Dance Tip: Alternatives to Shimmies When Dancing to Drum Solos

Shimmying isn't the only thing you can do in a drum solo.

You think I'm going to suggest, "Pops, Locks and Drops," but I'm not!

Stay with me, and let me entertain you!

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Okay, drum solos are a cupcake: there is an underlying yellow cake of rhythm (or at very least implied rhythm, but let's not get more complex), and a topping of icing decoration.

We dance to the icing. Little roses, big roses, border pieces, smears of icing — all different in quality, but that really is a topic for a different conversation.

There are two times when shimmying matches up with the general qualities of drum solo music:

1. When your cake decoration is elongated or smeared in various lengths, or
2. When there is no icing, and only cake.

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When you dance to sections in a drum solo that fit the definition of shimmying above, here are some things to try:

• Shimmying. I regularly teach 85 kinds! I think we all understand that one as an option!
• Simple Isolations. For example, these could include hip slides and circles, hip figure 8's, rib cage circles, torso undulations or rolls, and snake arms, and similar moves.
• Walking. A good, sassy walk is excellent for making a drum solo look controlled and relaxed instead of appearing to be a battle between you and the drummer.
• Moving Into a Pose. This can also convey smoothness in the music. Take the full duration of the smooth section of the music to move into the pose; otherwise, this looks stilted. Don't arrive at the final pose early and then need to wait.

Practice this. The next time you find a place in the music that you feel calls for a shimmy, try one of the above alternatives: simple isolation, walking, or moving into a pose.

Using one of the above simplified responses to a musical cue makes you look confident, calm, and controlled. These are the Big 3 C's.

Bonus thought: Think about the decorations on the cupcake — the icing rosettes. They are not all the same size.

Your mileage may vary.

And now I want a cupcake.

• Drum Solo Builds. How to build the energy in a drum solo, by Saqra.
• Drum Solo Accent Chains. How to build sequences of accents that make sense together, by Saqra.
• Belly Dancing to Fast Drum Solos. Musical interpretation for drum solos, by Saqra.
• Alternatives to Shimmies in Drum Solos. Saqra offers suggestions for ways to make your drum solo dancing more interesting, by suggesting alternatives to shimmying.

• Pop, Drop, & Lock Technique in Drum Solos. How to use accents in ways that enhance your dance, by Saqra.
• Holding Accents. Advice on what to do next after making an accent, by Saqra.
• The 70% Rule. How to use restraint to keep your audience captivated, by Saqra.