More Pelvic Floor - Integration - Orchestra and Balcony 1 - Side-sliding Ribs
Dance: Ten, Looks: Three - from “A Chorus Line (1985 film)” on YouTube. Notice the fan-like ribs. That’s where we are going…
Orchestra and Balcony - Part 1
What they want is what you see…
It’s been a lot of pelvic floor: for strength, balance, continence, control, deep breath, better posture and all that jazz. How about putting it into action and fun?
“A Chorus Line’s” iconic Dance: Ten, Looks: Three - also known as “Tits and Ass,” was the perfect lead-in to one of my favorite lessons: the shimmy workshop. It’s all about finding the side-to-side, fan-like movement of the ribs: the middle ribs, lower ribs and the teeny ones up under the arm pit. (What? There are ribs there?) And harmonizing the ribs, maracas and the pelvic floor.
Fan imagery can be helpful in visualizing the ribs in this lesson. (Originally this was going to be a fan lesson.) Here are a few fun findings on fans:
The Culture of Folding Fans in China (Japanese Fan master creates fans - an interesting analog for rib anatomy)
How to Speak Fan (A flirty lesson in British Court Fan language)
How to Open the Kung Fu Fan (Fan as weapon)
Japanese Fan: source: https://japanobjects.com/features/japanese-fans
I watched tens of YouTube tutorials on belly dance, fire dance and samba-style chest circles, but none, except for maybe Belly Dance Tutorial For Beginners, came close to this and the next lesson for breaking down rib movement into easy-to-do steps. What Dr. Feldenkrais developed for judokus is very transferrable to other movement forms.
Intercostals source: wikipedia.com
Science nerd candy this week covers the spine as a supporting lumbar pyramid AND the flexible thoracic and cervical chain. We might review mechanics of breathing and the abs. And we will look at the intercostals:
Intercostal Muscles (cool wikipedia animation of the chest)
Six Pack or Abs – Abdominal Muscles Anatomy (helpful review)
Intercostal Muscles - Function, Area & Course - Human Anatomy | Kenhub
Muscles of the Thoracic Wall – 3D Anatomy Tutorial (Longer video with lots of detail, musculature covered up to 7:40
This is a side-lying lesson. You choose the side. You may want some support for your head, and maybe a spacer between your knees to protect a sensitive back.
You have the floor a bit more under control. Time to make it all work together. As they say…
“Tits and ass.
Orchestra or balcony.
What they want is whatcha see.
Keep the best of you.
Do the rest of you.
Pits or class.
I have never seen it fail.
Debutante or chorus girl or wife.
Tits and ass,
Yes, tits and ass
Have changed...
My...
Life...
”