How to practice dancing
How To Practice Dancing | STEEZY Blog
In section 5, we talked about taking dance classes at studios.
But many of us don't live close to any dance studios, or are too busy, or on a tight budget...
Which is why, in this section, we'll talk about other ways to practice dancing that can better fit your lifestyle.
Use online dance tutorials
There are tons of dance tutorials available online.
DanceTutorialsLIVE offers how-to videos in everything from Twerking to the Dougie.
Matt Steffanina teaches choreography on his YouTube channel.
And you can learn from Korea’s choreographers through 1MILLION Dance Tutorial.
And of course, STEEZY Studio has over 600 online classes where you can learn advanced Urban Choreography pieces, grooves, beginner choreography, and more.
Curious to see how it works? This’ll tell you everything: How To Use STEEZY Studio
For different styles –
B-Boy and B-Girl Dojo provides an interactive, immersive Breakin’ program that teaches moves, techniques, battle skills, and more.
VincaniTV also has great tutorials on Breakin' and Hip Hop styles, as does Darren Wong!
You can find YouTube tutorials on basic House steps by Jardy Santiago, too!
How to practice dancing at home
1. Practice a piece you've already learned
A class ends in an hour or two, but you can keep learning from it even after it's over.
Re-teach yourself the piece, drilling specific parts that were difficult the first time.
Get more ideas on how to do this! How You Should Practice After Learning A Piece
2. Drill fundamental exercises and grooves
Hip Hop, Urban Choreo, Popping, Locking, Waacking, House, etc., – whatever style you want to get better in, the key to improvement is all the same – repetition.
We have an entire playlist of FREE drills in House and Popping on our YouTube channel!
Check 'em out:
3. Stretch and strength train your body
Your body is your most important tool! Stretching and strength training your body will keep it healthy, strong, and flexible.
Try these: 7 Stretches To Help You Dance Better (And Stay Injury-Free!)
1. Find dance studios that offer classes later in the evening
Many studios do offer classes that start later, around 9 or 9:30 pm.
If you live in Los Angeles, then this list of The Top 8 Dance Studios In Los Angeles is a great guide.
This means you might even be able to go home after work and nap before class!
2. Create your own dance passion project
Taking class is fun, of course, but if you want to set a more personal standard for “accomplishment,” come up with a passion project!
For example: make a concept video! Or choreograph a piece!
These goals will challenge you to be artistic in more ways than just dance – and you're not relying on anyone else's time to make it happen.
Use this guide on How To Set And Achieve Your Dance Goals
1. Learn pieces from friends
Cost: $0 (as long as you have good friends)
Master classes from super famous/dope dancers are awesome, but learning your friends' pieces can be a great experience for both the teacher and student.
Ask your friend to teach you a piece, or teach them one of yours. It'll help you both learn to teach and learn to learn.
2. Go to open sessions
Cost: $0-10 (depending on the studio)
Some studios also host "open sessions," usually in the last block in their schedule for the night.
It's a great bang for your buck, and a totally new experience than a choreography class that'll stretch your comfort zone.
3. Collaborate to make a piece
Cost: $0 (or your friendship)
Choreographing is a great way to push yourself as a dancer.
And collaborating to make choreography with another person is a whole different challenge.
Ask your friend's who's down to collab, pick a song, and start creating!
Use these tips: How To Collab With Someone To Make A Piece
4. FREEstyle somewhere! A bar, club, your kitchen, bathroom...
Cost: $10-20 (depends on the club)
Many styles of dance started in clubs. So get back to the roots of dance!
For example, House!
Go to a bar or club in your area that plays music that you love. The only money you need to spend is on the admission, if there is a cover cost at all.
For all of these things: Take unlimited classes on STEEZY Studio
- It's FREE for a week! Then, subscribe for $19.99/month or $99.99/year
- You can take it anywhere, anytime you want, at your own pace
- Choose from over 800+ classes in different styles and levels
- Learn from the world's best choreographers and teachers!
STEEZY Studio is the easiest way to learn online.
It's convenient, affordable, and it WORKS.
Sign up now and start learning!
We'll get into freestyling in the next section! Keep it up! Click here to start section 7.
