A Guide to Practicing All Possible Movements Of The Dance of Shiva (Gradually)

This is a guide to practicing all possible movements of the dance of shiva from all positions (without repetition.) Work towards this goal gradually and smoothly. Work at making the movements a part of you. By that I mean so that you can do them without thinking. (Like doing multiplication tables...)

To that end it may be helpful to know that their are 64 positions and that these can be divided into two or four categories as follows:

  • both arms in the same plane
  • both arms in the horizontal plane
  • both arms in the vertical plane
  • both arms in different planes
  • left arm in horizontal plane right arm in the vertical plane
  • left arm in the vertical plane right arm in the horizontal plane

In the picture below the two blue squares show positions where both arms are in the same plane while the two grey squares show positions where both arms are in different planes.

dance of shiva, all possible positions

Movements

In the dance of shiva there are 7 "non-zero" movements for one arm and so with both arms together, 49 possible arm combinations. (With a zero move there are 64.) These combinations can be catergorized in a couple of ways.

Cyclic and Non-Cyclic Combinations

Movement "combinations" can be divided into four groups as follows:

  • Both arms doing cyclic movements
  • Both arms doing non-cyclic movements
  • left arm cyclic right arm non-cyclic
  • left arm non-cyclic right arm cyclic

Cyclic moves can be repeated four times before returning to the starting position.

An example is the forward move: 1-2-3-4-1

Non-cyclic moves repeat only twice to return to the same position. You might also think of these moves as "jump" moves.

For example, the change move: 1-a-1-a...

The cyclic movements are: F, B, CF, CB (Forward, Backward, Change Forward, Change Backward)

The possible combinations where both arms do cyclic moves are (16):

  • F-F, B-B,
  • F-B, B-F,
  • CF-CF, CB-CB,
  • CF-CB, CB-CF
  • F-CF, CF-F, F-CB, CB-F,
  • B-CF, CF-B, B-CB, CB-B

The non-cyclic movements are: T, C, CT (Transquarter, Change, Change Transquarter)

The possible combinations where both arms do non-cyclic moves are (9)

  • T-T, C-C, CT-CT
  • T-C, C-T, T-CT, CT-T
  • C-CT, CT-C

There are also combinations where one arm does a cyclic move and the other a non-cyclic move (24):

  • T-F, F-T, T-B, B-T, T-CF, CF-T, T-CB, CB-T
  • C-F, F-C, C-B, B-C, C-CF, CF-C, C-CB, CB-C
  • CT-F, F-CT, CT-B, B-CT, CT-CF, CF-CT, CT-CB, CB-CT

Notice that the sum of all of these movement possibilities is 49 (16+9+24)

Chane Plane and Same Plane Combinations

Another four possible categories is based on the idea of one arm doing either a change plane or a same plane movement.

Same plane movements are: F, B, T

Change Plane moves are: C, CF, CB, CT

We can have the following groups of movement combinations:

  • Both arms do same plane movements
  • Both arms do change plane movements
  • Left arm same plane, right arm change plane
  • Left arm change plane, left arm same plane.

Using Both Sets of Categories

The "Both Arm Cyclic" category can be divided same plane and change plane groups as follows:

Both Arms do Same Plane movements:

Both Arms do Change Plane movements:

  • CF-CF, CB-CB,
  • CF-CB, CB-CF

Mixed:

  • F-CF, CF-F, F-CB, CB-F,
  • B-CF, CF-B, B-CB, CB-B

The One Arm Cyclic/One Arm Non-cyclic can be divided in the same way:

Both arms do Same Plane Movements

  • T-F, F-T, T-B, B-T,

Both arms do Change Plane Movements

  • C-CF, CF-C, C-CB, CB-C
  • CT-CF, CF-CT, CT-CB, CB-CT

Mixed:

  • T-CF, CF-T, T-CB, CB-T
  • C-F, F-C, C-B, B-C,
  • CT-F, F-CT, CT-B, B-CT,

Practicing Tips

Once learned, practice each movement with it's opposite i.e.:

F-F with B-B

F-T with T-F

(While learning you might choose to do only one.)

Where movements don't have an opposite i.e. T-T, C-C, CT-CT, this does not apply. (You could group these together into one practice set.)

Each set should take about 5 minutes or less. Notice the effects of each set. Practice whenever you have five minutes to practice.

You don't have to do these all at once.

Practice one set repeatedly until you get it (over the course of a day or over the course of several days) and then move on to the next.

Make movements, smooth and fluid.

Say the movement and the position you are going to before you do the movement.

Practice seeing the next position before you do it.

If you like, use you whole body to do the movement. See if you can use your spine, or pelvis and spine to generate your movements. This is easier to do while standing. If sitting, use your ribcage to generate the movements. The better you "know" the movements (the more experience that you have) the easier this will be so work towards it gradually.

Dance of Shiva Movement Combinations-Both Arms Doing Cyclic Movements (16)

Both Arms doing Same Plane or Change Plane Movements (8)

In these next few sets, both arms are doing same plane movements or both arms are doing change plane movements. The starting positions can thus be all the same.

