It’s All In The Hips

The first side-to-side movement, Carry the Ball to the Side, takes a bit of introduction. Careful instruction really pays off later with the other side-to-side movements – like the four “Taffies” and Passing Clouds.

Step one is to figure out how to turn the hips from side-to-side. Sounds simple enough, but it turns out to be a considerable challenge for some. First, I look to see who has natural mambo or hula (i.e. loose) hips. In other words, who knows the difference between a hip turn and a shoulder turn. Surprisingly, many people cannot naturally differentiate between the two. This is how I help those who can’t: First, I have them stand, feet a little wider than hip-width apart, toes slightly turned out. I ask them to soften their knees. Then I demonstrate and ask them to join me in a shoulder turn, swaying the arms and shoulders from side-to-side. While moving, I tell them this is not what we want to do. Then, I have them put their hands on their shoulders and hold their shoulders steady (not letting them turn), while they soften their knees and turn their hips from side-to-side. They see and feel that a completely different set of muscles is employed when turning the hips as opposed to the shoulders. Note that soft knees are crucial to doing the hip turn smoothly and comfortably.

For those still having a hard time, I ask them to assume the same wide-legged, soft-kneed stance and place their hands like six-shooters (pointing out) from their hipbones. I ask them to turn their hips so that their fingers point from one corner of the room to the other. This usually provides the necessary breakthrough.

Once they’ve mastered the basic hip turn, I demonstrate that the hip turn in CTBTTS is actually a swivel; it’s a little rounder and softer than a straight side-to-side turn. It is not a circle, like some would envision doing while using a hula hoop. The form is a slight ellipse. I ask the students to focus on the tan t’ien (three inches below the navel) and, as they turn to the side, to pull the belly button in toward the spine and, as they rotate the hips in the other direction, let the muscles behind the belly button relax. This will accomplish a slightly elliptical movement as the hips turn from side-to-side. I emphasize that the ellipse is more an inner awareness than a visible movement.

The final important point about the hips in this movement is to turn the hips away from the step as you pick up the ball – so that once you set the heel down you can do a full hip swivel. Once the hip swivel is mastered (and I’m still working on it after all these years), all that is left to emphasize is to not drop the ball!