How to Do the Twist
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart., Move one foot forward., Hold your arms away from the body., Twist your hips., Shift your body weight., Dance to the beat.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
Put equal weight on both feet.
Keep your knees flexible and your torso squared evenly with your hips.
There is not a set position your feet must be in to do the twist, but if your legs are too close together, the movements might seem too stiff.
Similarly, if your legs are too far apart, you might be able to balance yourself better but ultimately have difficulty keeping the beat.
Use the shoulder-width rule as a guideline but experiment with different stances until you find one that feels natural and comfortable. -
Step 2: Move one foot forward.
Gently budge one foot ahead of the other.
The front foot should not be a full length ahead of the back foot, and there should be some overlap between them.
Note that this is technically optional, even though it is fairly standard.
You can still do the twist while keeping both feet in the same place. , Extend both arms outward and away from the body.
Don’t extend them straight out.
You should keep them bent slightly at the elbow.
Imagine your arms are in a runner's position, but looser.
The upper part of your arms should be held close to the body, and your elbows should point inward just a bit.
The lower part of your arms should be held diagonally out and upward.
Keep your wrists and hands loose.
As you twist, your arms will follow the movement of your hips.
As your weight shifts to one side and your waist twists back, the arm of that same side will naturally move downward and back.
To keep balance, the other arm should move upward and forward. , Swing your hips dramatically from side to side.
As you twist your hips, your waist and legs should also twist or rotate from side to side in a similar manner.Rotate your torso as you rock your hips.
As you rock or swing your hips to the right side, your torso and waist need to rotate toward your front right side.
As you do this, your right leg also needs to shift forward.
When you rock your hips to the left, the left side of your waist needs to rotate forward as the right side shifts back.
Your left legs should shift forward as it follows the natural movement of your hips and waist. , As you rock from side to side, shift your center of gravity or body weight so that it is supported by the ball of your foot.
You should alternate from foot to foot, placing your weight over one foot as you twist to that side and over to the other foot as you twist back.
The important thing to remember as you twist is to keep your body down.
By shifting your weight from side to side, your body will usually have a natural tendency to stay low.
This is further supported by keeping your legs gently bent at the knees.
Staying low is important if you want to do the dance correctly, but it also helps you to maintain your balance more effectively., You need to be on the rhythm of the song you dance to.
To help maintain the rhythm of the dance, make sure that each full twist lands on a beat.
Take it slow at first if you have a hard time picking it up.
Instead of dancing with music in the background, practice in silence and count the beats out loud as you twist back and forth.
Practice in front of a body length mirror.
Doing so grants you the chance to watch your moves as you practice. -
Step 3: Hold your arms away from the body.
-
Step 4: Twist your hips.
-
Step 5: Shift your body weight.
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Step 6: Dance to the beat.
Detailed Guide
Put equal weight on both feet.
Keep your knees flexible and your torso squared evenly with your hips.
There is not a set position your feet must be in to do the twist, but if your legs are too close together, the movements might seem too stiff.
Similarly, if your legs are too far apart, you might be able to balance yourself better but ultimately have difficulty keeping the beat.
Use the shoulder-width rule as a guideline but experiment with different stances until you find one that feels natural and comfortable.
Gently budge one foot ahead of the other.
The front foot should not be a full length ahead of the back foot, and there should be some overlap between them.
Note that this is technically optional, even though it is fairly standard.
You can still do the twist while keeping both feet in the same place. , Extend both arms outward and away from the body.
Don’t extend them straight out.
You should keep them bent slightly at the elbow.
Imagine your arms are in a runner's position, but looser.
The upper part of your arms should be held close to the body, and your elbows should point inward just a bit.
The lower part of your arms should be held diagonally out and upward.
Keep your wrists and hands loose.
As you twist, your arms will follow the movement of your hips.
As your weight shifts to one side and your waist twists back, the arm of that same side will naturally move downward and back.
To keep balance, the other arm should move upward and forward. , Swing your hips dramatically from side to side.
As you twist your hips, your waist and legs should also twist or rotate from side to side in a similar manner.Rotate your torso as you rock your hips.
As you rock or swing your hips to the right side, your torso and waist need to rotate toward your front right side.
As you do this, your right leg also needs to shift forward.
When you rock your hips to the left, the left side of your waist needs to rotate forward as the right side shifts back.
Your left legs should shift forward as it follows the natural movement of your hips and waist. , As you rock from side to side, shift your center of gravity or body weight so that it is supported by the ball of your foot.
You should alternate from foot to foot, placing your weight over one foot as you twist to that side and over to the other foot as you twist back.
The important thing to remember as you twist is to keep your body down.
By shifting your weight from side to side, your body will usually have a natural tendency to stay low.
This is further supported by keeping your legs gently bent at the knees.
Staying low is important if you want to do the dance correctly, but it also helps you to maintain your balance more effectively., You need to be on the rhythm of the song you dance to.
To help maintain the rhythm of the dance, make sure that each full twist lands on a beat.
Take it slow at first if you have a hard time picking it up.
Instead of dancing with music in the background, practice in silence and count the beats out loud as you twist back and forth.
Practice in front of a body length mirror.
Doing so grants you the chance to watch your moves as you practice.
About the Author
Patricia Cooper
Enthusiastic about teaching DIY projects techniques through clear, step-by-step guides.
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