Hips! Latin Motion/Hip Motion Index

[pygmalion]

It looks like salsa people really love to move their hips. :D Here are a bunch of threads with some good advice on the topic. Enjoy. :wink:

Swaying the Hip Thing (http://www.dance-forums.com/viewtopic.php?t=777)
Hip Motion: Salsa vs Latin Rhumba (http://www.dance-forums.com/viewtopic.php?t=1180)
Move the hips (again) (http://www.dance-forums.com/viewtopic.php?t=1251)
Help for the Hips (http://www.dance-forums.com/viewtopic.php?t=1106)
hip motion in merengue vs salsa (http://www.dance-forums.com/viewtopic.php?t=1744)
Tips for the Hips (http://www.dance-forums.com/viewtopic.php?t=2528)

[Pacion]

Psst Pygmalion! How about a thread on "Where are the hips?"

I am sure the guys would love helping us ladies to find our hips. :wink:

[Sabor]

Si Hips! ay CARAMBA! they can drive a salsero LOCO :bouncy: no mercy please! :D

[pygmalion]

:lol: :lol:

You know, Sabor, I've really been enjoying your posts. I'm glad you decided to join. :D

[Sabor]

Thank U! all my pleasure i assure u! :P

[Pacion]

Si Hips! ay CARAMBA! they can drive a salsero LOCO :bouncy: no mercy please! :D

Sabor, is that supposed to be:

"No mercy, please" (ie. don't show any mercy :wink: )
"No! Mercy! Please!" (ie. please show some mercy :lol: ) OR
"No Mercy! Please!" (ie. you asking someone by the name of Mercy to do or not to do something :lol: )

[Sabor]

hi Pacion mio.. what does your instinct say bella? :wink:

[Pacion]

:lol: I am thinking :wink:

[jamaicanspice]

I need help with my 'hipsters' :?

[DiAnAoN1]

Moving your hips while salsa dancing looks really good...but only if you know how to do it the correct way, remember that the basic step in salsa dancing is just like walking, and when you walk your hips sway naturally, basically what I'm trying to say is that ladies dont overdo it with your hips because it can make you look bad just let them sway as you do the basic step:D

[pygmalion]

Yes! So true. A lot of people who don't understand where the motion is coming from, deliberately try to sway their hips, and generate the motion from the hip. Boy, can that look bad!

[jamaicanspice]

Yes! So true. A lot of people who don't understand where the motion is coming from, deliberately try to sway their hips, and generate the motion from the hip. Boy, can that look bad!

ya think? :wink:

[pygmalion]

Hi, jamaicanspice. :D Good to see you back. 8) :D

[jamaicanspice]

thank you :D I'm glad to BE back :lol: Well, I am getting ready to try this 'hippie' thing on Thursday :lol:

[jamaicanspice]

wish me luck :wink: :lol:

[pygmalion]

It's not luck. It's skill, which you have, and practice, which you will have. :wink: :D

[jamaicanspice]

It's not luck. It's skill, which you have, and practice, which you will have. :wink: :D

true....very true :lol: thanks for the reminder :wink:

[Cats]

I keep forgetting, the hip goes to the foot opposite the weight bearing step? I know most people do it to the wrong leg.

[Sabor]

the hips go everywhere!.. they cant be stopped .. isolate.. shake.. shake.. pumpin .. side .. side.. hold it .. rooooound.. reverse motion .. pump .. pump.. shake .. just warming up 8) .. u know..
now lets drrrrop it like its on FIIIIIRE!! :bouncy:

[borikensalsero]

now lets drrrrop it like its on FIIIIIRE!! :bouncy:

NOOOOOO... they'll burn the floor!!! NOOOO... then we can't get any more shaking and backing....

[Sabor]

NOOOOOO... they'll burn the floor!!!

isn't that the whole point?! :wink: .. but no matter.. for we would have been already "burnt" by then boricua 8)

[jamaicanspice]

WOW!!! can I SO see you guys in action!!!!!! :D

[Sagitta]

I keep forgetting, the hip goes to the foot opposite the weight bearing step? I know most people do it to the wrong leg.

