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I seem to have difficulty with the lower half of the body wave. Are there some tips and visuals that someone can provide to help me over this hump. I have been dancing for almost one year and I am still stuck on this. Thanks! Joan
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Wisconsin
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Re: Difficulty with body wave
Tue, June 30, 2009 - 3:10 PMWhat is the problem you're having with it?
Number one thing I'd say is make sure you are keeping your knees soft, so the movement can roll down through your hips. -
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Re: Difficulty with body wave
Wed, July 1, 2009 - 8:16 AMThanks for your response. The issue I am having is after I scoop forward with my chest and bring the wave up over and down my back, my butt/hips want to swing back and not tuck forward. I am a very visual person and was hoping for a visual to help me complete the move. I have tried standing against a wall and curving my back against it for the upper half of the move and that seems to work, it is the bottom have that I can't seem to get.
Thanks. Joan -
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Re: Difficulty with body wave
Wed, July 1, 2009 - 11:48 AMJoan,
I had the same problem. I was focusing too much on the upper half. My newest instructor (Hi Joyce!) describes it like this:
After you bring the chest forward, up, and lean back for the top half, then you engage the abdomen in "steps". Think about contracting the top of your abdomen, then the middle, then the bottom which should result in the tuck/release look for the bottom half. Kind of like the motion your body naturally makes when you're about to sit down on a chair.
I agree with the previous post too, don't forget soft knees!
Now if I could just stop leading with my chin...
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Re: Difficulty with body wave
Wed, July 1, 2009 - 2:04 PMThe way I learned the body wave, is that it's not so much a chest forward motion as it is a chest lift. Think of it more as the chest lifting up as the very first part of the movement. Then moving back and rolling down through the hips.
Perhaps focusing on the chest going forward may lead to things like "chin leading" and/or having the rear-end sticking out backwards to compensate for the chest motion forward. The chest lift may help to avoid both of them. :)
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Re: Difficulty with body wave
Thu, July 2, 2009 - 12:25 AMmake sure that you are keeping your knees soft. If you are locking them, chances are, you'll contract your lower back, which is the opposite of what you want.
Also, be conscious of your lower body posture in general. contracting the lower abs will keep you from contracting your lower back.
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Re: Difficulty with body wave
Fri, July 3, 2009 - 11:06 AMGreat visual. Will give it a try. Thanks to all who replied with great tips. I am expecting success! jms
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Re: Difficulty with body wave
Fri, July 31, 2009 - 5:33 PMYou are taking good notes Brighton!
I do teach the body wave exactly as she describes; we start with breaking down the upper part into three sections "out" "lift up" and "lean back" to get everyone used to knowing where those points are, but the movement definitely gets softer and smaller as we smoth it out and do continuous body waves (and I mention this constantly "smaller and controlled is far more beautiful that out of control like the "worm" of the late 80s").
Oh, and I promise I do not try to exhibit said worm :)
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Re: Difficulty with body wave
Tue, July 7, 2009 - 7:19 AMTry turning around to face the wall to practice so that your chest is touching it and everything below that is almost touching it. Think about peeling away as you do the body wave; as your chest is lifting and moving back y keep your lower abs engaged so your pelvis will just touch the wall, and as your chest comes back to center your pelvis will be the last thing to move away from the wall to your start position. I found this exercise worked better for me and some of my students, by actually touching the wall with my torso I could feel which muscles had to be activated. -
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Re: Difficulty with body wave
Tue, July 7, 2009 - 10:49 AMdoing body wave while facing the wall helps train the chest to lift up and back vs. forward-up-back.....can't go forward if the wall is right there. -
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Re: Difficulty with body wave
Tue, July 7, 2009 - 11:24 AMTry initiating a top-to-bottom belly roll as the undulation hits the top of the abs and goes through the pelvis. You might get a better feel for the pelvis tuck aspect. -
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Re: Difficulty with body wave
Tue, July 7, 2009 - 12:04 PMJust be aware that the Belly Roll is not part of the movement. The support given by the abdominals to allow you to roll the spine is a different thing from standing in place and using the abdominals to create a roll in the belly. The effects should be showing up in different areas. One in the whole of the torso, the other in the belly area only. Just like there is no undulation during a Belly Roll, there is no Belly Roll in the Bodywave.
