Regular classes, festival, workshops. Nice instructor, group. The choreography begins. There is energy and fun until THIS happens. Steps that we cannot repeat, the pace that breaks down what seemed easy a moment ago. Each of us has experienced this. Then what?
The worst you can do is stand back and give up.
Stop dancing and say that the classes are useless, the instructor sucks, and you are not good at it. Below you are gonna find 6 tips on how to move on in this situation.
Questions, questions
Banality, but not many people do it. Usually, we are restrained by the fear that we are the only ones who do not understand. Bet that it’s not true? Many people will be grateful to you that you dared to ask about something that tired them too. It doesn’t matter if it is about one detail or repetition of the choreography from the top.
Stop for a moment, look at the instructor and analyze the steps
In the whirl of classes, we want to act and repeat immediately, sometimes even though we didn’t see how the movement looks like. We do it intuitively. Therefore, if something is wrong just observe for a while and return to dancing.
Count along with the instructor, call movements, vocalize them
If the instructor settles his movements, count with him and then on your own. You will be sure what should happen at what moment. At some level, 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8 are not valid anymore. We go on sixteenths, trioles, melodic lines, accents in music that set us the pace and precision of movements. Professional dancers use fewer numbers, more vocals, eg. “Pam, pa um, pa um, pam pam”, “A, a, eeee, pa um”. Try to vocalize movements in your own way. If the problem is to remember them, name them in your head. Replace “Five-Six-Seven-Eight” with “Right-Left-Kick-Fingers-Heel”.
Use breaks to practice steps
Have a drink, and then before the group is organized, go through difficult moments slowly. Practice makes perfect 😉
Dance the moments you can, improvise those that you can’t do
Ok, I know the first 4 bars, then I don’t understand the beginning of the phrase, but the end is ok … If, despite the advices above it still doesn’t go – leave it. You will come back to this after class. Don’t give up because you don’t know 30%. Hey, you’ve learned 70%! Dance what you can, and improvise in difficult moments. Do not make the habit of stopping during the choreo. No matter what happens – dance, have fun, be sure of yourself. Adding energy, facial expressions and personality will make you look soooo much better!
Stand in the front
Maybe you just could not see it well 🙂
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