical figure 8)

I teach my students these by having them imagine they are riding a bike uphill, pretending they are standing up on the pedals pushing them hard, swaying side to side. You can lean forward when you're learning them to help you get the movement. That seems to work for most on the forward vertical 8's. Reverse vertical 8's are easier for most for some reason. Hope this helps.
 

Q-Tip

New member
I teach my students these by having them imagine they are riding a bike uphill, pretending they are standing up on the pedals pushing them hard, swaying side to side. You can lean forward when you're learning them to help you get the movement. That seems to work for most on the forward vertical 8's. Reverse vertical 8's are easier for most for some reason. Hope this helps.
Thank you very much.
 
Top