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Tips to Remember Choreography

Remembering choreography is an essential skill for every dancer, as without it, dancing would be a series of unsynchronized steps. However, it is also one of the most difficult skills to master, especially when individual steps are hard or when you work as a team with other dancers. There are some simple measures you can take, however, to memorize the sequence of steps more easily and efficiently.
  1. Make Notes

    • Write down the steps of a dance routine and study it between your dancing lessons. Do it straight after your dance practice, so that you don't forget any part of the choreography --- otherwise, you memorize a wrong routine. Give a number to each step and use short sentences that comprise two to five words for each step. This way, it is easier to memorize the paper's contents.

    Determine the Pattern

    • Memorizing individual steps can be extremely difficult in long dancing routines. For this purpose, you have to determine the pattern of a dance routine. For example, a simplistic choreography can consist of two front steps, three steps to the right and a step back. This is an easier way to remember the choreography than "1. front step, 2. front step, 3. step to the right" and so forth.

    Relate to Music and Lyrics

    • Dancing is rhythmic body movement in relation to music, not a grueling series of unrelated steps, even though intensive practice can make you question this definition. Relate your routine to a song's music or even its lyrics to remember which step comes at any point. For example, when Britney Spears says "show me" on "Baby One More Time," dancers extend their right hand forward on the word "show" and place both palms on their heart on "me."

    Understand the Sequence

    • Relate each individual step of the choreography to the next and previous one. This technique can help you determine which step comes next while you are dancing. For example, try to relate raising your arms with a 180-degree turn clockwise. This way, you can divide the choreography into sequences, which allows your movements to flow naturally throughout the routine.

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