IMPROVING YOUR KICKS
Kicks, together with triples, are an essential element of lindy hop. A large number of the steps we do while dancing are based on this movement. It is therefore very important to be able to do them easily.
If you already do kicks naturally, then these videos will not enlighten you very much. But, if this is not the case, we think that they can help you improve you kicks and, as a result, improve your dancing and make you enjoy it even more fully.
You can practice your kicks while watching the videos or you can do the exercises shown in the videos while listening to your own music. Just in case you do not have music, we have created a list of songs on Spotify, classified from a lower to a higher bit rate, which we think may be useful.
1- Basic level: basic concepts
From both a functional and aesthetic point of view, the kick is a movement that we do essentially from the knee, with a slightly flexed position of the hip. The simplest movement is to make a kick and, in the next beat, put the weight on the floor with this same leg. It is important that, when putting the foot on the floor, we put all our weight on it and, in this way, release the other leg, which is the one that is going to perform the next kick.
This is what we suggest you work on during the first video, along with the incorporation of bouncing (pulse) which, unlike what we do with triples, should lift our feet slightly from the floor, not only to simplify the movements, but also to give a more energetic appearance to the dance.
Work on this, if you like, with the exercises we have included below:
Once you can quite easily do the kick-step with bounce (pulse), you can move on to the next video.
2- Basic level: kicks at different heights and directions (130 bpm)
A good way to loosen up while doing kicks is to introduce variations that reinforce the motor programs. This is why this next video suggests you do kicks and at the same time change its height and direction. It is quite normal (and desirable) that these changes make performing the kick more complicated or more uncomfortable. But as you repeat these exercises you will see how it becomes easier for you to do kicks.
Once you can do these variations easily, move on to the next video.
3- Basic level: kicks at different heights and directions (150 bpm)
In this video we suggest the same exercises as the previous one but now at a higher bit rate. You'll see by doing kicks to faster music that, although it may seem to make the exercises more difficult, they will be much easier. This is because at low bit rate, like the previous video, it is much more difficult to get you feet to leave the floor with the bounce (pulse).
Repeat these exercises until you can do them with quite easily. When you feel comfortable enough doing them, skip to the next video.
4- Basic level: displacements
To make sure that, when we incorporate bounce (pulse), our feet leave the floor, we now suggest exercises that require doing so. It is not necessary for your feet to leave the floor very much, just enough to minimise the grip of your shoes and make it much easier to move back and forth and rotate.
Repeat the previous exercises until you can do them with some ease. If you feel your knees becoming tired you are quite possibly not separate yourself enough from the floor. Try to improve this aspect before moving on to the next exercises.
5- Basic level: clapping
We need to make these movements seem more natural and eliminate any unnecessary tension. A good way to do this is to introduce a second activity, simple but requiring a certain degree of attention and coordination, in order to make the kicks more automatic. Therefore, in the next video, we suggest you combine simple movements of the arms and legs.
It is important not to skip to the next video until you can coordinate both activities with ease.
6- Intermediate level: kick & kick, 4-beat kicks
When we perform kicks we can either do only one with each leg or we can do more. In this video we will work on double kicks. You will see that simple kicks last two beats (kick and floor) while double kicks take four beats (kick, & kick and floor). Note that when we say the "&" we are referring to the moment when, after the first kick, we pull our leg back to prepare the next kick and this takes one beat. There are many steps that are done with kick & kick. Therefore, in addition to being a good way to practice the kick technique, it is also important to practice them specifically so you can do them with ease.
Practice these exercises until you can do them without too much difficulty.
You can also practice with these videos:
We will try to add more videos, with more difficult exercises. Meanwhile we advise you to repeat the exercises of these videos systematically. Dedication will favour changes and consolidation of your improvement.