Hip Lift

Type    Lift
Level     Level 4 Intermediate
Other Names Shinbuster
Comes From    Triple Hip Combo, The Lean, Cuddle, Open Position, Spin Out
Leads To    Inside Turn, Spin Out

Description

In a Hip Lift, the follower hops up onto the leader’s leg near the hip, perched on her lower legs.

Lead:

1. Do the Spin Out with a shoulder-width stance.
2. Spin your follow back in. As you do, bend your knees so when you go hip-to-hip your hip is slightly under her hip. Place your left hand under her inside elbow to support her.
3. For the hop up, you want straight legs at her highest points, and bent knees at her lowest points.
   1. STRAIGHTEN your legs as she hops up.
   2. BEND your knees to set her down on your thigh.
   3. STRAIGHTEN your legs as she hops off your thigh.
   4. BEND with her as you set her down to the floor. Just next to your foot (don’t throw her).
4. Unwind to another Spin Out, or do a Cuddle Spin.

Follow:

1. As you come back in keep your feet together.
2. Bend your knees and jump when he pushes up on your hip. Your shins should rest on his thigh for a brief moment.

Tips

• The lift comes from the knees, not from the back or torso. Careful not to twist or lean your torso to fake the hip lift. It looks sloppy and could lead to a muscle strain.
• It looks really weird if the lead doesn’t bend his knees at the right time. When this happens, the previous mistake almost always accompanies it.
  • This usually happens with the Triple Hip Combo when the lead is not communicating clearly with the follow, and omits or changes a part.

Variations

• Walk in a circle while the follow is in the lift. Finish by bending at the knees to gently place the follow back on the ground, and then an inside turn.
• To get into it from Butterfly Open Position, release the right hand from the shoulder to get a little space, come back together hip-to-hip. The follow places her hand on the lead’s opposite shoulder. The rest of the move is the same.
• When it’s done with a Spin Out, Lean, and then the Hip Lift, it’s a combo called The Triple Hip Combo.