From what I understand, dancing isn’t everyone’s idea of easy or comfortable — but that doesn’t mean you can’t dance! With wedding season approaching, now is the perfect time to practice and create a wedding dance that will blow all your friends away. I’ve stepped in as your dance instructor and have turned a couple of my signature moves into GIFs to help ease you into dancing. (P.S. Check out more moves here in We Can Dance video supercut!) The key to mastering those pop star moves is practice and really listening to the music that’s playing. Remember to feel the beat and add in your own flavor, but most importantly, always keep your knees bent and play with your levels.
Swinging the Hips
Let’s start off with your hips! Notice how my hips are what lead my body from side to side. This is a great example of keeping your knees bent and staying low. If you try doing this move with stiff knees you will look like something is up with your butt — not cute. Don’t be afraid to add more! Add in a little shoulder roll or hair toss. Just think — would Beyoncé do this? If the answer is yes, then do it!
The next basic move you should master is the body roll. Start by leading with your head followed by your chest and then end with your butt sitting in a chair. Notice how I also bend my knees.
Body Roll
This is another move where it’s all about those hips! Start by stepping forward on your right foot and pushing your hips right, then step back on your left foot pushing your hips to the left. Bring your right foot back together with your left and step right, left, right while moving your hips in the same direction as your feet. Throw your arms in for some extra flavor!
Salsa Step
To make this move more modern, you really want to focus on accenting with your body. Keep all your weight on the balls of your toes and move your hands in a semi circle up towards your right shoulder while pivoting your heels to the right. Bring your hands and heels back to center and semi circle your hands to your right hip while pivoting your heels to the right. You will also want to get your torso involved in this move to give it some extra flavor. Pretend like your boobs are drawing a half circle along with your hands. Really hit the end points hard to show everyone on the dance floor that you’ve got sass.
Modern Day Twist
Now let’s focus on the shoulders by doing the Harlem shake. Lead with your right shoulder, and bring your arm to the center of your body. Then move your shoulders right, left, right (pushing them in the upward direction). Swing your left shoulder around so your left arm is in front and move your shoulders left, right, left. This move is also about the torso and levels. When you swing your leading arm to the center of your body you will want to be more hunched over and when you do the quick left, right, left, you will want to be more upright.
Harlem Shake
This move incorporates your chest, arms, legs, hips and butt. To start, you want to be bent over at the hips with one leg in front of the other and your knees bent. Bring your arms up, cross them in front of your chest and give a chest pop. Then bring your arms down to the side, turn your knee out and pop your butt. Now wop, wop, wop, wop, wop, wop, wop… the song goes on forever ;)
The Wop
Let’s put a few moves together. Start by stepping out to the left with your left foot and reaching across your body with your right arm and pretend to push a heavy box over to the right hand side. Bring your right foot to meet your left and then step backwards on your left, to the right with your right and then move your left to be parallel with your right foot. (This move is called a Pas de Bourree.) Kick right, left, right, then step your feet together. Complete the same steps moving to your right. Step with your right and push the heavy box with your left. Step back right, to the side left and then step parallel with your right. Kick left, right, left.
Slide and Kick
Who doesn’t want to be one of the girls in the Sorry music video? No one. Start by stepping out with your left foot, and with your left arm straight, circle your right arm around your head once. Bring your feet back together and then step out on your left foot again and circle with your right arm. Then drop it low four times, switching your arms (right leading upwards) on the upward bounces.
Justin Bieber’s Sorry Dance
Ok let’s put some moves together in a little routine! You are going to travel in a half circle, stepping out with your right foot and moving in a counter clockwise direction. When you step on your foot, move your hips right, left, right while sitting into it. Then start with your body rolls. Add in your hands and pretend you are pushing down on a heavy box. Body roll to the left and then to the right. Step backwards right, left, right leading with your butt and moving your hand like you are waving a flag left, right, left.
Small Routine
But most importantly, don’t forget to freestyle and have some fun! You got this girl — let your inner Bey shine!
Back in January, we introduced you to a feel-good cause to inspire your New Year's resolution: a walking challenge to help raise funds for the amazing cancer fighters at The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. I took part in the challenge with the Brit + Co team and ended up walking 105+ miles in January — it was awesome.
This spring, there's a new challenge on the horizon, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Big Climb. The ask: On May 15, 2021, you can step up to take cancer down by committing to climb 1,311 steps, walking 3.2 miles, or doing 440 chair step-ups at home as part of the Big Climb. If you need some motivation to bring movement back into your daily routine — look no further!
As always, it's free to sign up, but climbers are encouraged to set a fundraising goal to help beat cancer. We'll be organizing another Brit + Co team to step up, and I hope you'll join us too! Keep scrolling for a peek at where I'll be completing the challenge in my Los Angeles neighborhood around the hidden Silver Lake Stairs. Happy climbing!
Never underestimate the power of an accountability buddy! I asked my in-laws, my partner, and a few friends to join me so we can keep each other motivated and accountable in completing the challenge — virtual high-fives all around! Also, my dog Fox is a great climber, too.
An aesthetically pleasing backdrop is a huge motivator for me! I'm fortunate to have all sorts of painted steps around my neighborhood to keep the challenge interesting, but you can also keep cool inside with at-home chair step-ups.
Don't forget to share your progress on social — #BigClimb!
Feel free to break the challenge up if you need to by tackling half the distance in the AM and half at sunset. Here's me 1,311 steps later and ready for a break — but, think I earned this one!
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