How To Learn A Dance Routine

The breakdown of learning a dance routine can be challenging but it gets easier with practice. When learning dance - it is not enough to know a routine by memory. You have to OWN it in its entirety to bring it to the highest level. This includes technique, controlled movements, facial expressions, stage presence etc. Learning the steps is just the foundational piece.

In our academy, we've broken this down to several components that we implement over the course of weeks and months. Now remember, this is just for one routine. This is the process we use to teach our classes as we get them ready to get on stage. 

1. Break it down. We break down a routine into 45 sec to one minute increments.  This probably contains approximately one minute of 3 - 4 different songs. One minute may not seem like a long time but any dancer will tell you that one minute can contain about 20 – 30 steps if not more. We teach our classes about a minute in each class. When we say 'teach', we mean breaking down EVERY. SINGLE. STEP. That includes a head nod, the way your foot is positioned, where your eyes go, the angle degree of your arms and more. A standard routine is about 3 – 4 minutes in length. By this math, it takes about a month just to LEARN a routine.
2. Formations. Formations refer to your positioning in a dance. One of the most appealing components of dancing is the constant movement on stage. A dancer doesn't stay in the same spot for too long. From an audience point of view, these transitions seem seamless but behind the scenes is a very different story. One routine can have up to 8 – 10 different group formations. It's not enough that a student knows only his or her own formation. Each student also needs to be aware of the team mates around them to perform as a cohesive unit on stage. 
3. Synchronization. Now we come to the hardest part of dancing when performing in a group. We also call it 'perfecting' or ‘cleaning’. This is the most time consuming and challenging part of the whole process, but the most important. It involves numerous rehearsals with a LOT of repetition. The purpose of these practices is to refine and finesse every movement, every motion, every look, to be in perfect sync.
4. Expressions. Expressions often get booted to the last thing worked on right before a performance but should really be a component that is taught throughout the whole process. Right before a student steps on stage, you'll often hear a teacher or a parent shout out "Don't forget to smile!". Unfortunately, smiling is not the same thing as having expressions on stage but that is a whole different blog post. The point is – you want the energy and emotions of a dance to be evident in your whole being during a performance. You want to show the audience how to feel through YOU.
5. Practice & Feedback. Once students have gone through the above steps, the only thing left to do is practice, practice, practice. This is where the instructor is conducting run throughs with the class with all the feedback and critiques implemented. This is where students are focusing on keeping stamina, practicing full out and committing the routine to muscle memory.

As you can probably tell by now, it takes a LOT to execute just ONE routine. Fortunately for us, we've got our process down to a science so our students know the timeline and expectations. Remember, learning a dance routine takes time and patience. Celebrate small victories along the way, and don't be discouraged by challenges. With consistent practice, you'll be able to master the routine and enjoy the experience of dancing. The first performance for a student is always the most nerve-racking! But after that, they go through this process many times over with excitement as they are building confidence and refining themselves as dancers.