Therapeutic Boogie

by Michael Tonetti

Therapeutic Boogie is a dance form that is designed to balance and strengthen the joints and develop body awareness while having a good time. In therapeutic boogie we explore patterns that maximize the ability to exist in the gravitational field of the earth without compressing. We learn to float the bones in their web of muscles by utilizing gravity to reflexively activate our anti-gravity systems. Dance provides an opportunity to explore movement experientially, to explore what it feels like to move. Our bodies have an incredible ability to remember a huge variety of movements.

Learning to float the bones is accomplished by moving in patterns that demand the involvement of the deep layer, joint stabilizing muscles. The deep muscles only become active when the bones that they are attached to line up just right. Of course, it can be argued that the bones only line up when the deep muscles are active, but it is much easier to keep track of the alignment the segments of the body than to isolate and consciously contract each deep muscle at the exact appointed time to align the bones.

Dance is crucial to deep muscle activation; without dance dozens of muscles just go along for the ride. No other activity works the deep spinal muscles so thoroughly. Undulating and twisting are basic training for life in a gravitational field. If undulating and twisting are not specifically demanded, the normally stringy and overstretched deep spinal muscles cannot get or remain strong. The deep spinal muscles keep the vertebrae from settling down into an immobilized stack of blocks.

Spines with a strong deep musculature are a rarity in our society. Virtually everyone moves in compressive lockdown patterns that collapse the pressure distribution system. Moving in compressive patterns for any length of time allows the deep muscles to overstretch and become weak. Disengaging the deep muscles sets off a chain reaction of compensation in which the bigger, more superficial back muscles tighten up. They tend to dump the pelvis forward when standing and moving, which pushes the abdominal contents forward, disengaging the abdominal muscles and pulling the upper hip muscles into stabilizing the pelvis. Below, this throws the legs out of alignment, and above, it throws the ribcage, neck and the shoulder girdle out of alignment. The activities of modern life have led to virtually universal structural collapse; virtually everyone has fallen arches, twisted knees, tight hips and shoulders and jammed spines.

Not every form of dance will fix the problems of structural collapse. For example, ballet can cause structural trouble by flattening the curves of the spine, turning the feet out, and by holding muscles tight. Superficial muscles are tightened to create a certain look, at the expense of overwhelming and disengaging the underlying muscles. Looking like you have good posture is not a guarantee that the anti-gravity system is actually functioning. In fact, many of the postural instructions that are so common are a recipe to get muscle bound; pulling back the shoulders, sticking out the chest and tucking the butt interfere with the reflexive function of the deeper postural muscles. Redistributing the pressure to develop joint health later in life is a huge undertaking.

In belly dancing which is predominantly structurally healthy, the knees can wobble in a way that breaks down the arches of the feet. Keep the weight solidely on the heels to stabilize the knees. I am curious to know if there is a form of bellydance that addresses this issue by keeping the knees straight over the feet. Moves that push the extreme range of motion of any joint tend to be less safe but most dance forms can be modified to make them safer once this issue is understood.

In some dance forms the spine is not undulated or twisted but if the shoulders and hips are balanced and relaxed the deep muscles can get some work and benefit.

Many traditional dance forms work the spine, legs and arms beautifully; there is ancient healing wisdom handed down in traditional dances. For example the way that the Mambo works the hips and lower back is very strengthening and balancing. Yet, no dance changes basic movements unless the awareness and lightness developed in the dance is applied to the basic movements. I have seen many incredible dancers misusing every joint in their bodies when not dancing. I realized some years ago that the potential to use dance for structural healing was not being realized. I developed therapeutic boogie directly in response to the universal need for structural health. Dance can get you loose – decompressed movement can keep you loose. Disabled bodies can also benefit from therapeutic boogie by moving in the patterns that they are able. Movements can be modified to address specific needs.

People boogie to a huge array of musical styles: rock and roll, reggae, rhythm and blues, funk, jazz, and the incredible assortment of African, Latin, and Gypsy, and the list goes on. You can boogie by yourself. You can boogie with or without a partner; sometimes the whole crowd boogies together when the energy level picks up. Boogieing is a very freeform type of dance. Once you cut loose, there is tremendous freedom in boogieing. The music dances the dancers.

Self conscious thinking is generally not beneficial while boogieing and once you establish habitual solid body mechanics, very little thought of any kind will be necessary. The extra effort to develop safe alignment getting started will reward you with decades of moves that can keep you moving long after the non-dancers and misaligned dancers have gotten stiff and old. Pay attention to how it feels to keep your heels, ankles, knees and second toes aligned. The few not so safe moves that you give up are more than compensated for by the strength and safety of all the moves that are still available. You can still cut loose and really move.

