I'm having trouble with a step

adiemus

adiemus

New member
This step is totally eluding me - it's a sideways travelling step that my teacher calls the 'batta' (bah-tah), which is supposed to be something about a 'duck' step. I can't describe it, but your hip is supposed to pop up as you step, and I just can't get it - I end up doing the reverse or a 'contra-batta', which is not what I want to do. Does anyone know the step? or how to do it properly? I've gone over and over it and just cannot do it....:think:
 
K

KuteNurse

New member
I think we just learned a step similiar. I am not certain about the hip action. I am too new to tell you otherwise. I was actually focusing on just getting the basic step down before concentrating on the hip. Good luck and I can't wait to hear what everyone else says about this.
 
adiemus

adiemus

New member
Batta



This guy is doing it from about 9.30 - 9.15 (from the beginning)... He puts a shimmy on it, but I don't (actually I just can't get it!!)
 
Last edited:
sedoniaraqs

sedoniaraqs

New member
Adiemus, that move falls into the category I call weighted down hips -- because you are moving your weighted hip downwards.

Can you stand on your right leg (e.g. with all or most of your weight on your right leg) and drop you right hip?

There is a huge vocabulary of movement in the modern Egyptian style that relies on movements of the weighted hip.

Sedonia
 
adiemus

adiemus

New member
Hi Sedonia
Yes I can do that, but somehow I do it backwards? And the right heel is off the ground, with leg bent, all the weight on the right foot until the hip is up then transfers to the left foot.
I think I need to video it and then review again and again....
 
Aniseteph

Aniseteph

New member
The clip looks a bit like what my teacher calls the Saiidi step, with a twisty shimmy on some of them. He breaks it right down really nicely later in the clip.

The step I learned has a strong R hip down as you step flat footed onto the R though, which makes it very earthy and heavy. I don't think he's pushing the hip down much, so it's much lighter. As the weight goes down onto the R the L hip is pushed up, and because the feet are on a diagonal here the effect is that the L hip pushes out behind (watch his hips around -6.34). Look at his heels too - the L heel stays up.

The feet are basically step, together, step, together.... with the step foot being onto a flat foot and the together foot being always on the ball with the heel right up. Try just doing that without worrying about hips and see if you don't waddle!
 
PriscillaAdum

PriscillaAdum

New member
Ohhh, i'ts Asi Haskal. His costumes designs are incredible. He designs all of Orit's costumes.
I'm not very good at explaining moves online (as Sedonia knows ;)) but, I do this step with one foot flat and the other one on the ball. If I want to move to the left I keep the left foot flat and my RIGHT foot is on the ball. This allows me to push away with the right foot and lift the hip as I move towards the left. I keep my weight always on my flat foot except when that flat foot is actually taking a step towards the side. At that point my weight is momentarily on my right foot but quickly returns to my flat foot as soon as it's set down on the floor again.
So, as you step to the left you momentarily shift your weight to the right ball of your foot and simultaneously push away with you right foot, which will cause your hip to lift, this then allows you to drop it again as you bring your feet together. I bend both legs slightly as my hip drops and the feet come together, it seems to make the drop a bit lower, but you don't have to.
Don't know if I made that any clearer or if I only confused you more. :(

Regards
Priscilla
 
S

Suheir

New member


If you watch this clip on youtube (the timer gets reversed on here) Farida Fahmy is doing the "duck step" at 41 seconds. OK, it's at -3.41 on here. There are variations with a slightly bent leading leg, a twist, a shimmy on the leading leg or the back leg...
 
Last edited:
tamrahennatx

tamrahennatx

New member
That is what I teach as a hip push. The footwork is step side-together-side-together. The leading hip goes DOWN as you step, that knee is slightly bent to allow for this. The other foot can be either flat or ball, and the trailing hip goes up as the leading hip goes down (that knee is usually in it's neutral -soft- position throughout). I usually do this with a shimmy on top also.

It can be done travelling forward, but I learned that variation ages ago as a Samiha - it's a traveling variation of a 3/4 shimmy on the down, or at least that's how I mentally categorize it.
 
adiemus

adiemus

New member
Thanks for this - you're right, it's incredibly difficult to describe in words what the movement is!! I think I'm doing it right only when my teacher sees it she tells me I've got it back to front. I'm going to use video at my next class and record her, then play it s - l - o - w - l - y to break it down. I did like the Asi Haskal clip, it breaks it down well - but of course I do need to make sure that's the step!!!!!!
There are times when my body and my brain are discombobulated...
 
adiemus

adiemus

New member
I feel pretty sure its' this step - but after Thursday night I'll post a video of my teacher and try and analyse it so I can do it too!!
 
Latifa

Latifa

New member
Did your teacher learn these steps from Dr. Mo Geddawi? He's the only one I know who uses the "batta" and "contra-batta" terminology. The difference between the two is the way the weight is shifted.
 
Amanda (was Aziyade)

Amanda (was Aziyade)

Well-known member
tamrahennatx said:
It can be done travelling forward, but I learned that variation ages ago as a Samiha - it's a traveling variation of a 3/4 shimmy on the down, or at least that's how I mentally categorize it.
Click to expand...

Oh...my...gawsh...

NOW it hits me. I had learned Samiha from Suhaila, and she travelled it forward. I'd always heard SOMEBODY refer to the sideways version as a "sharp goosh step" which makes no sense. But it IS a Samiha, same everything, just going to the side.

Where's the smiley for the light-bulb suddenly going on? Wild.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top