How to do foot dance moves
7 Tips That Will Take Your Footwork To The Next Level
Footwork is ESSENTIAL when you dance!
If you’re not moving your feet, then you’re not utilizing your whole body to create a complete movement!
Keone, Bam, and Lyle can show you just how effective footwork can be – ON ITS OWN:
So how do we train our feet and legs to take our freestyle and choreography to the next level?
Or even just to move ‘em naturally so we don’t look so stiff?!
We’ve got 7 training tips that you should start doing today to take you from footwork.. to foot-werrrrk.
1. Know where your weight is
Let’s start with the basics – stabilizing your balance.
To do this, feel how your weight is distributed through each move.
For example, if you have to lift your left foot up, then most of your weight should be on your right foot.
Maintain a sturdy base the next time you dance and you’ll notice how much more controlled your bottom half is!
Play around with different positions, whether it’s on one foot or both, so you get comfortable with where your weight is and how to shift between them.
See Related Article: Want To Dance With More Control? Read THIS.
2. Stay on the balls of your feet
When we asked Carlo Darang for tips for his fast-moving pieces, here’s what he had to share.
"Always try to be light-footed and ready to move from one part of the floor to another!
If you dance on your toes and heels and not set everything your entire foot, then it’s kind of like jump-roping – you’ll be ready to jump from one place to another.
This skill is like a triple-threat for basketball players, or even your ready stance for football players… for us dancers, it’s the same thing, same idea – be in a position where it’s easy for you to go anywhere."
So when you’re dancing, don’t always be flat footed! Being on the balls of your feet will help you spring and rebound off the floor much more easily.
Watch him in action in his STEEZY Studio class!
Thanks for the tips, Carlo!
See Related Article: How To Execute Choreography Better By Utilizing Your Body With Carlo Darang
3. Take it high and low
Footwork doesn’t just involve your FEET.
You can utilize your LEGS to can take your body to different levels and make your changes look more drastic.
Bend your knees to dip it low (cue Christina Milian~) and releve to reach up high.
The more burn you feel in your thighs and calves, the more dynamic your dancing is. Just kidding.
But do incorporate high and low levels to jazz up your dancing!
4. Don’t be afraid of the floor
I’m one of those people that groan when the choreographer says “there’s a little bit of floorwork..”
But once I do it, I realize how awesome it is.
For starters, it trains your athleticism by taking your body out of its comfort zone of being upright.
Second, it makes the piece look so much more dynamic because that whole level change to get to the floor is a chance to do something cool.
And lastly, working with the floor opens up a whole new door for creative choreography concepts!
You can use your hands to trace things on the floor, lay down flat and do some synchronized-swimming-esque leg movements, swivel around on your knees.
It’s like having a dance partner to work off of – except your partner is flat and unmoving.
For inspiration, check out how Chris Martin plays with the floor in his STEEZY Studio piece:
5. Travel!
Using your legs means that you can MOOOOVE.
Like literally. Move across the floor.
Get out of your box and use steps to travel! It’ll add another dimension to your dancing and bring the audience along with you for the ride.
When you’re choreographing, try challenging yourself for a segment to come up with a way to dance from point A to point B maybe 10 feet away.
When you freestyle and feel yourself repeating the same steps you can utilize those same steps but change them in direction to travel!
6. Drill steps
Drill steps that you find in footwork-heavy styles like House and B-boying.
A big key here is repetition.
If you do the loose leg or 6-step a zillion times, then your feet are going to become conditioned to move in those combinations without you even trying.
This will also allow you to be more creative with variations of those steps!
So when you encounter a tricky step or piece of footwork, don’t just get through it but master it so you’ll be ready for next time.
7. Polish your turns
A sloppy turn can totally ruin the flow of a piece. You don’t want to clumsily jump out of a turn!
Here are some tips to make your turns clean:
Engage your core musclesImagine a line from the ceiling to your head, to your toes, to the floor.
