Carolena and I have been talking about this quite a bit lately. We both feel that it's best to at least have your zills on while you're dancing right from the start. It's ok if you can't play the whole time in the beginning. I think if you practice the zilling separately (with the Zills dvd if you have it) and then keep them on while you dance so that you can play them some with the moves you'll be better off than not using them at all. I have heard countless students who didn't start out with them say how difficult is to learn the whole vocabulary of movements then learn to play the zills and THEN try to put them together. Ideally, the zilling pattern will become part of the move if you work with them from the beginning.

All that said, by all means, focus on your posture first, movements second and then the zills. Hang in there. Before long you won't be able to dance without them. ;-)

I agree, put them on and get used to them being there. If you can manage to do one stroke on the beat with the right hand, that's progress. Also, gradually working from a slow pace to a faster one can help as well - with the shimmy and zils - one, then the other, then at the same time.

I know. Sometimes its like trying to pat your head and rub your belly at the same time, but you'll get it.

*;}

I've been trying a new way of moving student into dancing with zils and it seems to be helping so I'll offer it here. It's almost impossible to play R-L-R R-L-R R-L-R R-L-R consistently while dancing right off the bat. So I'm offering other options to my students. With my little girls, we dance and play a simple R-L-R-L-R-L-R-L at first, first half time, then with the beat of the music, then getting faster with the zils as the timing of the move stays the same. Does that make sense? With the grown ups, I ask them to try to play at least one R-L-R out of 4, so they are basically dancing and every now and then playing a R-L-R when they can work it in. Gradually they start playing the R-L-Rs closer together until they can play it full out.

Also, we do practice the zils with the basic shimmy in a big circle for one whole song. That's a pretty good drill to get the feet and the hands moving at the same time.

Well... I think this explanation will make no sense at all (but maybe it will!), but it's something I realized recently... I hope it's ok to post here, since I'm not an expert in FCBD ATS, but I think this applies to all 3/4 shimmy with triplet (gallop) cymbals.

The shimmy (3/4 shimmy) and R-L-R cymbals begin on different beats. If you're counting "& a 1-ee & a 2-ee & a 3-ee & a 4-ee" , where 1,2,3,4 are the beats of the music, the shimmy is up on "1", down on "ee" and up again on the "&" pause on the "a", then repeat on the other side.

The cymbals on the other hand.... The cymbals begin on the third beat of the triplet, believe it or not. R-L-R doesn't begin on the count of 1. If using the same "& a 1-ee & a 2-ee & a 3-ee & a 4-ee", the cymbals are R on "&", L on "a", R on "1", pause on "ee", then repeat R on the next "&', L on "a", R on "2", pause on "ee". The patterns look deceptively similar, but in reality they are quite different because the accented beats are different, and while you're switching the triplet from the right side to the left side with your hips, your cymbals always begin on the right hand (or the left, if you're left handed).

I hope this makes sense. I wish I could draw a picture!

I actually have a lot of problems with ziling during the shimmy because of the weight/foot shift (u-d-u right side, u-d-u left side). I start playing R-L-R L-R-L (heck I usually get R-L-R and then it all falls apart). So my shimmy/zill practice is VERY slow. I found arabic (no shimmy layered over the top) to be easier to get started with, just to get the feel for the zills/movement going together.

good question Lynn. I had the same problem.