Purr
Forum Master
Since you've studied this technique, do you think there is any danger of injury from doing/attempting it? I've heard second hand that there might be, in particular for older people.
What is the Hip Lift Technique?
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Since you've studied this technique, do you think there is any danger of injury from doing/attempting it? I've heard second hand that there might be, in particular for older people.
Well, that's why I posted that salsa video (in absence of ballroom video clips), as it is a kind of cuban movement (in salsa style of course) with slight bouncy feeling (and slightly syncopated steps), as drawing in Sparks' video and mentioning samba was suggesting something of that kind. It was new for me; all my salsa teachers so far put more emphasis on usage of rib cage, tried to avoid excessive hip movement, and of course, no bounce (the same with int latin for rumba and cha cha). So I was interested, is it about similar principle, taken from rhythm and adapted to salsa genre and social nature of salsa dancing (so her actions in the video are not that clear / exaggerated)
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Angel HI
Well-Known Member
Am familiar with it....just don't 'completely' like with it.
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Any new info from the workshop ?
Purr
Forum Master
I attended Bill Spark’s Hip Lift Technique workshop yesterday. The event was advertised for teachers, students, professionals, and competitors and about 25 people attended. The workshop was in two forty-five minute sessions, for an hour and a half total.
Bill opened the workshop talking about posture; specifically that good posture came from three areas: lifting up from the base of the neck, pulling down from the tailbone, and tucking in the hips. He also went through several demonstrations that good posture shouldn’t be disturbed when movement occurs.
Bill talked about how Sam Sadono got the idea for Hip Lift Technique from watching a male dancer on the floor lift his hip doing a movement during a competition. He then talked about how Sam Sadono coached Decho Kraev and Bree Watson on the technique, and it successfully catapulted them to the top of the American Rhythm standings. He mentioned several times about how the top American Smooth couples had been invited to Blackpool, and American Rhythm had been left behind. The implication seemed to be that Hip Lift Technique would give American Rhythm a definitive style.
Bill discussed some of the traditional practice exercises for achieving Cuban motion, including press walks and hip switches. With one possible exception, he called them all dysfunctional movements. The exception was a back press walk, when you do a rock step. You step back, on the ball of your foot, your knees are in a check position, you lower the back foot, and your front foot will rise.
Bill talked about what Hip Left Technique looked like. He said if you took traditional figure eight movement and flipped it on its side that would be it. To me, that would look a lot like an infinity symbol from mathematics. Bill led the class through several practices exercises about what Hip Lift Technique is. The first exercise involved keeping the body still (remember good posture), and lifting each hip up. The visual it reminded me of was an old Underalls panty hose commercial. When moving, he talked about getting immediately onto the foot, and engaging the back foot to lift the hip. Several other exercises and drills followed, again emphasizing getting immediately onto the foot and engaging the back foot. At the end of the workshop, Bill said that there was a dance camp coming up for American style dancing, and would include Hip Lift Technique.
Bill opened the workshop talking about posture; specifically that good posture came from three areas: lifting up from the base of the neck, pulling down from the tailbone, and tucking in the hips. He also went through several demonstrations that good posture shouldn’t be disturbed when movement occurs.
Bill talked about how Sam Sadono got the idea for Hip Lift Technique from watching a male dancer on the floor lift his hip doing a movement during a competition. He then talked about how Sam Sadono coached Decho Kraev and Bree Watson on the technique, and it successfully catapulted them to the top of the American Rhythm standings. He mentioned several times about how the top American Smooth couples had been invited to Blackpool, and American Rhythm had been left behind. The implication seemed to be that Hip Lift Technique would give American Rhythm a definitive style.
Bill discussed some of the traditional practice exercises for achieving Cuban motion, including press walks and hip switches. With one possible exception, he called them all dysfunctional movements. The exception was a back press walk, when you do a rock step. You step back, on the ball of your foot, your knees are in a check position, you lower the back foot, and your front foot will rise.