You want to stay in that alignment as you visualize your turn – Plie for leverage, Spot!
TURN UP your piece or freestyle with some clean ass turns!
Same as any other step, turns just take a lot of repetition to master.
See Related Article: The Class You Need To Unlock Your Dancer Potential
Ready to get those feet moving? Comment below with something that helps you with your footwork!
We recommend Ray Basa, Julian Sena, Carlo Darang, or Paul Ross’ classes on STEEZY Studio to train for quicker, more dynamic footwork.
Happy (feet) learning!
These TikTok Shuffle Tutorials Teach You The Moves & Grooves Of This Epic Dance
Lifestyle
By Kelly Pau
simonkr/E+/Getty Images
By now you should know there's never a dull moment on TikTok, and a dance trend that's sweeping everyone off their feet — literally — is the shuffle. This dance can look a little intimidating, but it's totally worth the effort of getting all the moves down. So, don't fret, because these TikTok shuffle tutorials will get you moving and grooving onto everyone's For You page.
The shuffle has a few different moves, like the running man and the leg wave. Once you've mastered the steps, you can get creative with stringing them together to create your own choreo that is fun and totally brand new. To learn to shuffle, you'll need some space to practice your moves, your fave song to practice to, and a laptop to watch the tutorials on. Soon enough, you'll be ready to film your own shuffle video.
You can even gather the housemates for an LOL-worthy activity the whole crew can be a part of. Once you and your squad are done laughing and shuffling over one another, you can film yourselves doing a group shuffle video for a TikTok that's sure to impress. Your followers will think you're master dancers when they see how coordinated your dance team is, and soon they'll be hitting you up to make your own TikTok shuffle tutorials.
01
This Step-By-Step Tutorial Shows Shuffle Moves From Three TikTokers
Your feet will definitely feel happy and groovin' after you follow this comprehensive tutorial on shuffling. From the running man, to the leg wave, to diagonal shuffling, you'll be the star of your own show after watching these steps.
02
This Tutorial Slows All The Footwork Down
It's easy to get lost in all the steps of the shuffle. Luckily, this TikTok tutorial shows you where each foot goes and when. By the end of the video, you'll be shuffling along to your own beat.
03
This TikTok Shuffle Tutorial Will Make You Look So Cool
You'll feel so fresh after mastering this TikTok shuffle tutorial to Earth, Wind & Fire. All your followers will give you an applause once they see how easy you make the shuffle look.
04
This Tutorial Teaches The Charleston
The Charleston reverse leg swing sounds like it's a move reserved for experts, but this tutorial breaks it down so you can bust your moves on your own TikTok. Don't forget to pair your TikTok with a witty caption like, "Getting jazzed up."
05
This Shuffle Tutorial Is On Pointe
TikTokGive your shuffle an extra dose of flair by adding some pointed toes to your dance. This footwork is full of different moves that are so much fun nailing down and making your own.
06
This Heel Toe Cross Tutorial Will Add A Microbounce To Your Step
Your followers will be mesmerized when you show off your new footwork combination. The heel toe cross uses microbounce techniques to make your moves appear a little bit faster and a lot more impressive. While that might sound intimidating, this move is fun for beginner and expert shufflers alike.
07
This TikTok Tutorial Combines Cowtails And Heel Toe Travel
Another movement combination is the cowtail to heel toe travel. Swipe one leg behind the other, and then do it again on the other leg. Next, cross your feet over each other from heel to toe to look like you're sliding along the floor. This combo is great for gaining extra movement in your video.
08
This Shuffle Tutorial Uses Arm Gestures For Emphasis
TikTokShuffling is often all about footwork, but you can't just leave your arms hanging. To work your arms as much as your legs, follow this TikTok tutorial that uses head nods and gestures for extra emphasis. Your dance moves will be as #lit as this TikToker's shoes are.
09
This Shuffle Tutorial Will Slide You Into Dance History
This shuffle move will have you hooked with free-flowing footwork, and the way it makes you feel as though you're floating along the floor. Your followers will be impressed with how easy and breezy you look.
