8 Things Good Dancers Do to Learn New Choreography Faster

Is dance more than just a hobby? If you’re passionate about the performing arts, you may dream of putting on show-stopping performances and winning national dance competitions. The key to becoming an accomplished dancer is to master new moves quickly. Here are eight tricks good dancers use to learn choreography faster.

Practice at home.

The time you spend learning in dance class is not enough. If you truly want to gain momentum in your dancing, you should spend more time practicing at home. The best way to ingrain new choreography in your mind and muscles is to go over the steps right after class. If a particular movement is extra challenging for you, spend the most time on that.

Dance in front of a mirror.

While you eventually need to reach a point where you can dance without a mirror (after all, there won’t be one on stage), the mirror is your best friend when learning new choreography. Analyze your posture and movements to make sure you’re getting them right. Then, with repetition, it will become muscle memory.

Visualize the movements while listening to the music.

It’s even possible to practice choreography without moving your feet! Play the song on your headphones, close your eyes and envision the steps that go with each 8-count of the music. This will help you master the sequencing, which is critical to avoiding mistakes on stage.

Analyze videos of yourself dancing.

Set up a camera or ask a friend to videotape you practicing a dance. You can also play back videos from performances. Seeing yourself from another perspective can help you realize where to make improvements.

Seek one-on-one instruction.

If you miss a class or feel behind the other students, schedule an individual practice session with your teacher. The one-on-one time should help you grasp the choreography and catch up to the rest of the class.

Take injuries seriously.

While eager dancers never want to sit it out, the best dancers listen to their body and don’t push injuries too far. If you continue to dance on a twisted ankle or with shin splints, you may never fully heal. This could be detrimental to your dance career and lead to chronic pain. The moral of the story is if you’re injured, see a doctor and sit out the next few classes.

Learn more than one style of dance.

A well-rounded dancer tries multiple styles of dance, which complement each other in surprising ways. The poise and flexibility gained in ballet translate perfectly to contemporary/lyrical dance, and the rhythm and precision of tap can help hip-hop dancers.

Exercise outside of class.

Dancers are the ultimate combination of artist and athlete. You need strength, flexibility and endurance to succeed on the dance floor, so make strength training and conditioning a priority.