chipandchar started this discussion ·
You would think this would not be difficult for a dancer, but for the life of my I can not go from a backbends to flip myself backwards. Is there some kind of magic skill I'm missing?! Haha
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I don't know how good of a backbend and shoulder/thoracic flexibility you have, but it's about displacing the weight of your body over your hands so when you lift your leg your body naturally leads itself in that direction.(in addition to the strength and balance I'm sure you naturally have as a dancer) It's easiest if you first try it off a step. Try it off something that will raise your legs about a foot (or even more. I started with a coffee table.) above your hands. Push your chest forward so your shoulders feel like they're leaning beyond your hands. Lift one leg in the air as vertical as possible then lightly push off the other leg to follow. Good backbend form: http://0.tqn.com/d/gymnastics/1/0/Z/8/-/-/DSC_0044.jpg If your backbend looks like this: http://oncampus.osu.edu/images/bridge.gif you need to work on pushing your ribcage forward and get your ribs/shoulders/hands all stacked. I hope that makes sense/helps. I still suck at them because I have no flexibility...
Good advice! You can also try pushing your feet off a wall instead of a step or table. :)
Also- make sure what you push off of is stable... Don't push off a light step stool or anything.
Like Korinne kind of said, flexibility is the first key. I think that if you cannot push your chest out enough to align your shoulders over your hands, then a kick-over from the ground shouldn't even be attempted. I would never recommend someone with a bridge like http://oncampus.osu.edu/images/bridge.gif to do it from the floor. Using something to push off from may still work though.​ If you've got the flexibility, pull with the leg that you are kicking over with at the same time as you are pushing off with the grounded foot. Keep the leg you're pulling with bent. It will feel strange to do this move in the beginning if you're not used to it. Start by kicking just a little, not with the goal to get all the way over, and then increase the strength of the kick as you get more comfortable with it.
