If you didn’t read our first blog post about 10 Tips to Retain Choreography, check it out! Our amazing instructors had so much insight and wisdom, that we have 9 more tips to share with you. If you struggle with learning choreography quickly during class or an audition, read on!
Thank you to the following instructors for contributing: Laura Lilien, Alanna Campbell, Christina Dunnington, Bria Walton, Alisa Iacovelli, AJ Russo, Amanda Brizuela, and Teagan Nurnberger.
1. Breathe. We need a clear mind to absorb choreography. Focusing on our breathing helps us to stay in the present moment, free of distraction. Slow, intentional breathing relaxes our mind and body, reducing stress and increasing our ability to focus and remember choreography. Throughout class, pause periodically for deep breathes to reset and get calm. - Laura, Alanna, Christina
2. Fake it ‘til you make it. If you are struggling with a certain section of choreography, don’t allow yourself to get stuck. Modify or simplify that section so you can get through it and keep learning. For example, if you cannot do a glide with your feet, instead of getting hung up on that movement, do a familiar pivot move instead. This will allow you to stay on the music and keep moving without wasting precious mental energy. -Laura, Jenny
3. Acknowledge but don’t obsess over the details. Details in choreography are important. However if retaining choreography quickly is your goal, then you can't always get caught up on the details. When the choreographer offers a phrase, try to first grasp the framework of it (i.e., "jump, roll to the floor, quick stand up"). Once you have the foundation, it is much easier to back-track and add in details such as head position, angle of the arms, etc. – Alisa, AJ
4. Focus on the music. . When learning choreography, watch the choreographer the first time he/she does a section with the music. Allow yourself to listen and connect the movement to the music before dancing full out. Work up to dancing full out in order to understand where each movement should be in the music. If you understand the music, the choreography will flow more easily from your brain to your body, enabling you to remember and retain. - AJ
5. Mark strategically. Similarly, know when to mark the choreography and when not to. When you are learning the choreography without music, do the movement full out so you are certain you know how to execute the steps. Perform the movement full out a few times to let the movement sink into your body. When you do choose to mark the combo to conserve energy or to focus on timing, still use your arms and small steps. You don’t need to do floor work or large jumps, but you can still mark them to keep the choreography in your memory. –– Amanda, Christina
6. Understand Transitions. Since we learn choreography in sections of 8-counts, it can be easy to get stuck when stringing those sections together. Therefore, after you learn a new 8-count, practice transitioning from the prior section to the new section. Fully understanding the transitions will help you remember the flow of the entire combination. -Jenny
7. Be confident in the parts you know. Class is for learning, and being challenged is part of learning! Therefore, there will be sections of choreography we forget or have a hard time understanding. That is okay! Embrace the parts you know and perform them with confidence. - Laura
8. Embrace the power of yet. If you don’t fully retain the choreography during class, tell yourself that you just don’t have it perfectly yet but you will get it! After taking a mental break, come back to the choreography with a fresh brain. Review footage and practice sections that you struggled with. Put in a bit more time and effort, and you will most likely be able to master the dance! -Teagan
9. Take class… A LOT. The more classes you take, the better you will be at quickly learning and retaining choreography. There is simply no way you can put hours into mastering a skill and not get better at it. Take classes from different instructors and styles to get out of your comfort zone, and also take classes from your favorite teachers in familiar styles to continue building on your strengths. Each style of dance is like a different language. The more vocabulary (movement) you have, the more fluent you will become in that language, making the movements second nature. - Bria, Jenny
We challenge you to pick a tip that sounds do-able, and focus on it the next time you take a class. The new year is the perfect opportunity to pick a new style or a new teacher to improve your ability to learn and retain choreography. So we encourage you to get out of your comfort zone and do just that. If you need a place to dance, head over to our schedule and sign up for class. We would love to have you!
Written and compiled by Jenny De Tore, Founder of Powerhouse Dance.
About the contributors:
Alanna Campbell is a member of Project Moshen, an all-female jazz dance company based in Philadelphia. She has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in dance, focusing on dance performance and physical therapy, with a minor in somatics. Alanna teaches Theater Dance for powerhouse twice per month.
Christina Dunnington is a member of Project Moshen. She trained at Central New Jersey Ballet Theater and was a member of Towson University’s dance company. Christina teaches contemporary for Powerhouse.
Alisa Iacovelli is a member of Alchemy Dance Company and she is also a coach of the Stockton University Dance Team. She completed her Bachelor of Arts in Dance, and a Bachelor of Science in HealthSciene from Stockton University. Alisa periodicaly teaches contemporary at Powerhouse.
Bria Walton is a Philadelphia-based choreographer, having worked with dance companies and teams including the Sixers Dancers, West Chester University Dance Team, University of Delaware Dance Team, just to name a few. She trained at Academy of Phresh in Philadlephia. You can find Bria teaching hip hop for Powerhouse.
Laura Lilien is a member of the Hood Nation, a Philadelphia-based hip hop crew. She has trained in various styles of hip hop both on the East Coast and in California, where she was a member of Urban FX and Aftashock dance teams. Laura can be found periodically teaching Hip hop at Powerhouse.
Teagan Nurnberger can be found teaching Tap for Powerhouse twice a month on Thursday nights.
Amanda Brizuela is a Captain of Squad 76, the dance team of the Philadelphia 76ers. She can be found teaching Pro Dance Team Style classes for Powerhouse
AJ Russo is the Co-founder of 313 Dance Company. She is also a former professional dancer in the Philadelphia sports industry. AJ is a favorite hip hop teacher at Powerhouse!