There are a few basic principles to be understood in order to explore this process successfully. First of all, each foot is a foundational structure. This means that the foot must be solid to keep the weight bearing bone of the lower leg steady; the top of the weight bearing lower leg bone is the platform that forms the bottom half of the knee joint. Creating a stable foundational structure frees the knees and hips from the twisting forces that are so hard on them. This freedom can be easily traced all the way up to the way the skull sits on the top of the spine.

The arches of the foot work together to provide this stability and the back end of the arches is the heel. Build arch strength from balanced heels by experimenting with your heel alignment as it touches the ground. Springing the arches to lock the knee in the same plane as the foot is virtually unexplored in our physical education process. Yet this is a critical structural requirement for the functioning of the all of the joints higher up. Next, the hips are the junctions between systems. Each leg has its own integrity and balance as does the torso. Developing the habit of bending precisely at the hips with knees directly over feet, till they swing forward to come up, could add decades of movement freedom to your life by protecting the joints through keeping the deep muscles of your legs and the deep muscles of your torso engaged. Thirdly, the torso functions best at its maximum length and width. To respond to gravity, the deep muscles need vertebrae and ribs that are floating; jammed bones cannot move appropriately. And lastly, the shoulder blades and skull need to float too. The pressure of the shoulder girdle should be anchored to the sides of the ribcage to keep it from interfering with the movement of the upper spine and the head.

Each segment of the body is dependent on the segment above and below. This interdependency of the segments and the teamwork principle of the deep muscle system, if not already clear, will become apparent and then obvious in your body as you explore this process. When the deep layer muscles become active, it feels distinctly different than when they aren’t. Monitoring the process of learning therapeutic boogie is like turning on internal cameras in the feet, knees, hips, the pelvis, the spine, the junction of the spine and the head, and in the shoulder girdle. Once the ‘cameras’ go on, there is virtually no limit to the degree to which an able body can be coordinated. Preconceived notions of ability or talent tend to become irrelevant very shortly.

Some safety guidelines are: Use the whole ball and all of the toes of each foot to press on the ground. The lower leg and foot are a functional unit; keep each knee and foot pointing in the same direction. Find the neutral part of the range of motion for each joint or segment of the body by experimenting with flexing, extending and rotating symmetrically. Avoid extreme range of motion moves until you are confident in your ability to safely pull them off. Start with your feet; once you are in the habit of using you feet accurately you can take advantage of the chain reaction of floating bones that becomes available. When leaning your torso over bend precisely at the hips. You will know that you are bending your hips instead of your spine when it is easy to keep the back of your neck long.

These are basic guidelines that are cautionary; plenty of people have broken these rules without injury, but the cumulative effect of jamming and compressing joints is destabilizing and progressively more dangerous. There are an almost infinite number of safe moves. The more the joints are used properly the stronger the stabilizer muscles get and the longer the joints last.

The main thing is to get up and start moving. Let the music take you away by getting into a body feeling mode. Your body can find the pulse (main beat) of the music. If you have not boogied, start by stepping down on the pulses: left right left right. Let your arms swing. Twist a little by pretending to dry your bottom with a towel while twisting four times on one foot and then four on the other. Feel the weight of your arms. Create some space between your shoulder blades as you allow them to drop down and spread out. Change your foot pattern and see what happens in your torso and arms.

As I develop video products we will explore stability moves for each structure of the body. We will get into arch and the knee strengthening and hip opening and balancing. We’ll explore the role of the abdominal muscles and learn to use them appropriately. We will thoroughly work the diagonal spiral line muscles of the torso and the deep stabilizers of the spine. Undulating and twisting the spine will become second nature. We will play with floating the shoulder blades. Once you get all of your bones floating you will probably find yourself creating new moves. And hopefully you will transfer the principles of decompressed movement to your everyday movement patterns.

We have some great music in store to be released in dvd format in the coming months. We will be showing the dance moves but most of the footage will focus on the musicians constructing the rhythms and melodies that sustain the dance. In the meantime dance to any music that is available. It is awesome to have readily available recorded music but, of course, live music is best; the interaction between musicians and dancers can create a palpable healing energy. We all need to support live musicians by showing up when they play. Musicians playing dance music always appreciate the dancers. Everyone benefits.