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Tue 25 Jan, 2005 10:52 pm
Unlike the last musical i did, the musical this year uses alot of faster up beat music. My partner as well as numerous other girls have described pain in their ribs due to the lifts we do. Is there any easier way to do this so i don't hurt her. We also do a side to side swing where the girl jumps up and is "swung" from the right side of my leg in the air to the left side. Easier shown then written. Any advice you can give me to make my partnering easier and less painful on my partner would be greatly appreciated.
Don't you have a director? A choreographer?
My experience as a dancer is very limited, but the best way to avoid pain is to work on timing. Your partner should glide into your arms and you should drift into the lifts.
If the music is upbeat and snappy, you're going to have to absorb her forward motion. Think about pushing somone on a swing--you push when the swinger is at the top of the arc and ready to go in the other direction.
If you push in the middle of the arc, your fighting inertia.
Good luck--and break a leg.
Doing the kind of dancing you are describing (swing, am I right?) should never be painful. I am assuming that when you are doing the side to side swing she has her hands on your shoulders? When lifting, are you placing your hands on her ribs or closer to under her arms? On her waist or her hips? If you can, get closer to under her arms and down lower on her hips, depending on what kind of lift you are doing. This should help you lift and reduce pain.
Like noddy said, timing is everything. But without actually having you here showing us how you are actually doing it, it's hard to correct.
Sometimes just moving your lift hand placement will change everything. Finding a solid base (up under her arms is more solid than her ribs as is her hips rather than her ribs) will allow you to lift her easier with slipping or causing her pain.
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