Are you searching for a fun way to exercise or get your groove on? Shuffling might be just what the doctor ordered! It’s simple to learn and enjoyable to perform.
Ottawa shufflers, mostly 20-somethings, gather each week at Lansdowne Park to hone their shuffle moves and host local DJs as a showcase of talent!
The Running Man
The Running Man is an energetic dance move that requires precision footwork. Mastering it can be intimidating, but once you know what you’re doing, the rewards can be fantastic!
To do this correctly, keep both feet on the ground during the entire shuffle while keeping your hips bowed as much as possible. This will create a balanced posture that’s sure to impress your friends and keep you moving!
Practice this move until you can do it automatically without thinking. Do so without music playing so that your body gets used to the movement and doesn’t get distracted when a song starts playing.
At the end of the day, it’s up to you. Experiment with different variations and see which works best for your lifestyle. You could even incorporate the shuffle into your daily routine by tying it into some regular exercise activities.
Add some fun dance moves to your shuffle routine, such as the kick side step and T-Step. Including these in your repertoire will give you a high energy workout that’ll leave you feeling like you’re on top of the world.
The T-Step
The T-Step is one of the basic steps in shuffle dance. It’s simple enough for anyone to learn, from beginners to experienced dancers. If you’re new at this, take it slowly at first and practice without music. Once you feel confident with your basic steps, add some flair and fun into your routine by adding different moves.
To do the T-Step, begin by standing with your legs together in a “T” shape. Put your heels together and point your toes outward, then slide one foot forward.
Lift your right foot and slide it up to half a foot off the ground, about as high as you can go with your knee lifted slightly. Doing this will make it easier to lift your left foot in the next step.
Place your back foot behind your front foot in a “T” position, and rotate the heel of your front foot simultaneously. Your front toe should now point straight toward your back foot as you pick up your back foot.
If you’re just beginning, try doing the T-step in one direction for a few steps before switching it up. This will help get the movements down and prevent any accidents when changing directions while dancing.
The T-Step can be performed in any order, but it’s best to alternate between the two shuffle dance moves. Alternatively, take some steps of “The T-Step” and then switch to “The Running Man.”
Once you’ve mastered both dance moves, you can begin adding more flair to your routine. In fact, it’s possible to perform both simultaneously!
Learning the T-Step can be done in a small area of the room by first practicing it with one foot lifted and arms moving sideways to the side. Once comfortable with that placement, add another foot to lift for additional practice and refine it until it feels natural.
Once you feel confident with this, try performing it across the room in a different direction. Eventually, you may even switch back and forth between both dance moves until you feel comfortable performing them for others.
The Kick Side Step
The kick side step is a straightforward dance move you can learn and hone to improve your shuffle abilities. It makes an ideal beginner’s step due to its ease of execution.
Begin by taking a step to the right with your right foot, then hop back onto your left leg. Repeat on the other side.
Once you’ve mastered this step, you can add other shuffle moves like the running man or T-step to your routine. These are the most basic, but feel free to use your imagination to create a unique shuffle that showcases all of your moves.
Another option is the skipping side step, a more advanced variation of the shuffle step. This move brings you closer to your target and makes it easier for you to strike with a kick.
To perform the skipping side step, rotate your non-kicking foot to give yourself extra power and strength for your kick. Additionally, turn both your body and hips simultaneously so that you are creating as much force as possible when striking with the kick.
Before you can throw the kick, it is essential that you establish a secure base on the ground. Doing this helps avoid injuries.
Rotate your knee to your chest as you swing your kicking foot around counterclockwise, with your heel pointing toward the target.
When kicking, make sure your head is looking over the shoulder on the same side as your kicking foot. Doing this will allow you to better focus on hitting the target and improve your chances of hitting it accurately.
The side kick is an effective weapon of self-preservation and sparring partner. To master it properly, practice makes perfect. Make sure your kick has enough power and precision so you can strike with ease against any target.
If you’re new to the kick side step, start slowly and gradually until you feel confident with it. Once familiar, speed up your technique while practicing with music for greater muscle memory development and stronger muscles.
The Turn
In a dance routine, the Turn is an effective way to add some movement into your shuffle dance. This move consists of steps commonly used in hip hop and swing dancing. Not only does it look cool, but it can also help improve balance and coordination.
A turn is a rotation around an arbitrary axis in three-dimensional space. It is the most common angular unit and also known as versor (in French) or p/r (pi over rho).
The word turn has two distinct meanings, both as a noun and verb. Typically, it’s used to indicate rotation but can also signify change or transformation – such as turning something upside down or starting a washing machine.
You can also use a turn as part of a math equation, such as A = p/r. Here, p stands for the ratio of a circle’s perimeter to its diameter and r stands for the distance between two points on that circle.
Begin the Shuffle Dance with the Turn by standing with your left foot slightly ahead of your right. Make sure your toes are turned out to one side so they can be planted firmly in the next step.
Start by taking five steps to your right, then switch to your “shuffling” foot and begin lifting and lowering it as you shuffle your left foot inward and outward to the right. Although this dance move may seem intimidating at first, with practice you will be able to juggle these movements effortlessly and look like a pro!