How to Practice Dancing and Improve Quickly? • Dance Insanity
Dance Insanityblog
If Practice DOESN’T Make Perfect, what does?We’ve all heard of the saying, “Practice makes perfect”. However, that’s a pretty gross simplification of the truth.
Scientific research has shown that it’s really HOW you practice that makes perfect, not HOW MUCH.
That explains why some students who practice all the time, make little progress; whereas someone else who practices only a little, can improve more. That said, the combination of consistent practice with practicing the right things, can exponentially improve your skills at just about anything.
Conversely, if you are consistently practicing the wrong action, then you are actually making a BAD HABIT that can be costly to correct in the future.
To actually reap the benefits of practice, you need to practice DELIBERATELY.
This short video below from TED talks, describes the way deliberate practice works. Top competitors and athletes utilize this form of practice to expand their “talent” and vastly improve their skills. These are ideas that you can use to apply to your life and dancing!
Now, how can YOU use these tips to improve YOUR dancing?
1. Be specific about what result you want to see
You need to be deliberate and specific about what you are working on. Don’t say, “I”m practicing Samba”, or “hip rotations” or Botafogos. Instead, say you want to practice your botafogos.
First, you’ll identify a very specific area you’re targeting, such as: “Developing a strong leg line”.
Second, you’ll have a mental picture of what that is:
“I’m practicing keeping my back leg/ knee very straight in a botafogo.
”
Thirdly, you’ll derive a set of actions to focus on:
“Squeezing my thighs, glutes and pointing my foot.”
And practice those actions!
2. Look in the mirror
When you are learning, you have to train your eyes to notice what you are doing wrong and what you are doing correctly. The mirror should be your best friend. I would strongly suggest that you get a mirror, even a small one if you are practicing at home. Unless you are a more advanced dancer, you absolutely need to look in the mirror to make adjustments.
3. Track your progress in a journal
As a dancer, you need to develop self-awareness and physical awareness. By being mindful about how changing a certain part of your body can make a difference, you practice being mentally and physically aware of what every part of your body is doing.
I keep a journal of all my practices and lessons. This way, I can track revelations as they happen. (And believe me, they happen regularly if you practice deliberately!) You’ll note why some things work, and others don’t.
The journal helps me make the connection between mind and body. Besides, it’s also motivating to look back at the work and commitment you have done, especially on the days you don’t feel like practicing! 😉
4. Ask Questions
I find that students who are not doing a pattern or technique correctly, are often unclear about how/ what is really supposed to happen. You can start with these questions:
- What is the direction of the steps? Side step, diagonal, back, forward, outside partner etc. (first in relation to yourself, then to your partner, then in line of dance)
- What is the weight change involved for each step?
- What is the timing of each step?
By having clarity, you can deliberately practice those areas to improve your skills.
5. Making corrections a habit
When you take a lesson, make notes right away when your instructor gives you a correction. If you are in the habit of video-ing your practices, you should watch the video on playback right after.
This is a great method to catch your mistakes and practice the corrections right away.
By being deliberate with your practice actions, you can train yourself to develop a high level of mental and physical awareness. When you are practicing by yourself, you can self-correct much more easily. Once the corrections are made, the last step is to practice the right movement over and over again, until it becomes a habit.
This is a big reason why those who take lessons regularly can benefit greatly and improve faster, as they are constantly having the instructor make corrections as the mistake is being made. This reinforces the skills within the mental and physical body more effectively.
To get the most out of a lesson (especially a private lesson), have some questions lined up for your instructor. It’s always a good idea to ask for some exercises from the instructor that you can do on your own. It’s also important to have specific goals in mind that you can share with your instructor/ write them down.
That way, you can streamline your practices towards your goals.
Let me know what you are working on and what specific results you are looking to achieve in your dancing!
XX,
LiWen
For those who want to read up more about deliberate practice, I’d recommend this book: PEAK – Secrets from the new science of expertise by Anders Ericsson. It certainly opened up my mind about Natural talent. 🙂
TAGS: practice
Dance School - Balance Club
November 22, 2015
In today's society, the ability to move is important for both women and men. No one wants to stand on the sidelines at a disco or in a club, just because they are afraid to show themselves badly. In order to be able to move beautifully to the music, it is not necessary to attend special dance schools, just a little work out at home .