I couldn't imagine how that would happen, but now I know it can be a problem. :( I tried and tried to help someone out in the beginner class on Tuesday.

[Sabor]

WOW!!! can I SO see you guys in action!!!!!! :D

never both at the same place / time.. no way.. the whole premises would combust from da heat :wink: 8)

[Lucretia]

Hi!

I'm sorry If it post this message in the "hip-index-topic". I couldn't decide where to put it.

I was at a salsa-rythm-workshop last Thurstay. Under 1,5 hour I believed that everyone was new beginners. They moved like salsa-stepping-candlelight’s, although everone worked hard to release the hips and shoulders. After the two hours long workshop it turned out that all the men and 50% ladies where experienced dancers who knew how to take steps and advanced patterns. But they where al so stiff…in the beginning…

The teacher “fooled us” into the right “feet-hip-shoulder” moving pattern in an excellent way. Just by very simple exercises an a few "african dance" excercises not suitable for telling you by the web :D :D :D

If you want to know…read more. If you already know how to do…stop now.


Stand walking on the very same spot not moving anywhere. Sway your arms just like when you are running. (When right leg bends, left hand sways in front of you and vice versa)

The hip one the side where your leg is straight moves slightly to the side all by itself. Try to improve that movement, exaggerate it a bit by dropping the knee a few centimeters more.

Do that on-the-spot-walking swaying the arms for a while….add some music.
Now put the arm you are swaying forward on the shoulder of the opposite arm. Keep the on-the-spot-swaying-your-hips movement you played your body into.

If you do that for a while you’ll suddenly find out that the shoulder you put your hand on is moving forward to meet the hand, all by it self. It seems like they are trying to meet each other half the way. If they don’t do this all by themselves help them to meet.

Go on for a while just stepping on the spot, swaying your arms and letting the hand meet the shoulder.

Then do:
1,2,3, stop, 1,2,3, stop, 1,2,3, stop continuing the basic movement with legs, hips, arms and shoulders. There you have an embryo of salsa. Do this for a few songs.

When this is a natural habit … stop putting the arm on the shoulder. Just let it sway a bit in front of you in direction towards the shoulder, but not the whole way. You’re body will probably decide how far all by itself. But keep on swaying the hips and the shoulder as you just learnt.

Begin to take a mambo step forward, backward, la cucarachas (side step), cumbia steps etc. If you trained the base pattern well enough the hips and shoulders will do their job, just by themselves.

Don’t think too much, lets you muscle memory do the work. If you analyze the movement too much you’ll get confused. It is a very natural movement. (Do more like a melody I heard once “Let you’r body decide where you want to go. High or low, fast or slow”.)

On the following two days the muscles on the outside of the upper part of my legs where hurting. They are actually still hurting. My body must have learnt its lesson well since I used muscles that never have been hurting before. Let's hope it will remember the lesson.

/Lucretia

[Sagitta]

Great to hear you got it L! :cheers: Keep on practicing and you won't forget it. Keep that muscle memory fresh!! :)

[Sabor]

a nice workout for hips ..

step 1:
fill your bathtub with ingredients of a strawberry/chocolate Milk shake..
step2:
get into the bath tub with hips submerged
step3:
SHAKE IT LIKE A BLENDER!!
step4:
fancy a milkshake? :bouncy:

[jamaicanspice]

a nice workout for hips ..

step 1:
fill your bathtub with ingredients of a strawberry/chocolate Milk shake..
step2:
get into the bath tub with hips submerged
step3:
SHAKE IT LIKE A BLENDER!!
step4:
fancy a milkshake? :bouncy:

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

[Sabor]

SHAKE IT!
SHAKE SHAKE IT!!
SHAKE IT!

