Tips on sword balancing ?

[Megarah]

Hello everyone,

I'm new to balancing swords in my dances, have been balancing my cane without a lot of problems ( been dancing for a few years now..). Recently I've bought a sword and am practicing with it, I find it very had to balance it on my chin, It keeps slipping...does anyone has a great tip to stop it from slipping of my chin please ?

thank you so much in advance !

Meg

 

[Marya]

Hello everyone,

I'm new to balancing swords in my dances, have been balancing my cane without a lot of problems ( been dancing for a few years now..). Recently I've bought a sword and am practicing with it, I find it very had to balance it on my chin, It keeps slipping...does anyone has a great tip to stop it from slipping of my chin please ?

thank you so much in advance !

Meg

Try rubbing beeswax on the edge that you are using to balance.

Marya

 

[Caroline_afifi]

A good Sword!!

 

[Megarah]

A good Sword!!

How do you know its a good one ? Swords are hard to come by here in Belgium, so I 've got one very similar to this one : Belly Dance Props: Moroccan Scimitar

And I stil think it's rather heavy too...

 

[Megarah]

Try rubbing beeswax on the edge that you are using to balance.

Marya

Thank you for the tip, Marya...but do you mean rubbing some candlewax on it ? I have tried that, It works ok on my head, but on my chin it looks like it's even slipping faster.. or do I need to melt the wax and than let it set ?

Meg

 

[Caroline_afifi]

A good Sword!!

A good sword should balance perfectly on your finger or palm of your hand.
I dont know about orders from the internet without trying it first. Perhaps someone else here can recommend that.

 

[teela]

I got a sword from Saronan that i love, is well balanced and has some cuts in it to help keep it from sliding. I've been told to get that sticky stuff you put on fingers to turn pages? I don't know what its called but its so you don't have to wet your fingers to turn pages. Anyway, a bit of that on the edge of the sword you balance on your chin will help give it a bit of grip.

 

[Reen.Blom]

Hello everyone,

I'm new to balancing swords in my dances, have been balancing my cane without a lot of problems ( been dancing for a few years now..). Recently I've bought a sword and am practicing with it, I find it very had to balance it on my chin, It keeps slipping...does anyone has a great tip to stop it from slipping of my chin please ?

thank you so much in advance !

Meg

How on earth does one balance it on the chin????:think::think::think:

 

[belly_dancer]

be CAREFUL w/ candle wax...the kind that will flake off... had a near incidence once... did not have my sexwax* handy... so used wax from the bottom of a beeswax candle... then tried the "stick" WAS HAPPY.... all ready to set off for my show... luckily my daughter came home.... EEEEWWWWW MOM... what's that DANDRUFF in your hair??? (flakes of wax!!!!!) so she was able to pick it all out b-4 I looked weird in public!!!
AS FAR AS THE CHIN...
the only problems I have had there is sweat (yep... another bodily issue!!!)... but I felt MUCH better when I saw a pro video performance of a dancer .... who turned her back to the audience & wiped the sweat from her chin before she placed the sword... as this is what I have always had to do...
but on the other hand.,.. are you attached to the chin???
there are many other great body parts on which to balance the sword!!

*OOPS.... oh yeah sex wax= brand name for a chunk of wax surfers use for
waxing their sticks (boards).... I find this way less flakey than candle wax!
sorry I am a California babe after all.....

 

[Marya]

Thank you for the tip, Marya...but do you mean rubbing some candlewax on it ? I have tried that, It works ok on my head, but on my chin it looks like it's even slipping faster.. or do I need to melt the wax and than let it set ?

Meg

Well, not all candles are made of beeswax. I have only used natural wax made by bees (bees also make honey) so I don't know if other wax would work. I have a chunk of it that I just rub on the edge, no melting needed. I don't use a sword much and have never tried to balance it on my chin.

Marya

 

[Marya]

be CAREFUL w/ candle wax...the kind that will flake off... had a near incidence once... did not have my sexwax* handy... so used wax from the bottom of a beeswax candle... then tried the "stick" WAS HAPPY.... all ready to set off for my show... luckily my daughter came home.... EEEEWWWWW MOM... what's that DANDRUFF in your hair??? (flakes of wax!!!!!) so she was able to pick it all out b-4 I looked weird in public!!!
.

LOL, I haven't ever rubbed so much on that it flaked off.

Marya

 

[Yasmine Bint Al Nubia]

Hi Marya, the true trick of sword balancing is not the sword per se. The trick is finding balance within your body! Proper alignment of the spine, core stabilization and correct weight plcement on the feet are essential for balancing a sword. Other posters did offer some great advice for preventing it from slipping, but true balance occurs within you. Shira has a great article about preventing slippage:
Belly Dancing -- Art Of Middle Eastern Dance -- Bellydancing in Iowa City

One can balance a sword on the head, forehead,shoulders, hips, thighs, wrists, fingers, chin, chest, stomach, feet. Finding the balance point for each is important in keeping it in place as one dances.

