Forums > Beginner Poi Moves > Timing, Rhythm and Dance
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Carpal \'Tunnel
2,617 posts
Location: Berlin, Ireland
Carpal \'Tunnel
2,617 posts
Location: Berlin, Ireland
Posted:
Some usefull exercises to improve timing (and body movement).
Put on some music with a regular, easily distinguised beat.
Opposite Direction Reels (try same direction later
)
Start with opposite direction outward reels, feeling the beat at the bottom of the circles.
Here are 2 simple foot movements to get you dancing and more connected to the beat. They will get your brain making new connections and help all of
this.
1) Stamp left foot then Right down on each beat.
Count 1, 2 on each down beat. Now double your poi speed keeping your feet constant.
2) Stand with feet together. Step left foot outward then right foot next to left foot. Step right with right fool then left foot to right foot and repeat. Count each step (1 to 4 and repeat).
- Do this with each movement on the beat (tis quite slow)
- Also do this with only outward steps on the beat. (tis twice as fast)
While doing this work with poi hitting bottom of the circle on the beat.
You should be able to pull in and out of split time on the beat without missing the pulse. Start with a butterfly then move it BTH, BTB, buzzsaw everywhere...
Do you should also work with keeping split time with seperated arms. Say one at the shoulder and one at the waist for example.
Move both arm around the body into all positions keeping split time solid. It's important to realise what you're doing in split time to keep this solid. One hand up while the other is down or moving them from side to side together (flowers too).
All this should you to be able to doubling and half the speed of all your moves while stepping. It's all about muti-tasking without missing a beat.
Double the speed on each arm individually. (Incidently, with one arm doing double speed to another you can do one of them fake butterfly waistwraps -
thanks cole )
In 1 beat go high and then low behind the back while the other hand does a single circle in front.
Weave
- As you weave double the amount of circles at various points while the other hand continues as normal.
- A weave is 3 beats. Most music is in 4. You can still do a weave across a
beat but you will running across the music in most cases (3 against 4). If you put in a big circle you can make 4 though...
Circles don't have to follow rules of timing so play around. 2 beats for a big circle is good but not a rule.
Play around with speeds and Rhythm and it will pay off big time in the long run
If you have reached a point where by you can effortlessly link loads of moves together, so that you're flying around the place like mad thing....great!
Maybe it's now time to not do that anymore. Try to put some control into your dancing.
Start working out combinations of moves that work in 4s (flowers again are nice).
Choreographing routine will help significantly with this. Take a piece of music and break it down, writing notes about it.
Count all the way through. How many times does each part repeat? How is it structured etc....
Happy dancing!
Some usefull exercises to improve timing (and body movement).
Put on some music with a regular, easily distinguised beat.
Opposite Direction Reels (try same direction later
)Start with opposite direction outward reels, feeling the beat at the bottom of the circles.
Here are 2 simple foot movements to get you dancing and more connected to the beat. They will get your brain making new connections and help all of
this.
1) Stamp left foot then Right down on each beat.
Count 1, 2 on each down beat. Now double your poi speed keeping your feet constant.
2) Stand with feet together. Step left foot outward then right foot next to left foot. Step right with right fool then left foot to right foot and repeat. Count each step (1 to 4 and repeat).
- Do this with each movement on the beat (tis quite slow)
- Also do this with only outward steps on the beat. (tis twice as fast)
While doing this work with poi hitting bottom of the circle on the beat.
You should be able to pull in and out of split time on the beat without missing the pulse. Start with a butterfly then move it BTH, BTB, buzzsaw everywhere...
Do you should also work with keeping split time with seperated arms. Say one at the shoulder and one at the waist for example.
Move both arm around the body into all positions keeping split time solid. It's important to realise what you're doing in split time to keep this solid. One hand up while the other is down or moving them from side to side together (flowers too).
All this should you to be able to doubling and half the speed of all your moves while stepping. It's all about muti-tasking without missing a beat.
Double the speed on each arm individually. (Incidently, with one arm doing double speed to another you can do one of them fake butterfly waistwraps -
thanks cole
)In 1 beat go high and then low behind the back while the other hand does a single circle in front.
Weave
- As you weave double the amount of circles at various points while the other hand continues as normal.
- A weave is 3 beats. Most music is in 4. You can still do a weave across a
beat but you will running across the music in most cases (3 against 4). If you put in a big circle you can make 4 though...
Circles don't have to follow rules of timing so play around. 2 beats for a big circle is good but not a rule.
Play around with speeds and Rhythm and it will pay off big time in the long run
If you have reached a point where by you can effortlessly link loads of moves together, so that you're flying around the place like mad thing....great!
Maybe it's now time to not do that anymore. Try to put some control into your dancing.
Start working out combinations of moves that work in 4s (flowers again are nice).
Choreographing routine will help significantly with this. Take a piece of music and break it down, writing notes about it.
Count all the way through. How many times does each part repeat? How is it structured etc....
Happy dancing!
I live in a world of infinite possibilities.
BRONZE Member
grumpy poorly froggy
3,999 posts
Location: Nuneaton, United Kingdom
grumpy poorly froggy
3,999 posts
Location: Nuneaton, United Kingdom
Posted:
Thats actually a really nice post... although there may be other threads about the subject but i don't think any of it is like that... really good advice
i just close my eyes and spin but have had dance experiance so its natural
Thats actually a really nice post... although there may be other threads about the subject but i don't think any of it is like that... really good advice
i just close my eyes and spin but have had dance experiance so its natural
Life's too short to worry about where you put your marshmallows
GOLD Member
Stream Entrant
2,829 posts
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Stream Entrant
2,829 posts
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Posted:
If we as members of the human race practice meditation, we can transcend our fear, despair, and forgetfulness. Meditation is not an escape. It is the courage to look at reality with mindfulness and concentration. Thich Nhat Hanh
addict
577 posts
Location: Oregon, USA
577 posts
Location: Oregon, USA
Posted:
My advice for the transition from "tricks" to dance is, keep it simple and focus on body movement. Choose music that switches tempo and see what you can do with a very simple set, such as just forward and reverse weaves, turns and stalls. As the feeling of poi movement and body movement begin to mesh with beat and tempo, you'll notice that more movements begin to open up to you. You may even start to fall into the thought of "there are no 'tricks', just movement", which is a nice place to be, and nicer to watch.
