Here we are at week 4 of the 8-week series! Hope you are enjoying it as much as I am!
Review Movements from previous weeks:
1. Undulation (also known as "Arabic" in the American Tribal Style repretoire): 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.
2. 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).
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. Hip bumps, traveling forward: Remember to keep the hips controlled and your steps small. Keep the torso upright and hips right under you.
6. Pivot Singles (sorry, I was calling it "Reach and Sit" previously): 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.
7. 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.
8. 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. The arms/hands are above the hip level. Fingers are straight. Add a subtle arm contraction at the end of the phrase.
9. Mayas (Figure 8 up to down): Starting with the right hip lifting up, slide out to right, then lower down; left hip takes over lifting up, slide out to left, then lower down... then right, then left, etc. 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. It helps to keep the pelvis neutral. (Watch out for the booty sticking out!)
The hip that is leading the figure 8 sliding out will have the straight leg, while the opposite leg will be bent. Once you've slide out as far as you can, bend that side's leg and straighten the other leg so that hip can slide out.
10. Chest+Pelvic Locks: Chest lift up, chest lift down, pelvic lock front, and pelvic lock back.
New Movements:
1. Shimmy: There are a number of ways to do the shimmy. One way is to power the movement of the hips by bending and straightening the legs. Another way is to lift and lower the hips as fast as possible. Yet another way is to alternate glute squeezes. Play here with the different options. Be sure to keep the movement in the hips (ie. keep the chest out of it).
2. Box step with shimmy: Step the right foot forward on 1. Step the left foot back (torso facing the side) on 2. Step the right foot to the back left corner (body pivots so that torso is facing the opposite side) on 3. Step the left foot back to front (torso facing forward) on 4. Add the shimmy on each step. Relax as you pivot.
Choreography to "Pharisee's Prayer"
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 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 (faster than the beginning section). 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 Sidewinder (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.
2:28 Box step with shimmy
Remember to check back for some video clips!
Have a great weekend,
Lily
http://www.LilyBellydance.com
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