How to do an "illusion"?

[amberdezi]

if anyone knows how to do one, can you PLEASE tell me some tips? and if youre reeeeally bored, you can always make a "how-to" video and put it on youtube, if you want . im sure a lot of people would be thankful for it, since i cant find ANY "how to do an illusion" videos!

all i know is you have to be flexible, and thankfully, that is my strongest point. i was always the most flexible in my classes when i was younger, and i have maintained my flexibility over the years, and can still do deep oversplits in all three splits. also, i doubt there are, but if there are any known drills for an illusion, you can tell me those, too!

thank you sooooo much you guys!

 

[livelifetumble8dx]

from what my sister who teaches dance competion, she said you have to be flexible hamstrings, hip flexors and strong hamstrings. An illusion is basically a turning penche ( not that you'd have any idea what that is unless you take dance :3)
its like doing a cartwheel, with no hands. "you need your side splits for this one. To prepare before doing this turn, practice your needle stand against a wall, getting into your split as much as possible. A needle is where your torso drops and one leg lifts behind you so you create a straight line with the torso and that leg. After practicing some needles with a wall, do needle kicks (without the wall). Once you are warm, take 2 walks, right left. On the third step, right, you bring the left leg up behind you, and drop the torso so your head is by your knee, and come into your needle pose, arms in ballet 5th, turning outside (counter-clockwise if on the right leg). Spot to the front or side. As you come around, drop your left leg and lift your torso. As you land, step with your left leg. So when going across the floor, it's (on beat) walk walk illusion walk... and so forth."

 

[flippinlolly]

from what my sister who teaches dance competion, she said you have to be flexible hamstrings, hip flexors and strong hamstrings. An illusion is basically a turning penche ( not that you'd have any idea what that is unless you take dance :3)
its like doing a cartwheel, with no hands. "you need your side splits for this one. To prepare before doing this turn, practice your needle stand against a wall, getting into your split as much as possible. A needle is where your torso drops and one leg lifts behind you so you create a straight line with the torso and that leg. After practicing some needles with a wall, do needle kicks (without the wall). Once you are warm, take 2 walks, right left. On the third step, right, you bring the left leg up behind you, and drop the torso so your head is by your knee, and come into your needle pose, arms in ballet 5th, turning outside (counter-clockwise if on the right leg). Spot to the front or side. As you come around, drop your left leg and lift your torso. As you land, step with your left leg. So when going across the floor, it's (on beat) walk walk illusion walk... and so forth."

A penche is an arabesque (or scale) where your leaning forwards with your chest (so like in Compulsory beam when you lean forwards).
I do illusions and have found they are a lot harder work than they look which can often make them hard to learn because they are misleading. It takes a lot of strength in the hamstrings hip flexors and abs and you need to be really tight throughouut the turn or you just collapse (learnt from my mistakes). You need to have a very good box split (think it may be called side split in USA but I'm not sure) and front split which it sounds like you do. Getting down is the easy part, it's pulling yourself back up thats hard. Make sure that when you drop down you initiate the turning force with your upper body. Also make sure that you balance your weight on your foot so that it's not too far back or forwards (I find you have to work that one out from trial and error!)

 

[amberdezi]

A penche is an arabesque (or scale) where your leaning forwards with your chest (so like in Compulsory beam when you lean forwards).
I do illusions and have found they are a lot harder work than they look which can often make them hard to learn because they are misleading. It takes a lot of strength in the hamstrings hip flexors and abs and you need to be really tight throughouut the turn or you just collapse (learnt from my mistakes). You need to have a very good box split (think it may be called side split in USA but I'm not sure) and front split which it sounds like you do. Getting down is the easy part, it's pulling yourself back up thats hard. Make sure that when you drop down you initiate the turning force with your upper body. Also make sure that you balance your weight on your foot so that it's not too far back or forwards (I find you have to work that one out from trial and error!)

wait, so i always thought that you lean forwards in a scale, and stay with your chest up in an arabesque...so if im wrong, then whats the difference between a scale and a penche?

 

[Deleted member D3987]

this one is pretty good.

http://www.youtube.com/v/DcgL3xnDCXE&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param

 

[flippinlolly]

wait, so i always thought that you lean forwards in a scale, and stay with your chest up in an arabesque...so if im wrong, then whats the difference between a scale and a penche?

I don't know! In England we don't use the word scale so I thought it was just what an arabesque is called in the USA! But if a scale is always leaning forward then a penche and a scale are the same thing

 

[Stretchsportguy]

YouTube - illusions
YouTube - Practising Illusions Gymnastics
YouTube - balanse beam turn illusion
YouTube - livers bb full turn-illusion
YouTube - D195 - Free Illusion
YouTube - D205 - Double Illusion
YouTube - D197 - Free Illusion to Vertical Split
YouTube - illusion spin jessica
YouTube - Spin-illusion
YouTube - double illusion
YouTube - Floor - double illusion

 

[KyraGymnast]

Woah

I've been reading all of these replies and even though they all sound great in explaining the technical side of the illusion, they are very confusing as to how to actually do it.

Now all you really have to know how to do to be able to do an illusion is a cartwheel (easy peesy) and

a needle kick (a kick where you bend down and touch one foot, while the other leg kicks up into a full split or scale- also pretty easy- it's pretty much like down a scale with your chest on your base leg).

After you got the needle kick down, you start trying to turn when you are doing it - kind of like doing a cartwheel in one place. Your base foot stays on the ground the whole time.

You will do a half turn, and end up facing the opposite way you started

I found this video on youtube.com-- this shows what a good one looks like (just ignore the spinning before hand, you dont have to do that )

It shows a single, double and triple. I know this isn't the best video, but it at least shows what it should look like-

YouTube - Illusions

I know it's confusing, and your best bet is to have someone teach you in person, but I hope this helped.

~KyraGymnast~

 

[gymcoach34]

i teach illusions using a climbing rope for balance. As you snap down in the needle, grab the rope w/ your top hand and the rope will twist as you circle.