LIKE A POLAROID PIIIIICTURE!!! :bouncy: :bouncy: :bouncy:

[pygmalion]

:lol: :lol:

[squirrel]

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

[Sabor]

DO THAT THANG WHEN U DIP IT KEEP YO' HIPS PUMPIN! .. COME ON BABY WORK IT FOR ME NOW!! :bouncy: :banana: :bouncy:

[Purr]

ROTFL!!!!! That's just priceless!!!!!

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

[jamaicanspice]

DO THAT THANG WHEN U DIP IT KEEP YO' HIPS PUMPIN! .. COME ON BABY WORK IT FOR ME NOW!! :bouncy: :banana: :bouncy:

nooooooooooo you did not !! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: I'm innocent I tell ya!! and I'm trying to remain that way but you making some statements here man :lol: :lol: :lol: making it hard for a sister to stay on the straight and narrow (salsa wise and thought wise :lol: ) :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

[Sabor]

Ooh work me baby.. Shakin' it the way I like!!
I'm ready to be bad.. I need a bad girl (say yeah)
Get at me bad girl! :mrgreen:


i didn't say that.. Usher did! :tongue: :P

[jamaicanspice]

Ooh work me baby.. Shakin' it the way I like!!
I'm ready to be bad.. I need a bad girl (say yeah)
Get at me bad girl! :mrgreen:


i didn't say that.. Usher did! :tongue: :P

riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight!!!!!! !!!!!!!!! :wink:

[etchuck]

And I wonder why you all don't do WCS too ... ;)

[Sagitta]

It is those hips. Those sassy sexy hips. WCS does not have those!

[jamaicanspice]

hmmmm.... 8) I don't know Sagitta.....you could probably work it into it you know :wink: :D

[Sagitta]

hmmmm.... 8) I don't know Sagitta.....you could probably work it into it you know :wink: :D

You know what WCS is?

[Sabor]

umm.. a new kind of painkiller..?

[Sagitta]

umm.. a new kind of painkiller..?

It could be if you dance to kill pain. :wink:

[Sabor]

http://www.lionking.org/images/animated/hula!!!.gif

[etchuck]

Sure you can work in into West Coast swing a little bit. I sometimes put my follower into Titanic position during WCS and have her essentially do salsa shines or whatever shines she feels like doing. Sure there's not any hip motiong when you're doing the patterns, but that doesn't mean you can't put it in occasionally.

[Sabor]

http://www.lionking.org/images/animated/hula!!!.gif http://www.lionking.org/images/animated/hula!!!.gif http://www.lionking.org/images/animated/hula!!!.gif

[Sabor]

SHAKE LIKE U WANT IT TO FALL OFF!!

:mrgreen:

[peachexploration]

SHAKE LIKE U WANT IT TO FALL OFF!!

:mrgreen:

Umm Sabor? You okay? :eyebrow: :lol:

[Sabor]

hola peachy :P .. i'll be ok soon as it 'falls off' chica :lol: :wink:

[peachexploration]

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

[Sabor]

Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it,
and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth
seeking the successive autumns.--George Eliot

i love your signature quote bella.. Autumn is absolutely my favorite season for sure.. and its coming up soon :P ..

[peachexploration]

My favorite as well. I awake at Autumn. The colors, the serenity, the crisp air, peach pies and cobblers (naturally :wink:) and the beginning of the most festive holidays. One of these days, (sooner than later), I'll visit Vermont where I can experience those colors in the picture. Absolutely beautiful. Yup, Autumn rocks. :D

[jamaicanspice]

http://www.lionking.org/images/animated/hula!!!.gif


I LOVE THIS PIC!!! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

[jamaicanspice]

call me crazy but my favourite season is winter......I've lived my entire life on a tropical island and have never seen snow but something about that drastic change in season really captures my attention.......and I'm getting my wish VERY soon - seeing snow for the first time in my life :D I can't wait!!! :D

[Sagitta]

Every season has it's beauty to me. Each is inspiringly wonderful. One only has to listen to one self and find something outside that resonates that is within.

