This week's Technique Tip is Hip Swivel! Hip Swivels are a fun and challenging beat skill that can be done on both rope and silks. They make for a great conditioning exercise and also add dynamic and flair in-between skills. Watch the breakdown video below and keep reading for tips!
To begin, practice the hip swivels without the inversion. Begin with the rope on one side and lift your legs up, parallel to the ground. Swing your legs down and swivel your hips so that the rope is now on the other side of your body. Now begin to lead the descent of the inversion with the leg closest to the rope. This will create a pendulum effect that will increase momentum and make the eventual inversion easier.
Now, let's take it into the air! As we said, you are going to initiate the movement with the leg closest to the rope. You travel from a straddle shape, to a split, back to a straddle as you complete one full swivel.
There is another option to initiate the movement with both legs together in a pike. While aesthetically different, both options are valid and create similar results!
Make sure your arms go fully straight in between inversions. This will allow you to use the swing to your advantage and you won't rely on "muscling" it the entire time.
As mentioned, hip swivels can of course be done on fabric, though they can pose more of a challenge to not create a mess! Make sure your hips fully clear the fabric before you invert again to maintain a clean hip swivel.
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