4/4 Basic Shimmy - Stand in Neutral
Posture and push the hips up and down (not side to side) using muscles in the
upper legs, not the waist. Keep your
weight on both feet and pump knees in opposition to each other, but do not
allow them to fully straighten.
Shoulders and hands are relaxed.
Neutral
Posture - Feet are parallel, flat on the floor with the ankle aligned over the center of
the foot. The pelvis is neutral (not
tilted forward or back) right under the ribcage. The abs are pulled in and up, to support the
spine and allow the mid-back to relax.
The knees are bent right over the toes, chest neutral, neck long,
shoulders and hands relaxed.
Basic Shimmy
Choo-Choo - In
Neutral Posture with feet and knees nearly touching, step from foot to foot,
pumping your knees to move your hips sharply up and down with the beat. When you step on the right foot, the right
hip goes up, and vice versa.
Swing
Shimmy - Standing in Neutral Posture, push the hips up and out to one side then the
other, making a "smiley" with the bellybutton, but keeping the head, chest, and
shoulders still. For the 3/4 Swing
Shimmy (right-middle-right, left-middle-left), make sure that "one is as big as
two."
It is important to keep pelvis neutral, knees bent, and ankles straight!
Note: to avoid knee strain, keep knees bent!
Twist Shimmy - Standing in Neutral
Posture, twist your hips forward and back, keeping the hip movement in one
plane (hips do not move not up and down).
The hands, shoulders, and chest remain relaxed and still.