SHAPE UP YOUR SHIMMIES - WORKSHOP NOTES

Thank you all so much for shaping up your shimmies with me Sacred Circles! I hope you had as much fun as I did! I LOVE SHIMMIES!

Below are some notes, music, etc. Please feel free to contact me with any questions. The bottom of the notes has contact, newsletter and social media information. I'd love to hear from you and see you at future events!

Remember, every physical body’s bones and joints may be slightly different. Longer legs, longer arms, longer feet, etc. Based on our skeletal and muscular structure, our dance movements will feel and maybe even look very different. The important thing is to know what YOUR body is capable of and then find the movement for your body!

Key Elements to your beautiful shimmy

  • Strong upper body posture - Upper body posture is KEY to a nice, bouncy shimmy!! Elongate your spine (making yourself taller via axial extension) and you'll have more isolation in your lower body.

  • Neutral pelvis

  • Relaxation of the lower body (not actively trying to contract muscles)

  • Elongation in the obliques, including working on imbalances on either side

  • Balance – abductor and adductor strength

  • Embracing YOUR shimmy with no expectation of how it’s going to look

  • Attitude and SASS!!


PELVIS:
Check out these different pelvis shapes and femoral neck angles. OF COURSE we are all going to have a different shimmy! But that's what makes it so beautiful! The fun part is discovering YOUR shimmy and now you know how! :)

​Bone shape + joint shape + strength + flexibility = YOUR MOVEMENT

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FIND NEUTRAL:
Remember the concept of finding your neutral hip. That feeling where you aren't tilting your pelvis in either direction. This is how to find your dance posture pelvis angle and relax/elongate your lumbar spine.

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BREAK IT DOWN:
Remember to break down the shimmy and practice each piece.
Drill just walking on balls of feet
Drill just walking and focusing on the "down" or release, then on the up!
Practice shimmies with internal and externally rotated hips (point feet in and out) so you can work on layering shimmies onto moves like Sununda and ASWAT.

Above all..... HAVE FUN AND FEEL TOO SEXY FOR YOUR SHIMMY!

Check out this amazing website and see how your mood and other aspects affect your shimmy. This is super cool!
​biomotionlab.com

ALSO, practice your fast moves SLOWED down! This will make the regular tempo version so much cleaner and easier!

MUSIC
Here's a link to the songs I used in class: Shimmy Playlist