4/4 Shimmy
Stand with your knees slightly bent and your feet together with
the pelvis tucked underneath you comfortably. Now straighten
the right leg (do not lock it). Next straighten (keep it soft do not
lock it) the left leg while bending the right leg. The movement
comes from the thighs and the weight is placed evenly on both
feet. The faster you go the smaller the movement will get. When
done very fast this is generally condidered a "flutter" or "vibration"
Sliding Shimmy
While doing a very small fast shimmy (also known as a flutter)
slide your hips out to the right, back to center, and out to the left,
then back to center. The weight is mostly on the right when
sliding right, mostly on the left when sliding left, and evenly
distributed when you come back to center.
Figure Eight Shimmy
While doing a very small fast shimmy (also known as a flutter)
you then add a horizontal or verticle figure eight. For horizontal
figure eights the weight is mostly on the right when you go out to
the right, mostly on the left when you go out to the left, and evenly
distributed when you come back in to the center.
Horizontal Demonstrations:
Vertical Demonstrations
3/4 Shimmy
(Also known as a walking shimmy.) Start with your knees bent
slightly and your feet together underneath you. Step onto your
right foot and put all your weight on that foot then straighten you
right knee, bend it again, and then straighten it again. Now step
onto the left foot and put all your weight into that foot and
straighten your left knee, bend it again and then straighten it
again. It is essentially two shakes on each hip. There are many
variations on 3/4 shimmies some people teach it as an up and up
movement others teach it as a down and down movement. Some
teach it as an out and out, up and out, out and up, or even a
twisting forward and back movement done to a 3/4 timing.
Although not all variations are described here several are shown
below. The downward versions are sometimes called "down hips"
or "Sohair Zaki Hips" because it was her signature movement.
Below are several examples of different variations although this
written description describes simply and up and up type. You
could reverse the directions for a down and down.
Movements start after 5:00 featuring variations
3/4 Shimmy with a Twist (Forward)
This step is done pretty much the same as a regular 3/4 shimmy
(aka up and up) only instead of stepping straight forward you step
across in front of your other foot twisting that hip forward. The
standing leg is always the one that causes the shimmy. The heel
should turn in when twisting. The back foot is the one that is
twisted on.
Variation shown in demo is using a 3/4 down shimmy with a twist, but is very similar to the above described 3/4 up shimmy with a twist. She is mostly standing in place but moves forward a little so you can get the idea.
3/4 Shimmy with a Twist (Backward)
This is the reverse of the forward 3/4 shimmy with a twist the only
difference with this move is that you step backward instead of
forward. The heel should still turn in. The front foot is the one
that is twisted on. This one is often more difficult to master than
the forward.
3/4 Shimmy with a Hitch
Stand with your feet together underneath you and your knees
slightly bent. Step right and push the hip out. Now step left and
push the hip out. now step right and push the hip out and out.
then the same thing on the left side; left, right, left and left. The
weight is placed mostly on the right when your using your right
and mostly on the left when your using your left.
3/4 Shimmy in a Circle
Start in the basic position. Now transfer your weight to the right
foot and push your hips out to the right and then out to the front.
Now transfer the weight to the left foot and push your hips out to
the left and then out to the back. Now layer the 3/4 shimmy on.
When you step right, straighten the right leg, bend, and
straighten again. Now when you step left straighten the left leg,
bend, and straighten again. This can also be done with a very
small fast shimmy also known as a flutter instead of a 3/4 which
often works better if the hip circle is a slow circle. Faster circles
work well with both the 3/4 and the flutter.
Flamenco Shimmy 1
Stand with your feet together underneath you and your knees
slightly bent. Step forward with your right heel, then back
underneath you with your left ball,right ball, left ball. Heel, Ball,
Ball, Ball. Flat, Up, Up, Up.
Flamenco Shimmy 2
Stand with your feet together underneath you and your knees
slightly bent. Step forward with your right heel, then back
underneath you with your left ball, right ball, then forward with
your left heel. Heel, Ball, Ball, Heel. Flat, Up, Up, Flat.
ChooChoo Shimmy 1
Stand with your feet together underneath you and your knees
slightly bent, feet flat on the floor. Shuffle your feet across the
floor allowing the hips to go along for the ride. Your weight should
be placed equally on both feet. The shuffling sounds like a train
going chuga-chuga chuga-chuga which is where many say it get's
it's name from. The movement can also be done on the balls of
the feet as demonstrated in the video below..
ChooChoo Shimmy 2
Stand with your feet together underneath you and your knees
slightly bent. Shuffle your feet across the floor stepping slightly
forward with the right foot, then forward with the left foot, then
backward with the right foot, and then forward with the left. The left
is always going forward but the right goes forward then back
then forward again. Your weight should be placed equally on
both feet. The hips will follow along.
3 Count
Stand with your feet together underneath you and your knees
slightly bent. Step right, left, right. Step left, right, left. The hip
goes up or down with each step. This is similar to a step ball-
change (tap/ballet). You can add any movement to this or simply
let your hips swing with your steps which will make it a sort of 3/4
shimmy.
5 Count
Stand with your feet together underneath you and your knees
slightly bent. Step right. Step left. Step right, left, right. Step
left. Step right. Step left, right, left. 1, 2, 3 4 5. Counts 3,4,and
5 are similar to a step ball-change(tap/ballet). The hip goes up
or down with each step.
Horizontal Shimmy
This is essentially a twist, a very small very fast twist. To do this
stand with your feet underneath you and your knees slightly bent,
now twist your right hip forward just a teeny tiny bit, staying
parallel with the floor. Next twist the left hip forward just a teeny
tiny bit still staying parrallel with the floor. Start out slow if you
have to and then build up speed gradually as you practice. The
end result should be a very small and very fast twisting motion.
Forward and Back Shimmy
This shimmy is done by tucking and releasing the pelvis in a very
small very fast way. You must be careful to keep the emphasis
on the release (backward motion) or it will look crude and
offensive. If done incorrectly with the emphasis on the tuck
(forward motion) it will just look like your thrusting your pelvis at
your audience. Remember to keep it as small and refined as you
can with the emphasis on the release (backward motion).
Standing with your feet underneath you and your knees slightly
bent and your pelvis in a neutral position tuck your pelvis
underneath you so that it comes forward and then quickly release
it again so it goes out behind you. Keep it small. The emphasis
staying on the release.
