Grinding. The infamous genre of dance that makes our grandparents cringe and parents raise their eyebrows has become the dance phenomenon of the century. Rappers sing about it. People DFMO during it. And for many of us, it offers the opportunity for our inner goddesses to unleash. You may have recently witnessed some of these sensual moves at the bars, a house party, or even the Calvin Harris spring concert. Wherever you like to pop, lock, and drop it, there is no denying that grinding has taken on an art of its own. Without further ado, here are just some different ways to bump and grind.
- The Waddle: If you find yourself doing “The Waddle”, you and your partner haven’t quite picked up the rhythm yet and you are most likely holding back. Typically, this motion involves simply swinging your hips from side to side with your arms following suit. #Boring. Perhaps you are not fully comfortable with letting the booty run wild and free. If this is the case, loosen up and have fun with it! Grinding is a no commitment thing and when you are pressed up against another guy, there is not a whole lot of room left for awkwardness!
- The Swivel: When you have finally picked up the rhythm of the music, “The Swivel” becomes the precursor to really dropping it low. “The Swivel” usually means you and your man have picked up a nice groove and are starting to have fun with it. Maybe you are starting to roll your hips in a circular motion or even throwing in an occasional booty pop. Keep working, girl! You are oh-so-close to embracing the fabulous moves of Shakira. Hips don’t lie, you know!
- Bring it Around Town: You are finally taking control of the grind and the highly popular booty roll! Embrace your inner Beyoncé (lets face it, we all know there is a Queen B inside all of us) and let your butt take over. Keep up the circular movements of the hips and increase your speed when the music picks up. It is all about moving to the beat of the music so listen closely and move to the groove. Chances are your partner will be pretty impressed and you may even impress yourself!
- Hands in the Air Like Ya Just Don’t Care: You are really feeling the music so why not put your hands up and rock out? This is very doable if your guy is holding onto you and the two of you have established a solid rhythm. In this case, if may be wise to wrap your hands around his, intertwine the fingers, and bring them in the air as well. Maybe even a casual behind the neck/hair grab is in the works. Once you have the hips rockin and rollin, the hands are the next step. Don’t be afraid to take control of this aspect of grinding. It adds another element to the dance, shows confidence, and can be uber sensual.
- Drop it the Flo’: Maybe a song is playing that just really makes you want to drop it down and bring it back up. This can be pretty practical every once in a while. Just make sure it is the right song. In the words of of T-Pain and Pitbull, “Drop it the floor, make me wanna say it.”
- Face Down, A** Up: Pretty self-explanatory. If you and your partner are really (and I mean really) getting into it, you may feel no shame in grabbing the ankles or getting way, way low. This has the potential of turning into a ghetto music video so just know what you are getting yourself into when you decide to go this route.
There you have it…some different ways of having fun with and figuring out the classic enigma of grinding. Just remember that the key to mastering any type of dancing is confidence! Do what makes you comfortable and don’t worry about what the guy will think. Practice makes perfect so get out on the dance floor this weekend and dance your heart out. Good luck, ladies!