F-F, B-B, F-B, B-F,
CF-CF, CB-CB, CF-CB, CB-CF

(F=Forward, B=Backward, CF=Change Forward, CB=Change Backward)

All of the above movements can be practiced from these starting positions:

  • 1-1, 1-2, 1-3, 1-4
  • 1-a, 1-b, 1-c, 1-d
  • a-a, a-b, a-c, a-d
  • a-1, a-2, a-3, a-4

Both Arms Cyclic, One Arm Same Plane, One Arm Change Plane (8)

In this next set, the major classification that I am using is both arms are both doing cyclic movements however, one arm does a change plane and the other stays in the same plane. You can use the same starting positions.

F-CF, CF-F, F-CB, CB-F,
B-CF, CF-B, B-CB, CB-B

  • 1-1, 1-2, 1-3, 1-4
  • 1-a, 1-b, 1-c, 1-d
  • a-a, a-b, a-c, a-d
  • a-1, a-2, a-3, a-4

Non-Cyclic Dance of Shiva Movement Combinations (9)

In this section, both arms are non-cyclic. Because there are only three basic moves, I've divided this section according to combinations where both arms do the same movements and those where both arms do different movements.

Non-Cyclic Doubles (3)

For these sets, do each movement twice and then shift starting positions.

(T-T )Transquarter-Transquarter

Do each movement twice and then shift to next starting position.

  • 1-1, 1-2, 1-3, 1-4
  • 2-1, 2-2, 2-3, 2-4
  • a-a, a-b, a-c, a-d
  • b-a, b-b, b-c, b-d
  • 1-a, 1-b, 1-c, 1-d
  • 2-a, 2-b, 2-c, 2-d
  • a-1, a-2, a-3, a-4
  • b-1, b-2, b-3, b-4

C-C, CT-CT

Do these combinations starting from each position below:

  • 1-1, 1-2, 1-3, 1-4
  • 2-1, 2-2, 2-3, 2-4
  • 3-1, 3-2, 3-3, 3-4
  • 4-1, 4-2, 4-3, 4-4
  • a-1, a-2, a-3, a-4
  • b-1, b-2, b-3, b-4
  • c-1, c-2, c-3, c-4
  • d-1, d-2, d-3, d-4

Non-Cyclic Non-Doubles (6)

In the following non-cyclic combinations each arm does a different move. To make these sets more interesting, each time you do a movement, switch.

C-CT/CT-C, T-C/C-T

Practice these two min-sequences, c-ct/ct-c and t-c/c-t from these starting positions:

  • 1-1, 1-2, 1-3, 1-4
  • 2-1, 2-2, 2-3, 2-4
  • a-a, a-b, a-c, a-d
  • b-a, b-b, b-c, b-d
  • 1-a, 1-b, 1-c, 1-d
  • 2-a, 2-b, 2-c, 2-d
  • a-1, a-2, a-3, a-4
  • b-1, b-2, b-3, b-4

T-CT/CT-T

You can practice this min-sequence from the following starting positions:

  • 1-1, 1-2, 1-3, 1-4
  • 2-1, 2-2, 2-3, 2-4
  • 3-1, 3-2, 3-3, 3-4
  • 4-1, 4-2, 4-3, 4-4
  • a-1, a-2, a-3, a-4
  • b-1, b-2, b-3 b-4
  • c-1, c-2, c-3, c-4
  • d-1, d-2, d-3, d-4

Mixed Combinations Dance of Shiva Movement Combinations(Cyclic and Non-Cyclic)

Just to make this final set of moves easier to digest, I've divided them into sub categories according to whether both arms are doing same plane, change plane or mixed movements. However, all mini-sequences below can use the same starting postions as follows (I've listed them in each section hopefully for your convenience.)

  • 1-1, 1-2, 1-3, 1-4
  • a-a, a-b, a-c, a-d
  • 1-a, 1-b, 1-c, 1-d
  • a-1, a-2, a-3, a-4

Mixed Cyclic and Non-Cyclic, Both Arms Doing Same Plane Movements

F-T/T-F, B-T/T-B

For these mini-sequences, start from these positions:

  • 1-1, 1-2, 1-3, 1-4
  • a-a, a-b, a-c, a-d
  • 1-a, 1-b, 1-c, 1-d
  • a-1, a-2, a-3, a-4

Mixed Cyclic and Non-Cyclic, Both Arms Doing Change Plane Movements

CF-C/C-CF, CF-CT/CT-CF,
CB-C/C-CB, CB-CT/CT-CB

For these mini-sequences, start from these positions:

  • 1-1, 1-2, 1-3, 1-4
  • a-a, a-b, a-c, a-d
  • 1-a, 1-b, a-c, 1-d
  • a-1, a-2, a-3, a-4

Mixed Cyclic and Non-Cyclic, Mixed Same Plane and Change Plane

F-C/C-F, B-C/C-B,
F-CT/CT-F, B-CT/CT-B
CF-T/T-CF, CB-T/T-CB

For these mini-seuqences, start from these positions:

  • 1-1, 1-2, 1-3, 1-4
  • a-a, a-b, a-c, a-d
  • 1-a, 1-b, 1-c, 1-d
  • a-1, a-2, a-3, a-4

Warps

For possible combinations of these movements, sequences that have no repetition, look at Warps.

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Practicing All Possible Movements