Move your hips in a figure-8 shape by going diagonally forward with your right hip, then rotating back until your left hip is facing diagonally forward-you should feel your hip bones drawing the “8.”ģ. Stand in second position with your feet shoulder-distance apart, keeping both heels on the ground.Ģ. Kosta Karakashyan, a member of the Columbia University ballroom team, suggests this simple exercise to help you discover proper hip action. It’s super-important to practice isolating the two, as unnatural as it may feel. “The hips and ribs should move in opposition to one another to make hip movement more noticeable,” Di Lello says.
This will make the movement look seamless, not sloppy. When you release your hip and move onto your opposite leg, transfer your weight in an even way that allows your hip to naturally swing from one side to the other. When you transition between your two feet, especially during samba movements where your legs cross, be sure to “cushion” your landing. That will raise your hip and send it in the proper direction. This is also when it’s most important to connect to the floor with your foot muscles and push into a straight leg. When performing moves that travel front to back, “your back foot should serve as the engine, propelling you forward and creating hip action,” Di Lello says.
