Last week's lesson for TDR Gadigal focused on shuffle basics. This blog post is meant as a quick run down on drills to do for each move that was taught. To drill with all of these moves, I recommend first going slow so that each stance lingers for 4 beats, then 2 beats, then per beat, then per half beat. I've shown this in the attached videos as a demonstration.
Running Man
Running man is the most foundational move of shuffling and is the basis for different moves like the shuffling version of the Charleston.
Tips:
There are 2 stances:
The first where your two legs are slightly bent in front and behind you, with your center of gravity shared between them.
The second where your center of gravity is on one leg, whilst the other knees upward to create a triangle silhouette against your other leg.
In order to transition from the first stance to the second, one of your legs must knee upward as you hop onto your other leg.
In order to transition back to the first stance from your second leg hop into the first position again by dropping your knee so that your foot is placed in front of you, and that your leg that you were standing on is slightly behind you.
You want to make sure that the only time you only ever have one foot on the ground is the second stance. This is to avoid a galloping motion that beginners often run into. If you feel like that is happening, try practicing with a slower tempo/song.
Emylee at The Shuffle Vault has a good YouTube video that goes over more things to watch out for once you feel that you have a good grasp on the fundamentals of running man.
T-Step
Tips:
The neutral stance for this move has your feet in a V shape with your heels together.
There are 2 steps to execute this from said neutral stance:
Pivot one of your feet inwards using your heel and lift your other foot at the same time. Lean a little to the foot that is on the ground so that your center of gravity is more grounded
Place the foot that is in the air on the ground, and at the same time pivot the other foot to the neutral stance using the ball of your foot.
The shuffle version of the Charleston utilizes the rhythmic hops/shuffles of the Running Man in order to let you stay in one place whilst doing the move.
Tips:
There are 2 stances to this move similar to running man:
The neutral stance is to have your feet crossed, with the back foot pointing towards the heel of the front foot.
The second stance involves having your center of gravity leaning on one foot, with the other foot in the air, heels pointing outwards.
In order to transition from the first stance to the second stance, hop onto one of your feet and have it in line with your torso. At the same time, flick the heel of your foot outwards.
In order to transition from the second stance to the first stance again, swing your foot in the air in front of you and hop so that your feet are crossed again.
Marbiik on YouTube has a good video going over the individual motions of this move.
All Together in Practice (with Supernatural by New Jeans)