10
This Leg Slide Tutorial Is A Classic Shuffle Move
TikTokNo shuffle is complete without a classic leg slide. This fun and easy footwork is the perfect way to top off your choreography. Not to mention, you'll look so casual and laidback while you do it that your followers will think you've been dancing for years.
11
This Tutorial Will Teach You An Entire Dance Combination
To really perfect your shuffle moves, you need to string them into seamless choreography. Thankfully, this dance tutorial does all the thinking for you, as it teaches you an entire combination to look like a pro so much faster. Your basic footwork and transition moves will be covered from heel to toe in this handy shuffle tutorial.
How to learn to dance shuffle - Lifehacker
December 15, 2019LikbezSports and Fitness
Master the basic movements, and then improvise and get high.
Iya Zorina
Author of Lifehacker, athlete, CCM
Share
0This dance style includes a lot of freedom and improvisation. That is why he is so good. You can master the basic movements in a couple of hours, and then complicate them to infinity and combine them with each other, create your own combinations and spy on others.
Dance in sneakers, socks or barefoot, in any outfit, anywhere.
Master the basic movements of the shuffle
In this style, you do all the basic movements with your feet, your arms most often move freely - according to your heart.
Running man
This is the most basic and essential shuffle movement. You can do it in three different ways.
Full foot
The movement begins by bending your knee and lifting one leg. Next, you need to simultaneously put both legs - supporting and raised - at a distance of one step from each other.
The raised leg is placed forward on a full foot, the standing one behind slips back on the ball of the foot and remains on it - the heel is not placed on the floor. The weight is evenly distributed between the two legs.
After that, it remains to return to the starting position. To do this, the front leg slides back, and at the same time, the back leg is pulled up. You find yourself in the starting position and repeat the cycle. The movement itself is soft and springy: do not stick into the floor, keep your legs relaxed.
Heel
This is a lighter and faster running man look that may be needed for some combinations. Here you put your foot not on the whole foot, but on the heel. At the same time, the one standing behind remains on the toe.
On pads
In this variation, the foot is placed forward on the pad. At the same time, the one standing behind also remains on the ball of the foot, and the body leans slightly back.
T‑step
In this movement, one foot constantly makes a “herringbone” - turns the heel in and out - and the second touches the floor and immediately rises back.
When the heel of the skating leg turns inward, the toe of the other leg touches the floor; when outward, the other leg rises, turning the knee inward.
It turns out two positions: closed - when the legs are wrapped with the knees inward, and one leg is raised, and open - when the legs are turned out with the knees outward, and the toe touches the floor. Practice doing the T‑step in both directions: slowly at first, then with acceleration.
Rocking
You jump on one foot, and the other touches the floor in different places: on the side of the supporting leg, across, behind - anywhere you want. You can put your foot on the toe or on the heel - the latter is called a kick. The supporting leg can simply rise low or perform a T-step - move the heel out and in.
Charleston
To begin, you turn your knees and toes inward and lift one leg. Then turn your toes and knees outward, and put your raised leg forward crosswise. Repeat the same with the other leg.
All movement occurs on the balls of the feet, the heels do not fall to the floor. You can move both forward and backward.
Diamond
First you put your feet crosswise with your toes outward with a jump, then you also spread your legs apart with a jump.
Slides
One leg is straight, stands on the whole foot, the other is with a bent knee on the pad. Leaning on the pad, you slip the foot of a straight leg back, as if wiping the sole on the floor.
Immediately after the slip, you turn around. In the turn, the straight leg bends and goes to the pad, and the one that was on the pad, on the contrary, turns on the heel. After that, it remains only to change legs and move in the same way in the other direction.
Scissors
From the starting position - standing with a raised leg, as in Running man - you turn your hips to the side with a jump and put your legs crosswise.
The front foot is on the heel, the back foot is on the ball. Then you jump back to the starting position and do the same on the other side.
