How many shimmies are there?

Yshka

Yshka

New member
According to Leyla Jouvana's DVD there are 1001 :lol:

I think however I would believe Mr. Mo Geddawi, who, if I remember correctly, pointed out in one of his lessons that there are 3 or 4.

Hmm... I don't remember all correctly, will have a look at the dvd when I have a chance!:think:
 
Kashmir

Kashmir

New member
Lots and lots! Off the top of my head:

Hips:
1: up and down - generated by lateral flexors
2: up and down - generated by bending and straightening knees
3: up and down - generated by firing glutes
4: up and down - generated by lifting heels with straight(ish) leg
5: up and down - generated by mixure of above
6: forward and back (twist) - generated by lateral flexors
7: forward and back (Modern Egyptian) - generated by quads pushing legs back
8: pelvic drop release

Then you have variations - single leg, Randa's power down on top of version 5

Body:
9: both knees bending together - Nagwa's shimmy aka Earthquake aka champagne (weight distribution allows you to move it around)

Upper Body:
10: shoulder shimmy - shoulders only going back and forward
11: torso shimmy - torso twists back and forward (varies depending on where the twist happens)
12: mixed shoulder/torso shimmy - 10 & 11
13: Nubian shoulder shimmy - shoulders up & down
14: Hand shimmy (khaleegy)

I've also seen nostril and eyebrow shimmies.

Then some people include vibrations into the mix - where the movement is generated by muscle fatigue.

And of course any shimmy can be layered in a number of ways. :D
 
Nath

Nath

New member
Kashmir I had to add to your karma (rep button) for this. We had this dicussion just yesterday in my class and I was wondering if I'd be able to remember it all to write it down. You've put in there everything we discussed and a couple more we didn't get to. Thanks!
 
Miyu

Miyu

New member
Doesnt the flutter counts as a shimmy? It should, atleast the way Sadie is doing it :D
 
adiemus

adiemus

New member
My flutter is only a shimmy if I haven't been watching my weight...

Plus do you count all the shimmies you do on top of other movements? like hip circle with shimmy... and the walking/travelling shimmies (3/4 and others), and variations on the shimmy like 'chunky' figure 8s? or are these just variations...
 
Salome

Salome

Administrator
Miyu said:
Doesnt the flutter counts as a shimmy? It should, atleast the way Sadie is doing it :D
Click to expand...

In my book, you bet! it's a very rapid contraction and release of the diaphram, done with relaxed abdominals, to produce a vibration/shimmy.
 
L

LunaXJJ

New member
If anyone actually has the time, and the desire to record them all on video and post them here, that'd be awesome. I know that's probably a lot to ask, which it why I'm just throwing the idea out there in case someone actually wants to do that.
 
Kashmir

Kashmir

New member
adiemus said:
My flutter is only a shimmy if I haven't been watching my weight...

Plus do you count all the shimmies you do on top of other movements? like hip circle with shimmy... and the walking/travelling shimmies (3/4 and others), and variations on the shimmy like 'chunky' figure 8s? or are these just variations...
Click to expand...
The driver for flutters is muscle, not fat (note to self more flutter practice in class) :D Yes, it is a shimmy (how did I miss that)

If you add all the layering where do you stop counting? Whether it is a shimmy with a walk or a shimmy with a hip circle and a direction change, with ... is still the same shimmy - just with layers.
 
Daimona

Daimona

Moderator
haifaa said:
should l lift my heels when shimming ???????????
Click to expand...

It depends on the shimmy you are doing.
If you practice a thigh-driven (Egyptian) shimmy, I'd say it'd be like cheating because it is easier to get a shimmy, but harder to do it right. When you master the shimmy on flat feet (heels on the ground), you can do it in relevé with you heels off the ground.
 
H

haifaa

New member
thanx Daimona ..

l still can`t shimmy . still can`t push my knees forward one after another in sequence .... even if l practise sitting on the floor .

l don`t know what`s wrong with me !!!!!
 
Amanda (was Aziyade)

Amanda (was Aziyade)

Well-known member
The metronome can be your best friend, seriously.

Metronomes can be used to build speed, but they can also be used to help you luxuriate in the movement. Here's how to use them:

Building speed:

Metronomes, both physical and digital, have different speed settings (tempos). Start off with a fairly slow speed setting. On each tick (or tock or bing or chime or whatever) of the metronome, match the noise with the downbeat of your movement.

Ex: to prepare for the shimmy, on each "tick," you will bend a knee.
Tick-tick-tick-tick = bend-bend-bend-bend = r-l-r-l

With a fairly slow speed, you should be able to keep up with the metronome pretty easily, bending the knee in time with the noise of the metronome. If after 15 seconds or so, you can't keep pace, then slow the metronome down. Find a speed that's not too fast but not TOO slow either. You want a speed that's a little slower than your comfort level.

RESIST THE URGE TO GO FAST!!! The goal here is to maintain a steady rhythm. If you go too fast, you defeat the purpose of the exercise.

Practice the bending of the knees at the slow speed, maintaining the bend-bend-bend-bend for about 2-3 minutes. It will be so boring, you'll wonder what the point is. What you're doing is training your body to do those movements without you thinking about it.

After 2 or 3 minutes, write down the speed you just worked at, and kick that metronome up a notch. Make the speed a little faster. Try the exact same exercise again. If this speed makes you at all uncomfortable or you feel like it's starting to be a little challenging, right down that speed. If this speed is fine, try upping the speed very slightly until you reach a speed where you do feel a very slight challenge when you try to keep the pace.

What you're doing is finding your comfort zone and then slowly pushing past it. If you work 2-3 minutes at your comfort zone, then try another minute at a more challenging speed, you'll soon notice that your "comfort zone" speed is increasing. But you have to be patient, and not cheat that 2-3 minute goal. Anybody can have a great shimmy for 5 seconds. :)

I like to tell my students to keep a notebook, writing down the speeds they work at. It's always motivating to see yourself making progress, and nothing is more motivating than watching those numbers climb!


Building Luxury:

Same concept, but in reverse. For movements like figure 8's or slow circles, we often forget that dramatically slowing them down can create a much different look and feel. Try using the above process in reverse -- start with a medium speed, with each tick of the metronome representing the downbeat of the movement. Take the speed gradually slower and slower, and really stretch and luxuriate in the movement. Enjoy every point around the circle, or really stretch and make a BIG figure 8.

You really haven't explored a figure 8 until you've taken 30 seconds to complete one. :) lol.

Hope this helps!
 
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