How To Pick Up Choreography Quickly
Hey everyone. I hope you all are enjoying life these days. I finally started something very exciting that I will be talking about in my April-May update, so stay tuned for that. This week we’re talking about something that is extremely important to know as a dancer, especially during summer intensives and if you’re planning on becoming a professional. Picking up choreography quickly. So let's jete right into the subject.
My top tips:
1. Videos.
My biggest tip is to video the choreography you’re learning, especially if it’s for a performance or ballet exam. This not only helps with memory but also helps you see and pick up the small details, like headlines, that you might overlook. That is especially important for ballet exams.
2. Watch the teacher, and don’t be afraid to as questions.
Watch the teacher demo the combination once before trying it yourself. If you’re stuck on a particular move, see if you can get the teacher (or a fellow dancer) to demonstrate the move you’re stuck on. It helps me to understand the move I don’t get if someone demonstrates how to do it.
3. Speak up.
Sometimes teachers will ask you if you’ve got it before you do the combination full out. If you’re unsure, don’t be afraid to say that you need to review it again. Chances are, some other dancers are not sure themselves but are too scared to say so. Your dance teacher’s job is to teach and help you, so let them do that by speaking up in class if you’re unsure about something.
4. Mark it.
If you’re doing a combination in groups, when the group before you is dancing, try marking it with them. You should do the arms full out or the legs, depending on which one you have more trouble figuring out. This tip has been a dance lifesaver for me in class.
5. Take notes
Take notes during and after class to help you remember corrections or choreography. Also, investing in a ballet terminology dictionary will help you learn all the different moves. I recommend the app, Ballet Lite.
6. Listen to the music
Lots of times, when you’re doing a combination to specific music, you can hear the moves within the song itself. Try making a copy of the music to listen to a few times during the day. Imagine yourself performing the steps as the music plays; this will help you match movements with musical cues. I do this all the time with whatever dance I’m learning. When I choreograph my dances, I use the music cues to tell me how to dance (fast, upbeat music = happy, slower music = emotional, and sad).
7. Focus on yourself.
When we struggle with memorizing choreography, we often watch the person in front of us dance as we’re dancing. That is a recipe for disaster. Instead, focus on yourself and only yourself. Try dancing in the front row versus in the back row. If it’s still too tempting to peek at the other dancers, ask your teacher if everyone can try dancing with their backs to the mirror.
And that concludes my tips on how to pick up choreography quickly. Don’t forget to check out my Summer Course Survival Guide 1.0, as well as my posts on Perfectionism and Dealing with Criticism. Check back next week to learn my final tips for summer intensives.
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