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Reggae Dance Steps

So you want to learn a couple dances popular in dancehall culture _ a pop/contemporary form of the more spiritual reggae. Some of these dances can be quite sensual, verging on hyper-sexual. But fear not. There are a few dances for everyone.
All of these dances rely heavily on attitude. If you want to catch someone's eye, you have to let loose. No shyness, now.
  1. Winding

    • Winding is easily the most erotic movement the body can make with little effort.

      Take a relaxed, open stance _ legs slightly spread to form an "A." Bend the knees slightly. Your back end _ your bottom _ will slightly protrude. You'll be able to feel the sway of your back as a presence on your body.

      To begin winding, sway your right hip to create an "S" like momentum. As the right hip drops, the left hip rises. While winding you should feel as if you're a snake, shimmying through your skin. As your confidence in the movement increases, you will be able to incorporate more movement.

      The slow wind is slightly more complex. You begin by putting your legs in track start position _ your right leg in front of the left, slightly separated and bent.

      Lead with your pelvis, then lean into your right leg. The natural movement of your legs will force your back end to protrude, and your hips will naturally sway. Don't be afraid, just let them. Sway back and forth from the right leg to the left. As your hips move, your left leg will move backwards. Rinse, repeat, and you've got the slow wind.

      Yet another form of the wind is the dutty wind. If done improperly, it could cause severe neck trauma.

      Start with a regular wind. As the beat starts to feel good, swing your head round like the yo-yo trick "Around the World." The natural momentum of your head coming back around will lead your body back into winding. Those more daring will add a split, but don't try anything you're not ready for.

    Tek Weh Yuh Self

    • It's simpler than it sounds, but requires some ingenuity on the dancer's part. You're simply walking. You're going to move your right leg forward, kicking the heel outward, then do the same with the left. Always be conscious of the rhythm. Once you've got that down, you can tek weh yuh self to the left (moving to the left) or the right or any direction you'd like.

    Wacky Dip

    • More in the arms than the hips, the dancer moves the arms together to the left and right. The legs dip to the beat. Bounce twice, moving the arms to the left, then bounce to the right doing the same. When the beat moves you, dip your shoulder lower to the ground. The momentum of the dip will take you into the original bounce.

Dance Other

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