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I'm learning more and more that small steps are needed, in general, in ATS. I'm thinking the camel is no exception. As far as I understand it, it begins like this:
R foot steps pretty much in place, and there's a centering over the right, but not a step off to the right, gaze goes slightly to the right as well.
R arm plunges down in front of the right side of the body, as if the palm's gently pushing something to the floor.
L arm floats up and out to the left on left side, to be eventually pointing upward, parallel with the head/neck.
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Is this right? Corrections are appreciated. I've noticed a tiny change in any one of these things really changes the look/feel/mood of the move.
R foot steps pretty much in place, and there's a centering over the right, but not a step off to the right, gaze goes slightly to the right as well.
R arm plunges down in front of the right side of the body, as if the palm's gently pushing something to the floor.
L arm floats up and out to the left on left side, to be eventually pointing upward, parallel with the head/neck.
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Is this right? Corrections are appreciated. I've noticed a tiny change in any one of these things really changes the look/feel/mood of the move.
posted by:
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Wisconsin
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Re: Camel
Wed, August 5, 2009 - 8:16 AMHere is a full description of this particular move. Hope it helps; it helped me.
Camelwalk
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Cue: as you rise up on the toes, bring the left arm straight up and plunge the right arm straight down. As a pre-cue there seems to be a slight movement of the left arm down and the right arm up just before the actual cue, almost like a wind-up.
This step can travel slowly to the right or stay in place. This step is arrhythmic, but it can be thought of as having four segments. Three of the segments take place on the ball of the right foot, all the weight forward. The last segment takes place on the flat left foot. During each segment, the knee of the supporting leg is lined up over the toes.
Step out to the right and draw your center over the right foot. Then bend the right knee and drop straight down as far as possible. As you drop, with NO WEIGHT on the left leg, slide the left foot out to the side with the toe pointed. When the weight is active on the right foot, turn the left foot on a slight angle so the side of the big toe brushes the floor. Be sure to have NO WEIGHT on the left foot to avoid injury. Draw straight back up. With the head level, and the left leg straight, draw the left leg in under the center of the body until it touches the right foot. Shift your weight completely onto the left foot. As you re-center, let your body even out with a small torso rotation.
Arms: As you take the first step forward on the right foot, press the right arm straight down and let the left arm float up over the head. As you bend the right knee, plunge the left arm down and let the right arm float up. As you stand, plunge the right arm down again and let the left arm float up. -
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Re: Camel
Fri, August 7, 2009 - 4:42 AMOkay. This helps a little. But I'm going to ask some more questions, not to be a pain, but because I've been experiencing and seeing some of these variations that make the move look so different. I try to improve my own ATS comprehension from every time I dance with someone as well as when I'm watching video clips of lots of ATS troupes. (When I watch them, I look to see what works, what doesn't, what seems different, and what seems out of character in comparison/contrast with what I've learned in my own studies, including GS. It's not me being snarky; it's me taking everything I see as a learning possibility so I can understand ATS better and, consequently, dance and eventually teach it better.)
1. There is a step that goes into the rise up on toes. It is my understanding that step with the right foot is centered, or just where the foot normally falls, and it is a step in place, not going too far ahead. A variation I often see is what looks like a R. foot step to the diagonal right or a step to the right, and this is in varying degrees (sometimes, a little step, otherwise, a huge step).
2. I've understood the right arm to plunge straight down, which is why I'm always a little perplexed to see variations in which the right arm plunges via a little side sweep to the right, then rises back up the same way, causing this visual see-saw arm effect.
How much of these two variations is considered okay? Or are these things I'm calling variations really the norm, and I've been doing this wrong the whole time? -
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Re: Camel
Fri, August 7, 2009 - 9:50 AM1. I call the first step a false step, since you really aren't taking a step. You are just re-centering your weight onto the ball of the right foot, so your upright body shifts slightly forward and right. Gaze looking towards the right hand, without the head angling down. No leaning!
2. No see saw! Rt arm plunges down like pushing a ball underwater. Lft arm floats up. -
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Re: Camel
Fri, August 7, 2009 - 3:27 PMThank you. This confirms what I originally thought, though I just realized I need to make sure I don't overcompensate with the right foot. (By stepping too much toward the center.) Not to mention I'm relieved to hear "no see saw!" I don't like how that looks.
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Re: Camel
Wed, August 12, 2009 - 11:20 AMPlunge R am down at the end? I've always done it as a sort of 'both arms float to default position' for the small torso rotation. -
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Re: Camel
Wed, August 12, 2009 - 3:49 PMRight. The arms get wider at each section. No plunging at the end! -
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Re: Camel
Sun, October 18, 2009 - 2:31 PMI learned the one arm camel at GS last week. I k now it ends with a body wave rather than a torso rotation that the 2 arm does. In my notes, I cannot make out what the set up of the move is. Sandi, can you please step through it? Thanks. jms -
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Re: Camel
Mon, November 16, 2009 - 1:33 PMI meant to come back to this, but kept forgetting. Sorry!
The one-armed Camel is easiest to catch if you set up in a one-armed Taxeem or Circle Step. That way, it becomes an option in the one-armed vocabulary. The feet do the same thing as the regular Camel, but the left arm is at shoulder level and the right arm is at the hip, in posture. The head turns are less extreme. It is a very subtle move.
Hope that helps! -
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Re: Camel
Sat, November 21, 2009 - 10:10 AMone armed camel is great to use if you have a sword balanced on ya head!!
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