If you struggle with learning choreography quickly and remembering it, you are not alone! This is one of my personal challenges in dance, and I have heard many other dancers express the same difficulty.
Some of our fabulous Powerhouse instructors have graciously shared their gems of wisdom on this topic. Below are our 10 Tips for Learning and Retaining Choreography (we will be sharing a second part in a couple of weeks, so stay tuned).
1. Focus. In order for your brain and body to absorb choreography, you need a clear mind. You must limit distractions. As you enter the studio, leave extraneous mental clutter at the door. Be in the moment. Focus on the task at hand: dancing. Avoid the temptation to think about what you are having for dinner or the email you need to send. Be aware of more subtle dance-related distractions that may surface during class. Comparing yourself to others or making judgments may be a tendency you have to combat. Stay the course and stay focused (see #10 for more on self-talk).
2. Choose your spot in class wisely. This does not always mean standing front and center. You may be most successful standing away from your friends to avoid distraction. You may also want to position yourself near someone who picks up choreography quickly to give you visual assistance.
3. Watch closely. Before you attempt to do the step, watch exactly how the choreographer executes it. Pay attention to not only how the choreographer physically moves, but also to how they move to the specific beats or lyrics in the music to understand timing. Once the visual is engrained in your brain, try the movement and trust your body. Watching closely before dancing will give you a thorough understanding of the movement, and a solid foundation upon which to add more choreography.
4. Listen carefully. Pay attention not only to the music, but also to verbal cues from the instructor. If a choreographer is looking for something specific, they will often verbalize this more than once. These cues can help clarify musicality, energy, movement quality, and sequence, thus enabling you to successfully retain what they have taught. If you are in your own world twirling in the corner while the choreographer is explaining something, you could miss an important detail that is critical to understanding and remembering the choreography.
5. Ask Questions. If you need to see a particular move or sequence again, do not be afraid to ask the choreographer. Class is your time and the instructor is there for you. It is likely you will need to see a sequence of moves at least 3 times before it truly sinks in, so raise your hand if you need to.
6. Repeat the Steps. Focus on grasping one section of choreography at a time. Repeat the section or the move over and over until your body knows it. This may be hard if the teacher is moving at quick pace, but take advantage of water breaks or moments when the instructor tells you to do what you need to do. Practice that section, and practice it again. Then celebrate when you know it!
7. Talk to yourself. Give words to the movement. Whether you scat with sound effects (“boom, gotta gah, skee wap”), or say to yourself “push to the right, step drop it low, and freeze”, talk yourself through the dance. This narration will remind you of what comes next. You can also name the movements. For example, “whirlybird into the karate chop, to the snake into the push the curtain.” This can help you relate the choreography to images you are already familiar with, making it easier to remember.
8. Don’t cram for the exam. Just as it is not helpful to cram for an exam the morning of the test, do not frantically practice the choreography when other groups are dancing. By the time groups perform the choreography at the end class, you probably know the combination as well as you are going to. Trust that the work you have put in will guide you when it is your turn to perform. Watch the other groups instead of dancing alongside and stressing about the choreography. Observing instead of dancing has a few benefits. You will conserve your physical and mental energy for when it is your turn. It will also give you more chances to visualize the choreography without having to physically exert yourself. You may notice something that you wouldn’t have seen if you were focused on reviewing the choreography. Take a pause to let the material sink in while you calmly appreciate the other dancers in the room.
9. Turn a blind eye. On the other hand, you may not want to watch other groups dance. Try closing your eyes and visualizing the choreography in your mind while other groups dance. This can help you remain calm, stay focused, and tune into the music. While running through the choreography in your mind, you may identify trouble areas so you know what parts to review or what questions to ask.
10. Be kind to yourself. This is the most important tip of all. Do not be too hard on yourself. Negative self-talk will not help you retain choreography: it will only stress you out, creating mental distraction (hello again, tip #1!). This will reduce your mental capacity to absorb the material. Instead, each time you run through the dance, find one thing you did well (you hit that double turn! YAS!). Even if your forgot a part of the choreography, celebrate the successes! Encourage yourself just like you encourage your fellow dancers. Remind yourself that class is for learning, you are a GREAT dancer, and mistakes will happen. Amen to being human!
We hope at least one of these tips helps you! My challenge to you is this: choose one tip to implement in class this week.
Let us know how it goes and if any of these tips resonate with you in the comments below!
Written and Compiled by: Jenny De Tore and Powerhouse Instructors