But, PF, I see what you are saying with trying to get in touch with the abdominal contraction sequence by using that as an exercise to find certain muscles. I just wanted to make the above clear on the movement itself.
Carry on...
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Re: Difficulty with body wave
Tue, July 7, 2009 - 3:33 PMI like this drill. I'm decent with the wave, but I tend to go forward instead of up. Thanks!
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Re: Difficulty with body wave
Tue, July 7, 2009 - 10:39 AMOne image that has worked for me is the idea of the abdomen as a kind of balloon or ball that inflates and stretches into an oblong shape at the top of the body wave, ending back in a ball shape as the body wave is completed. I like the idea of thinking of my abdomen as expanding rather than my back curving - this helps me keep my hips more stationary. Also, I've found that the openness of my chest really affects my ability to do this move. On days when my chest is not as open and my shoulders are too tight and overengaged, everything below it seems to be less open as well, causing my butt/hips to pull up instead of down. Hope that helps.
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Re: Difficulty with body wave
Tue, July 7, 2009 - 11:05 AMThe ladies have great advice... I'd like to add....
Keep it small. Don't try and exaggerate the movement to make it look like FC. The smaller and more isolated you keep it, the more strenght you will build and it will have the 'appearance' of a movement that is much bigger.
Cheers!
Carrie -
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Re: Difficulty with body wave
Tue, July 7, 2009 - 11:56 AMCarrie's right. I usually say this movement is between the neck and the knees. Your head should stay in place, as should your feet. Shoulders are resting in their positions (no forced shoulder movements). So, the movement will only be as big as you are mobile within the middle area with the coordinated contractions of the mid-back and abdominal muscles. It does not need to be a big movement. The beauty of it is in the undulation and continuous flow. The variations are what bring more depth.
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Re: Difficulty with body wave
Tue, July 7, 2009 - 4:15 PMTooooootally. I remember when I first started watching FC do body waves and torso rotations, and I tried to make these big, deep movements. It was when I grew my dance and my perception of the movement that I realized it wasn't such a big move after all--it just has such intense control and articulation, it *looks* like a bigger move than it is. So, too, with so many ATS moves. Building strength and control is the way to gain real POWER with it! I tell my students now it is all "smoke and mirrors" and try to help them see the illusion of size of movement that comes with control of movement....
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Re: Difficulty with body wave
Tue, July 7, 2009 - 1:05 PMThank you ladies. Very good information and visuals for me to try out and to work with. Joan -
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Re: Difficulty with body wave
Wed, July 8, 2009 - 1:10 AMHere is a suggestion for a visual.
I discovered this when sitting at my computer late one night, I caught myself in the reflection of the window doing a huge yawn, the type you do when no one is watching. I repeated this with a body wave, and felt like a penny had dropped.
I've given this hot tip to new girls struggling with this move and it really helps them get it......much to my teachers disapproval.
What do you think?? -
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Re: Difficulty with body wave
Mon, September 7, 2009 - 6:57 AMJoan, I know you don't live near the ocean, but you do vacation from time to time. Next time you have the opportunity, go into the ocean and let the waves move your body. Your body will naturally do a bodywave as the wave comes in and then goes back out. In the meantime, you might try to imagine you are in the ocean? -
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Re: Difficulty with body wave
Tue, September 8, 2009 - 3:18 PMYessss!! got it!! Thanks for this one!
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Re: Difficulty with body wave
Mon, September 7, 2009 - 7:17 AMAll of these suggestions are very helpful, thank you ladies!