First, anyone can learn to dance. Just do not restrain yourself, be able to liberate yourself - then the movements will be smooth and easy.
This is a big plus of an individual dance lesson - no one criticizes you, does not observe or evaluate you, you choose the music and the atmosphere yourself, therefore you also have no one to be ashamed of. Remember: dancing should give you joy, only in this case you can overcome all difficulties on the way to success!
Make sure you have enough space in the room so that you are not disturbed. Record a playlist with songs separately for warm-up, separately for dance lessons. Prepare comfortable clothes that will not restrict you in your movements. It is better to lay a carpet on the place where you are exercising so that your feet are firmly planted on the surface. There should be a computer in sight if you are going to record special video lessons on it that you will learn from.
Dancing, like any sport, should be done regularly - only then you will get a real result. Any lesson should begin with a warm-up. Start by stretching your neck: press your chin to your chest for a couple of seconds, then tilt your head back, and then to the sides and in a circle.
After that, proceed to the shoulders: the arms fit snugly to the body, and the shoulders stretch up, then down. Repeat 10 times. Now slowly turn your shoulders and torso from side to side so that the pelvis remains motionless. Next, stretch your back: do a few tilts to the legs, back and to the sides, then in a circle. After that, you can start stretching your legs: do a few lunges to the side and swing your legs.
Now you just need to choose an online dance training program. If you just want to move smoothly, then aerobics classes are suitable. Women who want to feel even more beautiful and sexy will love oriental dance, as well as strip plastic. One of the most popular types of both male and female dance is hip-hop dance. This energetic and daring dance is suitable for rap lovers, clubs who prefer loose clothes and are not afraid to stand out from the crowd.
Go-Go dance style is suitable for girls, club party lovers and those who want to stand out with their plastic and groovy movements.
Latin American dances, although they look very beautiful in a pair, are quite suitable for a single performance. But ballroom dancing of the European standard: tango, waltz, quickstep, foxtrot is better to learn with a partner. Rock and roll is suitable for fans of this style of music, which combines fast tempos, bright costumes, looseness and constant movement, in general, this style is created for energetic people. If you are looking for calmness and relaxation from classes, then we advise you to do yoga.
Now that you have figured out the type of dance, then choose any video program in this direction. There is no need to drive yourself under the frame: improvise, combine styles, choose music - just love this business, and then the question "how to learn to dance" will no longer be relevant, because you will improve every day. If you realize that you want to move from an amateur to a professional level, you can always enroll in a special dance school or hire a teacher.
I want to dance.
10 misconceptions about dancing The desire to learn how to dance is natural and natural in the modern world. You can list the reasons, starting with obvious and popular pragmatic desires, for example, to start moving or losing weight, ending with unconscious and even existential ones.
This is due to the fact that dances are at the subtle intersection of the inner and outer worlds, physical and spiritual. Above this, music becomes a driver that cannot leave anyone indifferent.
In dancing, there is magic inside a person, which is not always noticeable when viewed from the side. At the initial stage, it is the external picture that attracts to dances, and sometimes repels, as it seems too frivolous and superficial.
But there are even stronger obstacles that stop many people from starting dancing. These illusions and delusions roam the minds of the majority, and are often afraid to ask about them directly, or they ask the question about it so often that they are no longer ready to hear an honest direct answer.
I will try to do it in this article.
There are many examples of contemporary dance instructors sharing their thoughts about not expecting to be in the dance industry. Once upon a time there was a man and was engaged in adult, serious business. Sometimes even very serious. A person could have children and even grandchildren. I saw dances only on stage or on TV. For reasons unknown to himself, he ended up in dances. At first, everything seemed like entertainment and a useful pastime. But time has passed, and a person catches himself thinking that he thinks about dancing not just every day, but really all the time. A couple of years pass, and he already becomes a teacher or organizer of some event.
A similar path can start at 15 or 55 years old. The only difference will be in the self-perception of the starting stage, that it’s too late to dance. In fact, for each age there is its own dance direction, which can reveal it to the greatest extent at this stage.