Balance points differ for everyone, as they also differ for each body part.

Movements closer to the sword will affect its balance, movements further away will have the least affect. This may be why dancers often balance on their heads, shoulders and wrists/fingers.

I find that when I have the sword on my head, my chin points slightly downward(causing the top of my head to rise toward the ceiling), my neck, pushes my head forward so that it is parallel to my chest, shoulders are squared and relaxed. In this way movements are slowed as it travels up my spine, thus reducing a wobble. But it is still important to keep the spine aligned..basic position. I hope this helps.
Yasmine

Oh BTW sword dances are indigenous to Gulf regions,traditionally performed by men. There are paintings showing women dancing with a sword,but authentication can't be verified. In modern bellydance it is a fusion fantasy piece that can be dramatic. I believe that bellydancers can own this dance style because it is unique and it fits our genre very well. It is known as Raks Al Sayf.

 

[Megarah]

Thank you everybody for the tips !

And I did find Shiras site, thank you so much ! That's where I found the tip about the candlewax, I shall look for real beeswax (the honey-ones :lol: )in order to avoid a "dandruff" incident !

I havent got a lot of problems balancing my cane, but find my sword rather a heavy experience, but you are right, I don't have a "chin thing", so it is no obligation to balance it there.
I guess I need some more practicing too ! :think:

I've read someone who had sandpapered the edge a bit right on the balancing point, has anyone got some experience with that before I damage my sword instead of making it better ?

Meg

 

[belly_dancer]

Thank you everybody for the tips !

And I did find Shiras site, thank you so much ! That's where I found the tip about the candlewax, I shall look for real beeswax (the honey-ones :lol: )in order to avoid a "dandruff" incident !

I havent got a lot of problems balancing my cane, but find my sword rather a heavy experience, but you are right, I don't have a "chin thing", so it is no obligation to balance it there.
I guess I need some more practicing too ! :think:

I've read someone who had sandpapered the edge a bit right on the balancing point, has anyone got some experience with that before I damage my sword instead of making it better ?

Meg

I WAS using a beeswax candle when I had my dandruff incident... but maybe a LUMP of beeswax would work better...

my sword has ridges.. have had luck w/ the sandpaper thing too...
I have SUPER SMOOTH shiny hair... works better when it is dirty.. but not a good look for performance

PRACTICE of course is the KEY...
I can plop my old faithful sword anywhere on my head (& pretty much anywhere else!) & it is no problem...
but w/ a new sword= I have to find the "sweet spot"...
& practice practice practice...
seriously... walk around your house... do chores/etc w/ the sword on your head!!!

 

[Hyacinth]

I'm a surfer & I swear by warm water board wax (Pray for Surf) for keeping swords in place! The cold water stuff isn't as good, esp. where flakes are concerned.

 

[belly_dancer]

I'm a surfer & I swear by warm water board wax (Pray for Surf) for keeping swords in place! The cold water stuff isn't as good, esp. where flakes are concerned.

ooooh... never had any flakes w/ my sex wax... (which I ASS-U-ME is cold water, as it is all the rage here in wetsuit land) but the warm water wax makes TOTAL sense!!!
thanks for the tip....
:think:wonder if they even sell that around here:think:

 

[Hyacinth]

ooooh... never had any flakes w/ my sex wax... (which I ASS-U-ME is cold water, as it is all the rage here in wetsuit land) but the warm water wax makes TOTAL sense!!!
thanks for the tip....
:think:wonder if they even sell that around here:think:

For sex wax, the red label's warm water, the orange label's cool water . . . they have other colours for hotter / colder climates, but they're the two we get where I live

 

[Shanazel]

I checked my office desk drawer for the name of the stuff you use to moisten your fingers- it is called Sortkwik. It claims to be non-staining, but notes that you should avoid contact with the eyes- so don't go poking yourself in the eye while using Sortkwik on your sword.

Once upon a time, someone told me that spraying one's hair with good old fashioned southern girl hair spray would give canes and swords a bit more "hold" when balancing on one's head. I suppose if you have a beard, hairspray might work for chin balancing as well.

 

[belly_dancer]

I checked my office desk drawer for the name of the stuff you use to moisten your fingers- it is called Sortkwik. It claims to be non-staining, but notes that you should avoid contact with the eyes- so don't go poking yourself in the eye while using Sortkwik on your sword.

Once upon a time, someone told me that spraying one's hair with good old fashioned southern girl hair spray would give canes and swords a bit more "hold" when balancing on one's head. I suppose if you have a beard, hairspray might work for chin balancing as well.

oh yes.... in the absence of dirty hair.. I always have to make a hairspray "nest" in which to nestle my waxed sword!!! (which may explain why the candle wax STUCK!!!) ....my favorite swords need no sex wax.. but the slippery ones do!!

 

[Megarah]

thank you everybody for the tips ! My first sword performance yesterday went allright ! Didn't drop my sword :clap: thanks to the waxtip !

Meg