Do you have a hard time remembering choreography? Your dance teacher may demonstrate new choreography and you are totally getting it and following along just fine. But the moment you have to do it from the top by yourself... your mind goes blank! You can't seem to remember what is next or connect from one part of the dance to the new part.
So, how do you actually memorize choreography? The teachers at Mary Lorraine's Dance Center are here to offer some tips!
Grouping the Choreography
Trying to memorize an entire 3 minute dance can be really overwhelming. So divide it up!
"What helps me remember choreography is breaking it up into pieces so it’s more digestible. Like grouping a couple 8 counts together so then you memorize in chunks." - Miss Ashley
"Give a section of choreography a name in your head. Then memorize and practice the transitions between sections." -Mary Lorraine
Use the Music to Help
Make connections with the music to memorize. If the lyrics say "let the sun shine" what movement do you do on those words? Does the movement mimic the words? If so, that will help you memorize that part of the dance.
"I think the more you know your music and have that memorized the easier it is to memorize choreography. It also allows your teacher to play off of musical cues or words for transitions and movements. So the more you know your music the better off you will be!" - Miss Katelyn
Practice, Practice, Practice
Just like an actor reads their lines over and over again to memorize them. The same thing is true for dancers. Repetition helps get your body familiar with the choreography.
"To help memorize choreography, review that evening. Don’t let it linger more than a day. If you’ve learned choreo that evening in class, that night before you go to bed, review multiple times or write it down. That way, next week you can concentrate on the new choreography instead of reviewing!"
- Leigh
"Repetition! Going over a combination several times physically and then thinking through it before bed mentally. Sounds like a lot but it’s how I built my mind body connection."
- Miss Kellie
Find what works for YOU!
One thing to remember is that we are all unique individuals and we all learn differently. So you may need to write all your choreography down, while your friend needs to listen to the music on repeat. Neither is wrong. You just have to try different ways to find what is right for you!