Shimmies?

Brea

New member
Hi all,

I have the worst trouble with shimmies. I can do them standing still just fine, but my former dance partner did these magical 3/4 shimmies and walked with them. I have never quite gotten that for some reason. Undulations, slow stuff, everything else, backbends and floor work...but the shimmies undo me. Any advice?

-Brea
 

Brea

New member
Hi,

Thanks for this! I've learned many of these things, and years ago, but it's like my body is a stubborn little rebel.

-Brea
 
Hi Brea, There are so many kinds of shimmies from your description it seems you're having trouble with travelling shimmies. One shimy you can try is choo-choo shimmy in which you come up to releve and scoot on the balls of you feet. The knees and hips are relaxed so you can allow the vibration to stay in your lower body. Being relaed is the key to all shimmy moves. As for the 3/4 shimmy, it is 3 hip movements within a 4/4 time. The 3 hip moves is divided between each hip and not 3 moves for ONE hip.Try this:
1)With basic posture, keep your knees relaxed.
2)Push right hip out to the side(or push it down for Egyptian version). Your weight should transfer to the right foot.That's move #1
3) Lift the left hip up. That's move #2.
4)Transfer your weight back to the let foot AS you push the left hip out(or downward).Weight should now be on the left foot. That is move #3 Now step forward with the right foot.This is th 4th count of the 3/4 shimmy.
5) Repeat the same move again on the right side.
Try it very slowly to feel the syncopated rhythm of your hips, in fact this move can be done slowly to accent some of the slower moves you like to do as well. I hope that helps.:)
Yasmine
 
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Brea

New member
Hi Yasmine,

Yes, there are other shimmies I can do. The choo choo shimmy, the 'washing machine' shimmy as it is called on that site, the Egyptian shimmy, and the bouncing shimmy. I just get in trouble, I think with the 3/4 one. It's like going back to the beginning days of learning belly dance: 'Stupid body why don't you just DO this?' :D

Thanks for the help!

-Brea
 

Nat242

New member
I'm not sure how helpful this advice is for your particular problem, but the way I got used to traveling with shimmies was to shimmy on the spot and practicing raising myself on my toes and back down again, and transferring my weight from one side to the other, lifting one foot off the ground and continuing to shimmy - these exercises have made shimmying while traveling a bunch easier for me. Not too sure if they'll help with the 3/4 in particular, though!!

Good luck!
 

Mya

New member
3/4 is easiest to learn with a live instructor in my experience, but i think there's a pretty decent explanation of it on the Heartbeat DVD if you know someone who has it. I'm trying to learn the hagallah (is that how it's spelt?) currently.
 

gisela

Super Moderator
Hi Brea,
IMO the vital part of 3/4 shimmies is learning the rhythm/beat of it. Since you seem to be an experienced dancer (way more than me) I can't imagine you have any problems with the actual technique or moving your hips, so it might be a rhythm problem.
I think I was helped a lot by having played the violin for many years as we did this rhythm sometimes. I can't remember it's name in english- its something with tri.....
(Edit: Oh it's "triplet")

Like Yasmin says:"it is 3 hip movements within a 4/4 time"

This is from Wikipedia:

"The most common tuplet is the triplet (G. triole),

Tuplet: a standard triplet; a triplet denoted without a bracket; a tuplet denoted as a ratio
Whereas normally two quarter notes are the same duration as a half note, three triplet quarter notes total that same duration, so the duration of a triplet quarter note is 2/3 the duration of a standard quarter note. Similarly, three triplet eighth notes are equal in duration to one quarter note. If several note values appear under the triplet bracket, they are all affected the same way, reduced to 2/3 their original duration."

I don't understand much of this text but it's probably my english. It might be of help to someone.
Good luck
Gisela
 
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Brea

New member
Hi all,

Thanks for the advice!! It seems to be one of those walk/chew bubblegum problems for me...like my body does not want to go to the side twice at a time and then walk like that? It's very strange, but I am working on it. :)

-Brea
 

Sara

New member
Whats a hagallah? :think:

I think the best way to learn them is just to do the movement described by Yasmina very slowly to begin with and gradually build it up but without moving, then try and move. It is a hard one to get I think n all.
 

milky

New member
I think I can do 3/4 shimmy.But I'm afraid that my 3/4 shimmy doesn't go that smoothly. Beacause I feel that my left leg muscles are much weaker than the right one.(When I do shimmy layering,it seems that only the right leg is shimmying.)I don't know how to strengthen only the left leg muscles?.Anyone can gimme some advice?:think:
 
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charity

New member
ok my shimmy has evolved completely.

i used to use my obliques and thighs because i did not understand the mechanics of a glute shimmy.

i feel like if you take the time to learn your glute shimmy first, walking, and layering is going to come a LOT easier.

i've been working my glute shimmy for a month, and attempted glute floorwork only a few times, i find them very unnecessary except to develop a sort of awareness to the muscle location, how it feels to move it and make it move, etc...

dont even try to walk with it until you have developed good muscle memory. if you are unable to layer, walk, whatever at the slowest pace possible then it is because the movement has not become automatic with your body.

keep drilling, over and over, consistently. visualize layers before doing layers- even while you are doing a stationary shimmy. you might find yourself taking a step and doing it without actually forcing it.

i definitely believe you need to relax more. i think its a key to layering. rather than intense focus, that seems to make it harder for the body to deliver...at least in my own experience.

how long have you been working the shimmy, stationary and layering. how do you practice? which muscles do you use?
 

