Gangnam Style, the hit of Korean singer Psy, owes its success to two things: its catchy music, and the mythical "horse dance" combined with it. Follow the steps in this article to learn how to dance "Gangnam Style" just like Psy.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Part One: The Steps
Step 1. Find the right position
Open your legs, and bend your knees slightly. The distance between your feet should be the same as the distance between your shoulders, and your back should be straight.
Stay relaxed. You will not stand still for long
Step 2. Learn the steps
Start with the right foot. Lift it off the ground and lower it back down, ending with a small back hop.
- To do the jump, let your foot touch the floor and bounce slightly, moving your foot back slightly instead of lifting it again. To keep your balance, you will need to jump around a bit, which is always part of the dance.
- Practice switching from right foot to left foot and vice versa until you realize you can keep time easily.
Step 3. Learn the combination
Now that you are comfortable with the movement, you will need to learn a simple combination. The dance consists of various parts with four steps each that alternate with each other.
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The combination is: foot right, feet left, feet right, feet right, and then the other way around.
This means that you will need to step and hop once with the main foot, once with the other foot, and then twice with the main foot. After that you will have to change the main foot and repeat
- On the last two steps of each part, you will find it difficult to jump, because the weight naturally shifts to the other foot. Do what Psy does and keep your foot light, instead of taking a full hop on these steps. Don't kick.
- Practice with the combination DSDD, SDSS RLRR, LRLL until you can keep up with the beat.
Method 2 of 3: Part Two: How To Use The Rest Of The Body
Step 1. Learn to "hold the reins"
Begin this movement by placing your arms in front of you, practically straight at chest height.
- Cross your right wrist over your left and hold them together. The wrists should cross on the center line of the body and not on one side or the other.
- Move your arms up and down in a smooth motion, in time with the song. Repeat this movement eight times.
Step 2. Learn to "lasso"
Begin this movement by placing your left arm so that the palm of your hand is close to your chin, with your left elbow pointed to the left and your forearm straight.
- Raise your right arm to shoulder level, with the elbow pointing diagonally to the right.
- Raise your right forearm so that it points upward, and make small circular motions to the beat of the song, as if you were a cowboy with a lasso. This movement is also repeated eight times.
Step 3. Learn the combination
Fortunately, the combination of arm movements is very easy. Start with "holding the reins". In a steady rhythm, move your arms eight times, and then switch to the "lasso" move and move your right arm eight times.
Method 3 of 3: Part Three: Assemble The Whole
Step 1. Match the steps with the arm movements
Start with your arms holding the reins, and with your right foot.
- Learn the combination. Each part made up of eight arm movements equals two parts made up of leg movements. And then, if you start as illustrated, you will move the reins eight times, and at the same time you will do the steps with right, left, right, right and then left, right, left, left. The movements of the arms and the steps should match.
- Keep your head up. If you were really on horseback, you'd be looking straight ahead to see what's on the road. Look straight ahead even as you dance.
- Immerse yourself in the dance. Don't think that you have to dance all stiff and in a controlled way. As long as you can move your arms and legs in time and in the correct way, the rest of your body will naturally follow the movement. Relax and go for it!
Step 2. Practice
Start slowly and practice continuously, picking up speed and pace a little at a time until it feels natural to you. Gangnam Style has a fast pace, so start slow and speed up little by little.
Step 3. Your time has come
When you feel ready, turn up the music and start dancing. Go out and show it to people, or teach it to your friends. Have fun!