Bill talked about what Hip Left Technique looked like. He said if you took traditional figure eight movement and flipped it on its side that would be it. To me, that would look a lot like an infinity symbol from mathematics. Bill led the class through several practices exercises about what Hip Lift Technique is. The first exercise involved keeping the body still (remember good posture), and lifting each hip up. The visual it reminded me of was an old Underalls panty hose commercial. When moving, he talked about getting immediately onto the foot, and engaging the back foot to lift the hip. Several other exercises and drills followed, again emphasizing getting immediately onto the foot and engaging the back foot. At the end of the workshop, Bill said that there was a dance camp coming up for American style dancing, and would include Hip Lift Technique.
Purr
Forum Master
Larinda's post pretty much sums up Hip Lift Technique. If anyone wants to find out more, I'd suggest going to a workshop or dance camp and then making a decision if it's something they want to add to their dancing. For me, it's just food for thought at this point.
Dancing Irishman
Forum Master
Interesting. When you were doing the walks, did arriving over your foot right away include placing the heel on the floor as well? Or did it follow shortly thereafter?
Purr
Forum Master
This is what I got out of it. It's not a flat footed step. In a forward step, you place the ball of your foot, and then go immediately to flat. There's no press line. It's an efficient movement. Hope this helps.
Mr 4 styles
Forum Master
yup thats how decho and bree taught it to us before they gave it a name lol
Dancing Irishman
Forum Master
Gotcha, makes sense! Sorry to keep grilling you (or anyone else knowledgable) with questions, but did they push for students to shift to a solely vertical plane figure 8, or just add the vertical element in? Basically, did they insist that the hips be square as you walk forward or let them be on a diagonal.
Purr, thanks for new info about that. However, I still have problems imagining what it looks like. I dance int. latin, that is different than rhythm anyway
First thing I would like to know is how steps are actually timed. For instance, in int. latin (rumba or cha cha cha), we generally place the foot on the beat and transfer the weight after the beat and this transfer isn't that fast (this is something like a general rule and written in the books). This way of movement seems to be transferred from cuban Son and other cuban dances in the past (I don't know exact history and it's not the point atm)
On the other side, in salsa (like in the clip I posted), usual way is to place the foot just slightly ahead the beat and do much faster weight transfer on the beat and release the other foot. As a consequence, body and hip movement is considerably different. Similar principle is used in some other dances danced socially among salseros. This approach was new to me and needed getting used to
Other question, at the very moment of actual weigh transfer, what is the position of the hips? For instance you transfer the weight to the left foot. Which hip is higher at exactly that moment - left or right and in which direction goes that movement (which side is going up and which down)
I'm not sure am I clear to you with these questions - if not, I'll try asking some other way
Thanks
Edit: I found a video of the couple you mentioned. Do you see something of that technique applied (probably not easy to spot, as it's not really something like a basic movement)
Purr
Forum Master
Bill referred to a lot of movement as dysfunctional, and hip switching was one of them. Actually, almost all of the practice exercises that I was taught to achieve Cuban motion would be termed dysfunctional. The only thing consistent was the back rock exercise.
Someone else more knowledgeable than me is going to have to answer.
Purr
Forum Master
I'm sorry, but the workshop didn't get into timing much, as it was an introduction for many folks, including myself. Someone else is going to have to chime in. And yes, I see a few things from the video.
With regards to your last question, let's say I take a step to the right (I'm a follow). I arrive on the ball of my foot, and go to flat immediately. I can't have two feet flat at the same time, so the other foot is going to go to ball. I'm going to have a lot of pressure on the other foot, using the floor. The hip on the side of other foot is going to be higher. That's what I got out of it. Keep in mind I'm only a student, and rhythm isn't my stronger style.
I hope everyone with interest has the opportunity to go to a workshop and/or class themselves to learn more. That way, you can see it for yourselves, and decide if it's something you want to add, or not, to your dancing repertoire (hope that's the right word).