Everything you need to know to master a choreography

To learn to dance and master a choreography , you must follow certain steps. If you take dance classes in a dance school (Cuban salsa classes, rock classes, oriental dance classes …), the dance teacher will be your guide, who will allow you to learn as you progress through the sequences, starting with learn the basic step.

Little by little you will become familiar with the rhythms of the chosen dance style to better understand them and anticipate the movements. Feel free to make a playlist of the music you listen to in class to listen to at home or on the way to work or school; this way you will feel more comfortable during the classes.

In any case, whatever dance style you choose, these are our tips to assimilate a choreography and reproduce it perfectly:

• Maximum concentration. Observe your teacher before embarking on playing dance steps. Keep your attention during all the explanations and be on the lookout for corrections that you or other students may make.
• Count the movements. At the beginner level, your bachata, classical dance or modern jazz teacher will teach you to count to position your movements. You will count up to 8 steps overall (but there are also setbacks). This is the best way to sync with the music.
• One thing at a time . Don’t try to memorize leg movements, arm placement, gaze direction, and body orientation at the same time. Go in stages. Begin by mastering one aspect of the choreography before adding more information. Thus, you will be able to memorize better, reproduce the movements of the sequences with greater precision and improve.
• Create mental images . There are steps that can remind you of something. For example, a pirouette gives the impression of a compass that draws a circle on the ground . It is up to you to create your own stories to assimilate the steps and choreographic sequences.
• Record! Ask your Argentine tango, west coast swing or contemporary dance teacher if you can record the choreography to analyze and repeat it at home.
• Write or draw the choreography. This is one level beyond that, but it allows some people to memorize the steps better.
• Repeat over and over: there are no secrets. To progress and memorize faster and faster, you must repeat, repeat, and repeat. Everything you need to know to master a choreography