Sidekick
From the starting position, you turn your hips to the side with a jump and spread your legs a step apart from each other. The standing foot in front is placed on the heel, the standing one behind remains on the pillow. Then, with a jump, you collect your legs and do the same on the other side.
Try other variations of the basic shuffle movements
You can perform the basic movements in different directions: forward and backward, turning around. This will give you more freedom to improvise.
Variations Running man
Do several times in place and then turn around. You can also try walking this way to the side. Each time the leg will need to be placed slightly crossed in order to slowly move to the side.
Variations T‑step
You can lower your foot on the toe, on the whole foot, touch the floor to the side of the supporting leg or forward and behind it.
You can also keep the other leg off the floor at all - leave it on the toe and turn the knee in and out.
Variations Diamond
Here one more element is added to the movement – the heel strike. In the starting position, you wrap the toes of the feet and knees inward, and then jump on the heels, turning the socks to the sides.
From this position, without jumping, you turn your toes and knees inward, cross your legs with a jump, turning your feet with your toes outward, and then return to the starting position.
Charleston Variations
After three turns of the Charleston, turn both toes in one direction and then in the other. At the end, you can turn the knee to the side.
Connect familiar shuffle moves
While you lack the skills to move freely and come up with something of your own, learn a few combinations. They contain interesting movements that will replenish your dance vocabulary.
Combination 1
This is a simple combination of two basic movements - Running man and T-step. First take five Running man steps, then four T-steps to the side and repeat the same in the opposite direction.
Combination 2
Another combination of two basic movements. Here you do three Running mans, then one T‑step with a back foot touch, and two front heel touch kicks. The same on the other side.
Combination 3
There are no standard steps here, but there are already familiar Sidekick and transition from heels to toes.
Learn more difficult combinations
We will add some videos with good combinations.
1. Cool video for beginners: movements are repeated in slow motion to make it easier to dance to the music.
2. And here the combination is analyzed step by step in slow motion, dividing it into three parts. Very comfortably. Look for more on this channel, there are several such analyzes.
3. There is no slowdown here, just a great combination. But you already know almost all the movements, so you can figure it out. If something is not clear, watch the video at a speed of 0.25.
Pick up the music and improvise
Surely you have favorite songs to shuffle to. Turn them on and start with basic movements: just do the Running man and periodically add different elements when you want. Move in different directions, relax and have fun.
If you don't have favorite tracks, try our selection.
I must say that the shuffle is an amazing cardio workout. In just a couple of tracks, you will be out of breath and sweat, like after a run, but you will feel absolutely happy!
What's more, if you have to force yourself to keep going while running, shuffle requires you to have the willpower to stop and not dance. As a bonus - a short video from a beginner after a couple of hours of practice.
Shuffle is cool!
Read also 🕺💃🤸♀️
- Dancing as a sport: choosing the right direction
- Dance and movement therapy: how to know and change yourself through movement
- How to learn to dance: video lessons for those who are not afraid to try
- How to learn street dancing without leaving home
- Zumba is a fun way to lose weight for those who love dancing
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Basic elements in Hip-hop (practice)
Exemplary team Dance and sports club AJAX #RedPAntherscrew
Hip-Hop basics
Learning the basics. 16 initial movements
Each dance is based on the basic elements on which it is built. The same applies to Hip-Hop
After the student has caught the approximate nature of the movements and understood what he is moving and how, we begin to acquaint him with the base.
Important. The second and third stages take place simultaneously.
We take 2-3 new movements at each lesson. We disassemble. Adding hands.
At the end - freestyle, to secure all the material.
In this way, we repeat and consolidate the old material and impose new material on it, which allows the student to accumulate knowledge, and not learn new things every time and forget. Every student must know the basics.