My 2 cents. :)

[jamaicanspice]

:D

[pygmalion]

call me crazy but my favourite season is winter......I've lived my entire life on a tropical island and have never seen snow but something about that drastic change in season really captures my attention.......and I'm getting my wish VERY soon - seeing snow for the first time in my life :D I can't wait!!! :D :D

[pygmalion]

SHAKE LIKE U WANT IT TO FALL OFF!!

:mrgreen:


LOL. What ever happened to shake it like a Polaroid picture?

[thespina]

Hey all.. new here. I'll post an intro as I have more questions about other things. But... are there any video clips anywhere on the web that demonstrate cuban motion? I THINK I'm doing it right, but there are times where I know I'm all messed up. I learn better from watching and hearing words. Reading all these bent-leg, balls of feet stuff sort of makes sense but boggles my mind at the end of it all! Help!

Spin

[Shooshoo]

Hey all.. new here. I'll post an intro as I have more questions about other things. But... are there any video clips anywhere on the web that demonstrate cuban motion? I THINK I'm doing it right, but there are times where I know I'm all messed up. I learn better from watching and hearing words. Reading all these bent-leg, balls of feet stuff sort of makes sense but boggles my mind at the end of it all! Help!

Spin


I think it's best to learn from an instructor. Very diffuicult to describe.
Check this site: http://www.ballroomdancers.com/Learning_Center/Lesson/Default.asp
They have some illustrations which could help abit.
Good luck, it ain't easy.

[Josh]

I think it's best to learn from an instructor. Very diffuicult to describe.
Check this site: http://www.ballroomdancers.com/Learning_Center/Lesson/Default.asp
They have some illustrations which could help abit.
Good luck, it ain't easy.

I agree about learning from an instructor. Nothing beats seeing someone do it and helping to analyze your own movements. The web page you linked to seems very helpful though! It had some good suggestions.

[thespina]

Thank you so much... I went there and did the excercises.. no cheating. I found it very helpful, especially since it turns out that I was doing it right the first time! I just had to relax and not think about the mechanics. I think the other thing I realized was that I have to keep my weight over my center, and not shift it to my back-stepping or front-stepping foot entirely. Am I right? Those hips move in a very pleasant sort of figure eight if I keep my weight more or less centered for the basic step.

[Shooshoo]

I think it's best to learn from an instructor. Very diffuicult to describe.
Check this site: http://www.ballroomdancers.com/Learning_Center/Lesson/Default.asp
They have some illustrations which could help abit.
Good luck, it ain't easy.

I agree about learning from an instructor. Nothing beats seeing someone do it and helping to analyze your own movements. The web page you linked to seems very helpful though! It had some good suggestions.


I attend different aerobics dance classes where you can pick up some hip movements, e.g. figure 8, circle left and right, swaying. It's just practice, practice, practice, especially if the movements are new to you.

[Sagitta]

Or just let it come naturally...over time

[Josh]

Or just let it come naturally...over time

I think the point is that for many it simply will not come naturally over time, that it must be practiced a lot to get it right. Just like some will say to not take a dance class, just learn at clubs, on the "street" (boy I love that expression :roll: ), however, taking classes is the only/best way for many to learn, as it may not "naturally" come over time.

[Shooshoo]

Or just let it come naturally...over time

I think the point is that for many it simply will not come naturally over time, that it must be practiced a lot to get it right. Just like some will say to not take a dance class, just learn at clubs, on the "street" (boy I love that expression :roll: ), however, taking classes is the only/best way for many to learn, as it may not "naturally" come over time.

I agree with you. I have this problem. I usually need to see the move broken down and then practice it and then it becomes natural and I can add a bit of my touch. Maybe because I didn't do much dancing in my life. But I also try to observe how different people do it and pick up what I feel comfortable with.