Latifa

New member
To get the idea of the 3/4 shimmy timing, I experimented with total beginners last session and had them walk this way: step - jiggle - step -jiggle. Of course it's sloppy, and not correct technique, but they can kind of feel the syncopation and then make the move more precise as their skills develop. They really got the concept of this movement.

I'm all for anything that makes this move easier. It took me a looong time to learn to do this (i think because of the way I was taught). Then I just stopped practicing it for a while, and during that rest period, it just appeared one time when I was doing a drum solo to love music. Guess it took awhile to percolate from the brain to the hips. :lol: Glad it did, because it's one of my fave moves!
 

adiemus

New member
I learned from my teacher, but couldn't get it until I'd reviewed and reviewed my DVD - it's the Heartbeat of bellydance one. I love the breakdown that Yasmine has posted - and she's right, start really, really slow then gradually build it up. All of a sudden it will just 'click'! then you'll be shim-shim-shimmying all the way! BTW I also find visualising the move in my head (feeling what it feels like in my imagination) really helps the movement actually become closer to what you want when you do it for real.
 

cassiopeia

New member
3/4 shimmies

There are sooo many versions of the 3/4 shimmy. I have videos of the 3/4 up, 3/4 down, and 3/4 slide on youtube. You can also do the 3/4 washing machine (called something else which I can't think of at the moment). But basically, the 3/4 shimmy is your walking shimmy.

1,2,3, (up,down,up - down,up,down - front, back, front - back, front, back - etc.. on the weighted leg) step (change weight to that leg), repeat.

Have fun,
Cassiopeia
 

cassiopeia

New member
I think I can do 3/4 shimmy.But I'm afraid that my 3/4 shimmy doesn't go that smoothly. Beacause I feel that my left leg muscles are much weaker than the right one.(When I do shimmy layering,it seems that only the right leg is shimmying.)I don't know how to strengthen only the left leg muscles?.Anyone can gimme some advice?:think:

Practice your shimmies on your weak side only.
Place all your weight on your left side, pose, shimmy for as long as possible.
Do this with ALL of your different shimmies.
Also, practice your maya's, up 8's and oomies with all your weight on your left leg.

Keep your knees bent, weight on your heels, chin up and smile...

Cassiopeia
 

mbellI

New member
Hi cassiopeia,

Your "how to" videos really helps me a lot. I'm new to belly dance & didn't realized that there are so many different movements in belly dance.

Me too, having problems with shimmy. Can't seem to get it to move constantly when I speed up. My movement is jerky & I tend to go into vibrations instead of shimmy. & my vibrations is not strong enough therefore, can't see the movement when i am actually doing it. This is really bad.

The more I practice, the worse it turns out. My teacher said that my prob is because I couldn't move my knee fluidly. I have been practicing hard with no success instead I got knee pain. =(

I have a question, when u shimmy, do u contract the core? should the energy comes from the knee or the core? & where should I put my weight? How to practice without getting knee injury?

Please help.

Thanks.
 

Sofia

New member
well, I am not Cassiopeia, but anyway maybe I am able to give you some hints.

Have you controlled that your legs are "in line" - knees above your feet and that your weight is evenly upon your feet? Being unbalanced could cause knee pain and in the long run damage.
In vibarations the entergy comes from the legs you have the core contraction but only for stabilisation matters. That your vibrations stays too small could be because you have too much tension.
Doing the knee shimmy some teachers insist that you overstretch "lock" the knees I would not do this - put a muscular stop before you will reach this point.
On the other hand, check if your legs have the same strengths, jerky shimmies may come from that.
Anyway practice regularly but do not overdo it - shimmies do need practising so do not give up it just takes time.
 

cassiopeia

New member
Hi MBellI,

Keep in mind that it is much easier to do buzzing shimmies then to do a slower more controlled shimmy. Since it's easier, that is what your body wants to do... shimmy as fast as it can.

I am concerned that the move is hurting your knees. So lets take the knees out of this move. In fact, the knees shouldn't be used for any of your movements.

First, check your feet position. I have found that this shimmy is personalized for your body shape. What works for me may not work for you or for anyone else for that matter. I have found that I need to have my feet farther apart than with any other move, about 12", then I adjust my weight on to my heels when I am going slow and on to my toes when going fast.

Lift your chest and start a slow shimmy to warm up and check your body/feet position. Then speed the shimmy up. When you speed the shimmy up I want you to think about the thighs moving back and forth and not the knees. When you speed up even faster, I also want you to change your weight by lifting your heels a little bit off the floor. This will feel odd, but trust me.

HTH!
Cassiopeia
 

mbellI

New member
Hi Sofia & Cassiopeia,

Thank you for your valuable hints and tips on my shimmies. I will try them and let you know how I do. I felt so lost previously. Now, with your help I hope I could get my shimmy right.

Thanks again!
 
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