Here are 16 basic moves and their variations on the basis of which you can make a combination:
1. Steve Martin 2.Running man 3.Kick 4.Roger Rabbit 5.Alf (March Step) 6.Kriss Kross 7.ShamRock 8.PartyDuke 9. Monestery 10.Bart Simpson 11.Bobby Brown
12.Happy Feet 13.Sponge Bob 14.PartyMachine 15.Atl Stomp 16.Reebok
Basic hip hop elements
Old school (1979 - 1990) Basic old school hip hop elements
- Basic Bounce Combo
- Two step The simplest movement found in many hip-hop dances. "One" - a step towards the launch vehicle. "Two" - the second leg is substituted for the PH. The movement is repeated on the other leg. Step stand to the side, forward, diagonally, loop back.
- Step slide, slide step , Glide , Circle Glide / Turn Glide
- March step with movement. Combination with kick - kick - raise the knee - stand with a body turn. Mandatory accented pumping. We raise the knee and rebound back, without swinging, lifting the leg from the calf muscle.
- Criss cross step on the rise with a jump, cross - initial, add lower back on the sides, knees bent. Add diaphragm and uncomplicated hands. Do not strain your neck and back!
- Criss Cross Variations
- Humpty Dance Humpty Dance. In this dance, the “Kach” of the pelvic girdle becomes the main one. The dance is performed in the second wide position and the knees must always be bent. Starting position II free position of the legs. "And Raz" - Chris Cross. "I" - the pelvic part of the legs is retracted slightly back. "Two" - So with an accent moves forward. "And Three", "And Four" - "And Two" is repeated. You can add hands, as in the video below, or come up with something of your own.
- Kick it drink it. Kick [Kik] is one of the most common movements in modern dance. A simple kick in the air. When performing, you must remember about the Groove (Kach). Starting position: I parallel position of the legs. "And" - kick [kick] or kick with the right foot forward. The movement is similar to kicking a soccer ball. The body makes a “pitch” forward. "One" - the right leg returns to its original position. The left leg swings back. The body leans back slightly. "And" - the left foot makes a kick [kick] forward. "Kach" forward. "Two" - similar to the movement to "One", only from the opposite leg. On the next beat, the movement is repeated. Kick, Kick + Back jump
- Kick and slide kick and slide. A kick is made with one foot, and then a slide is made with the other.
- Kick & Step - Kick Cross Step
- Kick ball change On I swing, for once swing up, on I swing, 2 steps back and kip up. Hands work in opposition. Back and to the side, back with a twist in the hips, forward, back with a turn and to the side, forward and forward crosswise . Kick out - leg bent to the side, kick, change of leg to the side.
- Party Duke + variations - leg abduction to the side.
- Cabbage patch The name comes from the Cabbage Patch Kids, a toy popular in the 80s and 90s. Usually performed comically. Often accompanied by funny "grimaces". The starting position is free. Hands move in a plane parallel to the floor. Starting from the chest describe a circle. During performance, the shoulders rise. Any steps can be used in the legs.
- Smurf [Smurf] is a movement named after cartoon characters. The knees do a swing with an emphasis down, the body and head with an emphasis forward. Hands in turn move forward, as in swimming. Starting position - free. "One" - one hand begins to "float" forward in a small arc. In the legs, body and head, "kach" begins.
- Prep (Pretty Boys)
- The wop
- reebok jumping. : Reverse, With touch. Raise the knees, when descending, the weight of the body between the legs, hands “pump the pump”
- Reject Step
- Shamrock - step sideways out, back, bouncing legs together, landing. Option back. Option 2
- Steve Martin - forward - backward swing, extension of the bent leg back, knee forward, change, remove the error when turning with the knee to the body back.
- Pepper seed
- BK Bounce (Peter Paul)
- Robocop Robocop variation 2 variation 3
- BARBIE
- Chiken head
- Chicken noodle soup
- Aunt jackie
- Pop, lock & drop it - Body twist and squat with hands in the lock0006 Hip-hop elements with steps, twists, kicks
- Run It - twists with step forward
- Egyptian Twist - legs together, twist to the sides.