How to Memorize Your Choreography
Jun 30th, 2010 | By Kyarah | Category: Dance Tips, How ToIf belly dancing is your second job or your hobby, chances are you don’t have the whole day to practice your choreography. You work full-time, you have a family, a house to take care of, a dog to walk, a husband and kids that seem to always need you when you are ready to start practicing. If you live in Miami, like me, you cannot hide in the basement (homes don’t have basements here) and the garage thermostat marks 95F making it a very unhealthy location to dance!
You usually allow yourself plenty of time to prepare for a show, but sometimes you need to join a dance troupe that is already rehearsing, or you just have to hurry up and prepare a nice choreography in a short time. The following ideas help me cope with it and avoid unwelcome stress.
1) Copy the song on your IPod or a CD. Keep a copy of the CD in your car and bring the IPod everywhere you go. Play your song every time you drive somewhere.
2) Using a word document, split the text of the choreography in 4 or 5 parts. Copy and paste each one on a different sheet and print them individually. Start by reading one part at the time, this exercise will also help improve your belly dancing vocabulary. Once you have worked on one part do the same with the others.
3) Play the song on your IPod while you are vacuuming or doing the laundry, when you are grocery shopping or at the gym. Pay attention to the rhythm of music.
4) If space is a problem and you don’t know where to practice, check if you can use your gym’s aerobic room when there is no class scheduled. You can bring a boombox or use their equipment if they let you. Do not be bothered if people glance at you, a dancer is always on stage, even while practicing. Don’t be shy.
5) Sit down and close your eyes. Play the song and visualize the steps, the posture and if you are part of the troupe, each dancer’s position. Matching the music with the steps is the hardest part of learning a choreography. You need to become one with the music, this is the true art behind your performance.
These easy tips will actually help you visualize the choreography and memorize the steps faster.
“You need to breathe, eat, dream of the choreography and repeat it so many times, that you will perfectly dance it with your eyes closed and without music!”, says my belly dance instructor during rehearsal. Inshallah!
Very nice article and helpful. I wanted to suggest one more tip, record yourself or have someone record it and watch it as often as possible. Also try to follow the recording while you watch is like being in class!! that will definately help!
Hugs!! keep writing!
Love Sultana
Great article. I agree with Sultana and this is an important piece I am adding to my practices. I am a choreo note fiend. I break the song up and label the sections and then label the choreo that I come up with for that section.
Before I begin, I freestyle dance to the song (A LOT) and note the sequences that I like, are appropriate and come naturally.
The choreo that I choose doesn’t go into the final version UNLESS it feels good to my body. I find that if my brain has to think too much about the next move I might hesitate when the nervous energy of performing happens.
This is weird but I also sing the moves when I am doing them to help the written word and the moves stick in my head. So hip circle, hip circle turn and drop….
Happy Dancing! Saniyah