1. Warmup that includes lunges, squats.
- Grand Plie: From Straddle, inhale lift the arms up over head, exhale bend the knees as the arms lower. Inhale lift the arms up over head as you straighten the legs. Exhale as you twist your torso over the right leg and lower the arms. Inhale the arms up and legs straighten, torso back to center. Exhale bend the knees, torso still center. Inhale the arms up, legs straighten. Exhale as you twist your torso over the left leg and lower the arms. Inhale the arms up and legs straighten, torso back to center.
- Vertical Squats: With torso lifted vertical and legs at straddle (knees pointing to the corners), bend the knees so that the thighs are parallel to the floor, then straighten half way. Repeat as many times as possible. This helps strengthen the quads.
- Lung the right leg forward, hands on the floor, back leg strong. Raise the right arm forward, then lift up to the ceiling, then reaching forward. Bring the right elbow to meet the left knee. Keep the hips at the same place in space. The booty should not be lifting up. Repeat on the other side (left leg lunge).
- Horizontal Squats: With torso parallel to the floor and legs at straddle (knees pointing to the corners and ankles under the knees), bend the knees so that the thighs are parallel to the floor, then pulse. This helps target the gluteus muscles.
- Straddle lunge right and left: Keeping the heels on the floor (if you can), stand in straddle position, lower your torso by bending the right knee. Keep the torso vertical and keep the right knee above the right ankle. The left leg should be relatively straight, toes pointing forward. Feel the stretch in the inner left thigh. Reverse to feel the stretch in the inner right thigh.
2. Posture check!
3. Exercises:
- Alternating hip lifts up (a.k.a. "hip singles"). Practice by standing on one leg; try to keep the hips squared. Change to the other leg. Then practice standing on your toes, then gradually bending the knees and lowering the torso down, then back up.
- Hip slides right side to left side.
- Chest lock up: contracting the upper back muscle.
- Chest lock down: contracting the upper abdominal muscle.
- Pelvic locks front: contracting the lower abdominal muscle.
- Pelvic locks back: contracting the lower back muscle.
4. Review Movements from last week:
- Undulation: Contraction in the upper back, upper abs, lower abs, and release. Practice this slowly, then speed up. Once you get comfortable, add walking. As you step with the right foot forward, upper back contraction (chest lifts up). As you step with the left foot forward, lower ab contraction.
Another way to practice undulations standing in place is in front of a wall (with your bum barely touching the mirror). Start by lifting the chest up, then pressing back towards the mirror, following with the rest of the your back towards the mirror. The key here is the gradual process; thinking about reaching back one vertebrae at a time. It's easy to just push your entire body against the wall at the same time... and unfortunately will not have the same effect.
Another way to practice undulations is on hands and knees; connecting the yoga "Cat and Cow" poses.
Yet another way to practice undulations is on your back.
- Liquid Walk Back : Start by bending the right knee and dropping the right hip forward, lift the right hip up and in towards the body as you lift your right heel; while still making contact with the floor with your right big toe, slide the leg back as you drop your right hip back. Your left hip will now be forward. Bend the left knee and drop the left hip forward, lift the left hip up and in towards the body as you lift your left heel; while still making contact with the floor with your left big toe, slide the leg back as you drop your left hip back. Now your right hip will be forward. The arms are open and parallel to the floor; the shoulder roll forward, up, and back, mimicking the motion of the hips (same side shoulder as the hips).
- Basic Egyptian: This is an ATS (American Tribal Style) movement. Starting with the right foot, right hip comes up the same time the ball of the right foot makes contact with the floor. Place the right foot back in place. Following with the left foot, left hip comes up the same time the ball of the left foot makes contact with the floor. Place the left foot down. This movement can be done in place or walking.
[week 2 stuff below]
- Sidewinder: arm undulations incorporating ribcage. With your head looking right and both elbows up about shoulder height, push the right palm towards right as your slide your ribcage towards the left. As the right palm is gliding to the right, the left top of the wrist pulls up and over towards your left ear. Just as the right arms is straightening out, your left wrist should have arrive at your left ear. Pull the right wrist up as you push the left palm out towards left, look left and slide the ribcage right. Remember to keep it slow and a consistent pace of movement. This is the full expression. If you need to keep it simpler for now, stick to just the arms, then add the head, then add the ribcage slide as you get more comfortable.
- Hip bumps, traveling forward: Remember to keep the hips controlled and your steps small. Keep the torso upright and hips right under you.
- Reach and sit: hips like the hip bump, arms extended out to the sides. Stand in showgirl posture: right foot in front, most of your weight in the back leg, body is at a slight diagonal (facing left). On count 1, step the right foot slightly to the left as you slightly reach out to the right with the right arm. On count 2, step the right foot back and bring the right arm back to starting postion.
- Modified propeller turn: In the American Tribal Style repretoire, the propeller turn has a few setup movements. We are doing just the turn. Right foot crosses over the left as both arms swing down. Turn to the back (both arms should be down at hip level by then). Then turning to the front (both arms up). This is a quick turn, taking up one count.
5. New Movements:
- Hip Slides - Both knees slightly bent. Use the obliques to slide the hips to the right and to the left.
For the purpose of "tribal fusion style", we are incorporating arms/hands to the slide. First starting overhead, slide the arms directly down infront of your body, then out to the side. Your arms will move faster than the hips because both hips and arms are moving at the same time.
- Chest+Pelvic Locks - Chest lift up, chest lift down, pelvic lock front, and pelvic lock back.
Figure 8's!
- Down to up (a.k.a. "figure 8" general style or "taxim" in the American Tribal Style)
- Up to down (a.k.a. "mayas" general style or "reverse taxim" in the American Tribal Style)
- Front to back
- Back to front
Remember that for the Down to up and Up to down figure 8's, you want to pretend like you are sandwiched between two pieces of glass. No front and back or twisting movement in the hips. Just slide out and up and down.
Remember for the Front to back and the Back to front figure 8's, you want to imagine as if your hips are resting on top of a table. No up and down motion.
The song we're pairing the movements to is called "Pharisee's Prayer" by Solace. Check it out on iTunes!
Here is a high-level breakdown of the movements to the music:
0:13 Undulations (a.k.a. "Arabic" in the ATS repretoire) slow and flat foot with arms over head for 16 counts. Then continue with undulations but with flamenco arms, feet travel in circle over right shoulder for 8 counts, then reverse back to front for 8 counts.
0:39 Liquid Walk Back
0:54 Basic Egyptian (Right+Left 8 times)
1:06 Undulations. Arms start up, but push down as you start your undulations, then slowly raise arms like wings back up for 8 counts. Feet travel in a circle for 8 counts over right shoulder (end up facing front at count 8), then travel in a circle for 8 counts over left shoulder.
1:20 Arm undulations
1:34 Hip bumps traveling forward (right hip leading) for 8 counts.
Reach & Sit (right hip leading) for 6 counts, then propeller turn for counts 7 and 8.
Now repeat with left hip leading.
2:01 Hip Slides (with arms)
2:14 Mayas (figure 8 up to down) with Chest+Pelvic Locks. 3 mayas, chest lock up, chest lock down, pelvic lock front, pelvic lock back. 3 mayas, chest lock up, chest lock down, pelvic lock front. You should hear the drum accents in the music to match up the locks to.
Practice... and Happy Memorial Day!
lily
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