hovering - how do you do it?

M

marob

New member
Hey everyone :)
Take a look at these vids: All the dancers are moving with keeping the upper part of their bodies completely still, but everyone has a different way to do it. I think some bend their knees, some step quickly to the side, some have one foot in front of the other. I haven't figured this out yet. I try a lot, but because I'm simply immitating, but not quite shure what they're doing, it just never looks right :( well, stepping to the side seems to work out with socks on the kitchen floor but this isn't how wer'e supposed to do it right :lol: ? And after some time my knees start hurting the way I try it (no matter if I bend them or not)... Any advice? Thanks a lot in advance.

p.s. proceed with caution I'm a youtube addict











 
Last edited:
Ranya

Ranya

New member
I am sorry I did not understand really what movement you mean. If it is moving without moving the upper body, then you just have to isolate that part and it is normal like walking - usually the upper body does not move (no undulation no circles etc.). I am sorry I really don't see exactly so I cannot help you BUT: If your knees hurt no matter what after a while then you ABSOLUTELY should go and see a doctor. Knees should not hurt! Also, consult it with you dance teacher, she should correct you in case the hurting knees come from incorrectly exercised movement
 
M

marob

New member
Oh, I'm sorry for not making myself clear... Sorry.
It is the movement Hannan Sultan does after about dancing for a minute.



the others I posted are partly very different from her movements.
For example Emily Alrick here (after 2:20)which is totally different


She is basically moving her knees for this movent
 
PriscillaAdum

PriscillaAdum

New member
You mean the Aziza floaty step? :lol:
I saw Yemaya do this step close up recently in a performance. She studied with Aziza so I assume she must have learned it from her. She doesn't step with her feet side by side, but rather with one foot in front of the other and the legs very close together. She takes tiny, TINY..but very quick steps to the side, on the balls of her feet, NOT flat footed. And that's how she seems to glide effortlessly from one side of the stage to the other. It seems to me (and this is my own observation) that if you step with your feet side by side, you will be more likely to bounce than if you put one foot in front of the other and step with the back foot. It´s more difficult to do it with one foot in front and legs tight, but it looks better. It takes alot of practice though, to keep from bouncing up and down as you step.

Regards
Priscilla


marob said:
I don't know why this is... I can view those vids on my PC...
Maybe the original links can help???

The last two were:

YouTube - Hannan Sultan - belly dance bellydance Rakkasah East '06
YouTube - Emily Alrick - drum solo
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
Suhad

Suhad

New member
Yes, that is how you do it, you basically are squeezing your knees together with one foot in front of the other, and your steps are as she said, TINY TINY TINY. It helps to use your ankle to sort of 'swing' your leading foot for the step, like a little knee for your foot. Your knees should be very bent, more than usual, and you should be VERY on the balls of your feet -- like you're wearing a 4 inch heel, not just like you're on the balls with your feet up a little.

BTW I don't do this movement well because I don't practice it, I like how it looks but not well enough to do it myself. BUT I do get practice in class, we were working on a choreography that utilitized this move.
 
K

KuteNurse

New member
Hmmm...I have such a hard time doing moves on my toes because of having plantar fascitis...Hopefully someday I will learn this dance step.
 
PriscillaAdum

PriscillaAdum

New member
Welllllll....kind of. But not really. The idea is the same but the ballet step is done differently. In the ballet instruction she is really bending and unbending her front knee so that her feet lift daintily up off the floor. When this move is done in bellydance, the knees don't bend and unbend this much, and the feet are only lifted enough so as to "scoot" over to the side. The resulting look of the two steps is really different, although the mechanics seem to be somewhat similar.

Regards
Priscilla

Jane said:
How to Do the Bourre in Ballet Dancing | ExpertVillage Videos

I think this a borre (or bourre)with no turn out and feet in parallel. Does this sound right? This is how I learned it for MED.
Click to expand...
 
M

marob

New member
Thanks a lot for your advice :)
The bourre-video confuses me, because the instructor is having her front leg in a bent position, but the back leg doesn't seem to be bent at all. Is this how we're supposed to do it? I thought we should bend both our knees?
 
Ranya

Ranya

New member
I'd rather say that in the aziza-style move (hanan clip), the knee isn't bent at all (or very little), just like Priscilla said.
 
Last edited:
PriscillaAdum

PriscillaAdum

New member
Ok, I finally got up off my lazy butt and actually did the move while watching my knees and no, they don´t bend at all as you point out. Not even a little bit. They're just relaxed, but not bent.

Regards
Priscilla




Ranya said:
I'd rather say that in the aziza-style move (hanan clip), the isn't bent at all (or very little), just like Priscilla said.
Click to expand...
 
Jane

Jane

New member
I think she is exagerating the bend of the knee a bit so you can see it in the video. This does have to be adjusted for belly dance, but it's the basic idea. I think it looks best traveling to the side with something else layered over it.
 
Amarise

Amarise

New member
marob said:
Hey everyone :)
Take a look at these vids: All the dancers are moving with keeping the upper part of their bodies completely still, but everyone has a different way to do it. I think some bend their knees, some step quickly to the side, some have one foot in front of the other. I haven't figured this out yet. I try a lot, but because I'm simply immitating, but not quite shure what they're doing, it just never looks right :( well, stepping to the side seems to work out with socks on the kitchen floor but this isn't how wer'e supposed to do it right :lol: ? And after some time my knees start hurting the way I try it (no matter if I bend them or not)... Any advice? Thanks a lot in advance.

p.s. proceed with caution I'm a youtube addict



QUOTE]

I studied ballet for years before belly dancing and I do this move with my thighs close together, side by side and sometimes with my legs crossed. It is similar to a Boure´e in ballet. The key is that whether your legs or crossed or not, keep them very close together. You can also put small controlled hip drops in while traveling with this. If I do the hip movement with it, my knees are spent just slightly.

Amarise
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
Jane

Jane

New member
How I do this: ;)

You're up on the balls of your feet.
The foot of the direction you are traveling in is in front.
The feet and legs stay very close together.
Tip toe to the side using very small, quick steps.
Use the knees (keeping them soft) to keep the hips level.
Support from the core and glutes to hold the isolation.
 
M

marob

New member
Thank you Priscilla :)
You must be very happy to have her as a teacher, she's absolutely gorgeous. When watching a Youtube clip there's always a grey square on the right side. There is written "embed" somewhere, just copy the words below. There is a little You tube sign if you reply to a thread. Click it and fill the copied words in between the brackets. Hope you know what I'd like to say, my English isn't very good...

Thanks again :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top