Basic Leg Waves

Difficulty: Beginner

Category: Floorwork

Pre-requisite Moves:

• None

These Basic Leg Waves are a gorgeous way to showcase grace in any floorwork routine. These do not require the pole at all and can be done in a standalone floorwork setting. The key to leg waves isn’t flexibility – though it does help – nor is it necessarily coordination, which comes with practice. The key to good leg waves is keeping everything loose. Your legs will constantly be moving and bending, and you get to decide how wide and showy (or how small and simple) each leg wave is.

Move Steps

1. Start in a sitting position on the floor. Lean back, bringing your forearms down on the floor.
   1. Don’t let your chest cave in. Push your chest out, arcing the back as you sit back.

2. Lift both legs up in a pike, keeping the knees straight. Point the toes.
3. Bend one leg and bring it up gently. Simultaneously, the straight leg should move down.
4. Reverse this motion and bend the bottom leg, gently bringing it up. Simultaneously, the top leg should straighten and move down.
5. Repeat this motion as long as desired.

Common Mistakes

• Leg Waves Look Robotic: To avoid looking clunky or robotic, make sure to keep everything loosey-goosey. The best thing that will help you here is to relax, and don’t fret. If you get frustrated, shake it all out and take a minute to breathe before jumping back in. You’ll be surprised at how much more graceful your leg waves are when you’re relaxed.
• Timing is Off for Bending Legs: If you’re making smaller leg waves, try making your leg waves a little wider until you’ve gotten the hang of the timing. Though the legs will be bending and straightening throughout the movement, they should reach the maximum bend or straightness right about the time that they meet. This will give your leg waves a more fluid appearance to the audience.