[thespina]

You know what really helped last night, when I went to the club, was when some of the men I was dancing with (much to their delight, I'm sure), held my hips firmly and rocked them in the right rhythm. After awhile they could let go and I really felt the motion and the music together. It wasn't so hard to keep it up on my own. I'm lucky to have a good group of great dancers there, that all have strong leads and are very patient. Last night I was having more fun already, and noticed a little bit of improvement. I still massively fudged a bunch of stuff, but having FUN really helped. I couldn't believe that I'd lost the merengue last week, since I'd been so good at before. Well that came back full force last night, and salsa was sneaking back in again slowly. I really find that I have to be awake and in good form to keep it up though. Near the end of the night, I was useless.

Today I go in for another lesson (if my kids wake up from their nap soon!) and I'll work on the footwork. I know that'll help me maintain that cuban motion. I found that I understand the mechanics of it quie well. It's just a matter if letting it out.

Ok. I rambled. Thanks for all the advice so far... all of it has helped a lot. Keep it coming! :)

[Josh]

(much to their delight, I'm sure)

Indeed, I'm sure, since men never get to touch women's hips while dancing with them...
:roll:

[thespina]

Oooh, lovely sarcasm.

I was mostly remembering the overt "enthusiasm" of one dancer in particular. He later asked me if I wanted to have an affair with him. So yes, it was very much to his delight. I do realize hips are handled regularly on the dance floor in general. Thank you. :p

[Josh]

Oooh, lovely sarcasm.

I was mostly remembering the overt "enthusiasm" of one dancer in particular. He later asked me if I wanted to have an affair with him. So yes, it was very much to his delight. I do realize hips are handled regularly on the dance floor in general. Thank you. :p

Lovely sarcasm yourself! :lol: I was mostly trying to combat the notion that all men are trying to get with any woman they can find. Sometimes that's true, but it's not, more often than you'd think, especially among dancers (note: real dancers, not ones who go to clubs to pick up people). Women sometimes get so used to men being all over them that they forget that many men do not want that. That's all I was saying--only trying to halt a myth in its tracks! And next time I'll try to leave the sarcasm out (note: try). :friend:

[thespina]

You're totally right about all that. I've noticed, in my short time dancing, that there are definitely different "types". I mostly try to stay away from the kind that are trolling. The last evening I was out, I had the pleasure of dancing with some serious(ly fun) dancers, who were just out to dance. One of them is now my buddy and dance partner. I'm glad you drew the distinction between these people. And I'm grateful I've got at least a few of you good guys at my club to dance with. It gets exhausting weilding my bat around everywhere I go. Nice when I can put it down every now and again. :peace:

As for the sarcasm... hopefully I won't incur too much of it. Although I think I can handle it (most of the time. depends on whether or not I'm PMSing).

[Sabor]

just do it!

shake shake SHAKE SHAKE SHAKE SHAKE.. ... [b]IT!!!

si maaami esso esso!! VAMONOS! :bouncy:

[Shooshoo]

just do it!

shake shake SHAKE SHAKE SHAKE SHAKE.. ... [b]IT!!!

si maaami esso esso!! VAMONOS! :bouncy:


That's easy for you to say....Not everyone has a 'natural' SHAKE

And then there are the different shakes for the different dances........ :cry:

[Sabor]

yes.. very easy for me! :tongue:

[Ms_Sunlight]

Hehehehe. Some people just have twitchy bottoms :D :D :D

I've been losing weight recently so some of my clothes are a bit loose. One of my favourite tricks at home is to shimmy my backside until they actually fall off! Well, it amuses me and the husband anyway.

When I'm in public and feeling the need to shimmy, I make sure I'm wearing a belt :wink:

[Shooshoo]

yes.. very easy for me! :tongue:


:headwall: :headwall: :headwall:

[englezul]

Can a moderator update the links to those embedded threads? I'm having trouble finding them usng the search feature.

[jamin1]

I am not able to link to them either...