Dictionary Definition
shimmy
Noun
1 an abnormal wobble in a motor vehicle
(especially in the fromt wheels); "he could feel the shimmy in the
steering wheel"
3 lively dancing (usually to ragtime music) with
much shaking of the shoulders and hips
Verb
1 tremble or shake; "His voice wobbled with
restrained emotion" [syn: wobble]
2 dance a shimmy [also: shimmied]
User Contributed Dictionary
English
Pronunciation
- Rhymes: -ɪmi
Noun
Translations
An abnormal vibration, especially in the wheels
of a vehicle
- Finnish: tärinä
A dance that was popular in the 1920s
A sleeveless chemise
- Finnish: tärinä
Verb
- To climb sometime (e.g. a pole) gradually (e.g. using
alternately one's arms then one's legs.)
- He shimmied up the flagpole.
- The static made her dress shimmy up her leg.
- He shimmied up the flagpole.
- To vibrate abnormally, as a broken wheel.
- In the context of "intransitive|rare": To shake the body as if dancing the shimmy.
Synonyms
- (climb a pole) shinny (UK, Canada)
Translations
To climb sometime (e.g. a pole) gradually
To vibrate abnormally, as a broken wheel
- Finnish: täristä
To shake the body as if dancing the shimmy
Extensive Definition
A shimmy is a dance move in
which the body is held
still, except for the shoulders, which are alternated
back and forth. When the right shoulder goes back, the left one
comes forward. It may help to hold the arms out slightly bent at
the elbow, and when
the shoulders are moved, keep the hands in the same position. In 1917
a dance-song titled "Shim-Me-Sha_Wobble" by Spencer Williams was
published, as was "The Jazz Dance, which included the "Shimmy-She",
among others. Flappers performed
this dance in the 1920s. The origin of
the name is often attributed to Gilda Gray, a
Polish
emigrant to America. An anecdote says that when she was
asked about her dancing style, she answered, in heavy accent, "I'm
shaking my chemise".
However, in an interview Gilda denied having said this, and earlier
usages of the word are recorded.
The move is also known under different names in
various folk dances, in Gypsy dances.
In Russian this move is called "Cyganochka", or "gypsy girl", and
is done by gypsy female dancers to produce a chime of costume
decorations made of the sewn-on coins.
The dance move with this name is used in various
modern dances.
The shimmy is also a class of belly dance
moves. Depending on the desired effect, style, teacher, and country
of origin of the particular dance, a shimmy might be executed
differently, but altogether, the shimmy will manifest as a fast
shaking or shuddering movement that can be rhythmic or arrhythmic.
The movement may be localized, such as in the hips, shoulder,
chest, etc., or the move might be loose and general, reverberating
through the entire body. Shimmies in belly dance can also have
orientation, such as an up/down movement or a twisting movement of
the hips.
External links
- Shimmy at "Dance History Archives"
shimmy in German: Shimmy (Tanz)
shimmy in French: Shimmy
shimmy in Japanese: シミー
shimmy in Polish: Shimmy