Hip-hop or breaking is closer to children and teenagers, and Argentine tango is closer to adults. It's never too late to start dancing. You need to make the right choice of dance style based on several parameters: age, gender, music, goal. There is a dance direction for any arrangement.
Misconception 2: Men don't dance
Our culture has a number of restrictions related to dancing. Most of these causes are psychological and lie outside the realm of rational reasoning.
First, in our culture, in principle, dancing for pleasure or self-expression appeared relatively recently. 20-30 years ago dance clubs were only for children. To start dancing even in adolescence was considered exotic.
Secondly, the aesthetics of the body in our country for men is not in the focus of attention. In general, this can be attributed to the fact that Russian men try hard not to draw attention to their appearance and clothing. Men in our country use other tools for this.
Third, dancing is associated with entertainment and alcohol. If a man feels serious and respectable, then he either does not have time or desire for this.
Nowadays the general cultural background has changed and the result is that men are learning to dance. It becomes as much a sign of masculinity as clothing, hair or beard.
Unfortunately, many misconceptions remain even among those who have already started dancing. Dance teachers do not always pay attention to this, as it seems to them that this is a matter of course.
Fallacy 3: special training is needed
For an outside observer, there is always a cognitive dissonance about what dance is. What he sees on the big stage in the form of a show with sweeping movements and splits is obviously dancing. Breakers doing unimaginable elements in the air and on their hands, competing with each other, also seem to be dancing. Pensioners in the park waltz. Dancing again, but for some reason everyone is so different.
How to understand that this is a dance, and what physical criteria should be in the body.
In fact, any self-expression through the body to music can be attributed to dance. There are a number of reservations, but they are not essential. For self-expression, a person uses the set of plastics that he has. Subtlety and technique do not depend on extreme ways of self-expression, and it often happens that splits and somersaults interfere with a meaningful dance. The development of plasticity and the expansion of the body's capabilities are part of the preparation of the dancer, but not an end in itself.
Fallacy 4: You must learn to dance in pairs
In couple dancing, the final learning outcome is that the couple dances at a party. It would seem that you should always train together to get the desired result. This is not true. Let's take an example from boxing. An indicator of a boxer's skill is a fight with an opponent, but this does not mean that he constantly has to fight.
Also, the ability to dance is built on the possession of one's own body and the ability to interact.
The skill of the teacher is the correct selection of methods so that the student masters the skill. Based on the skill, you can engage in creativity and self-expression in dance. Not everyone knows, but it is no coincidence that almost all social dance dancers have a serious dance background, which is based on the development of individual techniques.
The same can be attributed to the interaction in a pair. The ability to separate in oneself the one who leads and the one who follows the lead is impossible within the framework of studying the sequence of movements in pairs. For this, there are special exercises that make the skill more versatile. For this, the presence of a permanent couple is not necessary, as well as the regular presence of a partner in general.
IMPORTANT! You can’t experiment at a party, and everything should be in its place there: men dance with women.
Getting rid of illusions is a complex internal process. If you leave them to yourself, you can even get the opposite result.
Fallacy 5: plastique and stretching are mandatory attributes of dance
Much depends on the genre of dance that you want to master. In previous articles, I have already mentioned that different dance styles are suitable for different ages. It is appropriate to dance hip-hop in adolescence or youth, Argentine tango is a more adult dance, it is important to enter classical choreography at a young age.
The degree of necessary plasticity and sensitivity to the dance direction also correlates. For example, breaking requires great physical effort and dexterity. Elements are built on acrobatics and high speed of execution. Who are they more suitable for? Obviously young people.
There is a lot of interaction in salsa. It is necessary to feel the partner subtly, to be able to show a variety of figures and elements.
Twine or acrobatics are completely inappropriate here. However, a variety of ways to show oneself are required. Accordingly, the dance is youthful, but not at all childish.
The older the dance, the less stretching or acrobatics is required. The main emphasis is on the quality of technology, the variety of ideas and the ability to show plasticity.
Misconception 6: Mirrors are necessary for learning
There is a set of instruments that dancers use to learn how to dance. The fact is that the dancer needs to receive feedback on how his movements look from the side. It is impossible to dance and see yourself from the side at the same time. The most common tool is a mirror. But not the only one.
