If you’ve ever felt stuck as a dancer, like you’ve been taking classes for a while, and you just don’t seem to be getting better or are not progressing as fast as you would like, this blog post is for you!
Here are 3 quick tips plus a bonus tip of simple things you can do to speed up your growth as a dancer!
1. Practice what you’ve learned
After you take a class, practice at home! The sooner the better, too. If you can go over the routine that same day, you’ll be more like to remember what you learned and further solidify it in your body. Don’t just mindlessly run through it either. Intentionally dance it and take note of any moves or sections you’re struggling with. Take time to break down those moves and and rep them over and over until it feels more comfortable. Practice makes progress!
2. Record yourself
Sometimes we feel like we’re KILLING IT in class, and the we see a video and feel slapped in the face with the reality of what we actually look like. (I know I’ve certainly been their many times.) But that’s ok! Video is a powerful tool that can help us learn and grow, as long as you don’t let yourself become deterred or frustrated by what you see. So whether you’re looking at a video that was taken during class or you record yourself outside of class (maybe when you’re practicing at home, wink wink), take some time to analyze what you like about your dancing and what you think you can do better. It’ll give you a different perspective that we don’t always have when dancing in real time.
Here are some things to think about when watching video of yourself dancing:
- Am I grounded?
- Where can I use my core more or add texture?
- Am I dancing with intention through my arms and hands?
- Am I connected to the performance/am I emoting?
Then go back to Tip # 1 and hone in on those specific parts when you’re practicing.
3. Take class with intention
It’s easy to mindlessly take class. Not to say that you’re not paying attention in the learning process. But quite often, dancers might not have an intention behind why they are taking class, aside from the fact that they think it’s fun and want to learn how to dance. But we want you to get specific. What do YOU want to get out of class on a specific day… Set a goal for yourself. Maybe your goal is to not beat yourself up when you make a mistake, but instead stay focused. Or maybe your goal is to focus on connecting to the song and performing. Or maybe it’s to dance bigger through your core. You can determine your specific goal based on your self evaluation from Tip #2 – watching video of yourself dancing. When you take class with a more specific intention and you keep that in mind throughout class, you’re much more likely to get more out of the class, and more of what YOU specifically need.
Bonus Tip – Don’t take yourself too seriously
Quite often, we get in our own way when it comes to progressing as a dancer. Remember that dance is FUN!! And a huge part of learning entails making mistakes. The quicker you accept the learning process, the quicker you’ll be able to move forward past any mistakes you’re making.
I would love to hear from you! Do you have any other tips you’d like to share that have helped you in your growth as a dancer? Let us know in the comments!