dancingbtrfly

Hello Everyone!

I am just getting started dancing seriously and am soooo excited. I am taking classes a few times a week at a local studio here. Previously I had been using the Veena and Neena series and apparently had been doing things wrong technique wise.

At any rate I'm working really hard on my bellyrolls/ undulations and glute squeezes have tried quite a few things (pulsing, placing objects on my upper and lower abs trying to get them to move) none have really helped.

The Suhaila method doesn't work for me just yet because I can't get into the straddle. I want to have those sharp snappy hip hits that come from glute squeezes. So freaking cute!

Is there anything else you all can recommend aside from practicing a lot? I am trying to do them whenever I think about it which is quite often. Help me if you can!



dancingbtrfly
}i{

peace.grace.love.light

Yasmine Bint Al Nubia

Hi dancingbtrfly, Yes practice, practice and practice.....the mastery of this dance form cannot be accomplished without practice! It doesn't matter what techniqe/tip that we might share...you still have to practice it! Continue to follow your current plan. Get feedback from your teacher and practice......
Yasmine

__________________
www.visionsofthenile.com

jen28

If you continue doing glute squeezes, make sure you *really* stretch your glutes. A lot. All the time. I had to stop doing them because they were giving me hip problems. Stretching a lot helped, but I eventually had to give them up altogether.
Other than that, practice! But don't beat yourself up if you can't practice as much as you'd like. You don't want to burn out.
And watch as much dancing as you can- live and video.

jenc

how do you stretch glutes?

Jack

Technique wise you were probably doing it correctly for Veena and Neena's style, but probably not correctly for whatever style your teacher is teaching.

For your belly rolls try bending/slouching over in a chair and roll/pull in the top muscle of your abdomen. While doing this look for a triangle right under your ribs. When you find it, stand up and try rolling your belly the same as you did in your chair when you found the triangle. If you find the triangle again , your doing it correctly. Don't try it too much or you'll hurt yourself.

Sitting in front of a mirror helps too.
Please excuse my sorry diagram.

Attached Thumbnails

 

__________________
Shoot for the Moon. Even if you miss, you will land upon the stars.

sedoniaraqs

Possibly, but it is equally likely that the problem arose from not having a live instructor to correct and comment during the learning process. Beginning dancers generally don't have the body awareness to do everything correctly without correction. Or maybe I should rephrase that: people in general generally don't have the body awareness to learn new movements without external verification from someone.

dancingbtrfly

Thanks for the suggestions. I already knew that I needed to keep practicing. I am just having a hard time identifiying and isolating the muscles in my abdomen!

Jen28 can you elaborate on the glute stretches? I'm a little lost!

Jack your diagram was anything but sorry! I will try the chair suggestion. For some reason I feel like I can get the muscles to cooperate a little better when I am lying on my back but when I stand it all goes to pot. Practice I am sure will help me out.

Sedoniaraqs, you are right! I am learning that I am having a lot of body awareness issues. I love getting the feedback from the teacher. It is very helpful, I just have a hard time conceptualizing the way that she explains the bellyroll.

Any other suggestions are welcomed and appreciated! Thanks for your help folks!

dancingbtrfly
}i{

jenc

You didn't say how long you have been dancing. If you have only just started lessons, you are probably expecting too much too soon. The things you mentinoed should work in time.

Caroline_afifi

a belly roll with a glute squeeze sounds like a lunchtime order from Subway

lizaj

it just sounds like hard work to me....