Like any auxiliary tool, mirrors have positive and negative effects. The positive is that they can receive feedback in real time and technically it is not very difficult. The downside can be dependence on mirrors. A situation where a dancer cannot capture the feeling of dancing, such as on stage or at a party.
For these purposes, you can use, among other things, video filming or proper preparation.
In many countries in Latin America, dance classrooms are not equipped with mirrors. Classes are held in bars or large halls. The dancers initially form the skill of focusing on the inner sensation, and not the habit of looking for their reflection in the mirror with their eyes.
Misconception 7: there is a lot of obsceneness in dancing
A common question from novice dancers who are taking their first steps in more contact couple dances is “in order to dance cool, there must be passion inside the couple?”. I immediately answer that no, not necessarily. Kizomba, bachata and Argentine tango attract many with their close contact. Like any other contact in our everyday life, in dances, contact can be different. We hug friends, parents, children. These hugs can wear many different shades. Sexual overtones are one of many.
The culture of dance also includes the boundaries of what is acceptable.
A compliment from a well-mannered person is different from a statement about female sexuality by a gopnik. Usually, those who study at a dance school already have an idea of what boundaries should not be crossed. A good dance from a technical point of view will never look vulgar or vulgar.
Dancers always have a choice about the boundaries of contact. Most prefer to leave a good impression of themselves, as word spreads just as fast in the dance world.
Misconception 8: the best dancers are the bearers of culture
Even the very question of the origin of this or that dance can be paradoxical and ambiguous, especially when it comes to its development and performance.
For example, the Viennese waltz did not originate in Vienna, but in Germany. Salsa has its main roots in the USA, not in Cuba. The famous Greek folk dance sirtaki was invented for the film Zorba the Greek and appeared only in 1964.
The same can be attributed to the development of modern dance styles.
Korea is known for its world-leading break dancers. People go to Turkey for Argentine tango, Spain is strong with excellent salsa and bachata dancers, in Egypt, Russians are considered the best belly-dance performers.
A good dance is based on quality training and diligence. Skin color, place of birth and age are secondary. Exotic appearance, unfortunately, is often a reason to be more superficial about one's own professional development. This becomes the reason for the low level of teaching among the bearers of culture. I am sure that few readers of this post will be ready to conduct a master class in Russian folk dance outside of Russia.
The mastery of mastering and teaching a particular style does not depend on the dancer's homeland. And "they absorbed the dance with their mother's milk" is nothing more than a common misconception.
Misconception 9: You have to know a lot of moves to learn how to dance
Focusing on learning a lot of moves often detracts from the essence of dance.
Of course, the sequence of figures is important. Especially at the start. Over time, the dancer should have an understanding of how movements can be generated independently. Accordingly, instead of memorizing millions of figures, you can understand how to create them.
From every system of improvisation that a dancer can use as an instrument, dozens, hundreds or thousands of variations are derived. This frees the head from trying to reproduce the exact sequence and definitely adds freedom in the performance of the dance.
The huge theme of musicality can be attributed to the same question. Not every pre-conceived or learned sequence will fit specific music. The dance should give freedom, and not drive the dancer into the shell of the ropes.
Misconception 10: dancing is homosexual
The unusually high attention to the body and flair from stories about professional ballet led to the spread of this myth, among other things. Unfortunately, such an idea still exists in the minds of our fellow citizens.
The dance industry is now very broad and is represented by many dance styles. Some of them can even be called homophobic. Dances reflect the general attitude to the world and it is different depending on the life position and worldview of a person.
In many dances there is contact between the dancers. In Russia, dance contact between men has always been perceived very intensely. In most other countries it is different. An example of the fact that this tension is associated only with the dance theme and does not apply to other areas is, for example, wrestling. When practicing techniques, men are in much closer contact with each other. Sometimes lying on the floor and holding each other tightly. The historical roots of Greco-Roman wrestling are also ambiguous from a sexual point of view. But in our country, unlike dance, they are perceived as acceptable and brutal.
Dance, like the culture of speech, makes a modern person more successful and self-confident.