Ok, I'll shut up now
.
Peace,
- Sui
My advice for the transition from "tricks" to dance is, keep it simple and focus on body movement. Choose music that switches tempo and see what you can do with a very simple set, such as just forward and reverse weaves, turns and stalls. As the feeling of poi movement and body movement begin to mesh with beat and tempo, you'll notice that more movements begin to open up to you. You may even start to fall into the thought of "there are no 'tricks', just movement", which is a nice place to be, and nicer to watch
.Ok, I'll shut up now
.Peace,
- Sui
Definition of poi- A Hawaiian food made from the tuber of the taro that is cooked, pounded to a paste, and fermented.
Ahnold discussing poi - "It is naht a toober!"
SILVER Member
addict
567 posts
Location: USA
addict
567 posts
Location: USA
Posted:
whoah... nicely said bro. using this in everything i spin to now
whoah... nicely said bro. using this in everything i spin to now
"I don't know what you are talking about"
"Cardinal!!! Poke her... with the SOFT CUSIONS!!!!"
"Its not working my lord!"
"Have you got all of the stuffing on one end?!"
SILVER Member
your new best enemy
246 posts
Location: over the river, through the woods, USA
your new best enemy
246 posts
Location: over the river, through the woods, USA
Posted:
i've found myself half way between the point of there being tricks and only movement. it's a beautiful place to be. I feel like a ninja. but also, I don't dance when I swing. however, I do leave my body as loose as I can and I let the poi dance with me. when you get big, like I did, into spinning yourself in circles when you swing, you'll find it's hard to shake your hips whilst spinning 360s or jumping on occasion. sometimes you'll even look down and realize you're on one foot. but the poi will put your body into the right position as well as the right rotation... weird, I know. but I think I fell in love with those beautiful little inanimate balls and chains. they're good dancers. and I'm not sure I'd feel right if I tried to change what they do on their own.
i've found myself half way between the point of there being tricks and only movement. it's a beautiful place to be. I feel like a ninja. but also, I don't dance when I swing. however, I do leave my body as loose as I can and I let the poi dance with me. when you get big, like I did, into spinning yourself in circles when you swing, you'll find it's hard to shake your hips whilst spinning 360s or jumping on occasion. sometimes you'll even look down and realize you're on one foot. but the poi will put your body into the right position as well as the right rotation... weird, I know. but I think I fell in love with those beautiful little inanimate balls and chains. they're good dancers. and I'm not sure I'd feel right if I tried to change what they do on their own.
I'll get there too late if I shorten my stride, I'll get there too soon if I find me a ride, I'll never move forward if I try to hide this path that I've troden one step at a time.
SILVER Member
addict
567 posts
Location: USA
addict
567 posts
Location: USA
Posted:
beautifly put.
. yeah, unfortunatly i havent done fire poi, kinda too young to do so. fortunatly i have sock poi and that ribbon beginner poi. good enough for me, cant wait till i start fire..
beautifly put.
. yeah, unfortunatly i havent done fire poi, kinda too young to do so. fortunatly i have sock poi and that ribbon beginner poi. good enough for me, cant wait till i start fire.. "I don't know what you are talking about"
"Cardinal!!! Poke her... with the SOFT CUSIONS!!!!"
"Its not working my lord!"
"Have you got all of the stuffing on one end?!"
GOLD Member
hehe, 'Member' huhuh
6,120 posts
Location: Behind you. With Jam
hehe, 'Member' huhuh
6,120 posts
Location: Behind you. With Jam
Posted:
I went the other way round. I found that I was more of a dancer with poi but found I had to stay still in order to learn more tricks before incorporating them into a dance.
It was difficult for me to stay in any 5sq Metre area for any given time but after a while I found that if I wanted to progress beyond weave, windmill, corkscrew and buzz saw I hand to calm down, stay still and learn OTHER moves. I'm glad I did!
I went the other way round. I found that I was more of a dancer with poi but found I had to stay still in order to learn more tricks before incorporating them into a dance.
It was difficult for me to stay in any 5sq Metre area for any given time but after a while I found that if I wanted to progress beyond weave, windmill, corkscrew and buzz saw I hand to calm down, stay still and learn OTHER moves. I'm glad I did!
"I used to want to change the world, now I just wanna leave the room with a little dignity..." - Lotus Weinstock
addict
577 posts
Location: Oregon, USA
577 posts
Location: Oregon, USA
Posted:
Definitely, while learning, by all means focus on the move and not the dance. Stand still and break down the specifics. But once you have the move and can accomplish it without wacking yourself, the do it while moving your body in time and rhythm with the poi (or whatever toy you use)!
Definitely, while learning, by all means focus on the move and not the dance. Stand still and break down the specifics. But once you have the move and can accomplish it without wacking yourself, the do it while moving your body in time and rhythm with the poi (or whatever toy you use)!
Definition of poi- A Hawaiian food made from the tuber of the taro that is cooked, pounded to a paste, and fermented.
Ahnold discussing poi - "It is naht a toober!"
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