7 Twisting Hips Warm Up

COURSE: blues-moves-family-tree

FOCUS: This lesson focuses on warming up and practicing twisting hip movements, starting with the barrel house blues twist and progressing through variations to develop coordination and ergonomic technique.

TIP & TRICKS:

• Keep hips in the same line without moving up and down while twisting.
• Use a wall to steady your chest and isolate hip movement for cleaner motion.
• Practice with soft knees and feet planted to feel the forward and back twisting.
• Shift weight between feet to explore hip movement on one foot.
• Move from the waist down, countering with the chest or keeping it still.
• Focus on twisting the femur in the hip socket to avoid knee strain.

REMEMBER:

• The barrel house blues twist is a foundational movement for starting dances or solo boogie.
• Ergonomic alignment prevents knee difficulty by using anatomy correctly.
• Hip twisting involves coordination in the hip socket for smooth, controlled motion.
• Practicing with a partner by holding hands can help isolate hip movement.
• Movement should originate from the waist down for effective twisting.
• Using the slipperiness of the floor can enhance movement in later steps.