Practicing By Yourself

Have you ever looked at another dancer at rehearsal or at a show and have wondered what makes him/her so good? The idea is simple, practice. It’s not only their talent that’s taking them to where they are, it’s the practice and hard work they put into perfecting their craft. There’s a saying that goes, “Hard work beats talent if talent doesn’t work hard.” I’ve had to privilege to meet many talented dancers, but as gifted as some of them are, some of them aren’t where they could be.

You can’t be at your best if you don’t work at it.

The choreographers or directors we work with constantly stress about practicing on your own. I commend the dancers who manage to find and make time to dance in front of the mirror and practice their pieces full out. Unfortunately, there are many of us who are swamped with school and work to just drop everything to go over the moves. But there are a lot of ways to practice a routine without having to worry about exerting too much energy and wearing yourself out. Here’s a list of some of the things I do and have been suggested to do:

1.      IF you have time, practice in front of a mirror – It’s much easier to clean your moves up if you can see what you’re doing. You also build better muscle memory the more you perform it.

2.      Listen to the music – At least once or twice a day is what I tell my dancers. The more you know your music the easier it is to just flow with it. Think of it as a baby walking the first time, you might stumble the first few times trying to get it, but the more you do it, the more it becomes natural.

3.      Mark your moves anywhere and everywhere – You might look crazy to people, but at least your practicing. This is something I do whenever I’m waiting in line or something that involves me just standing or sitting around. Every second counts in mastering your craft.

4.      Visualize – The more comfortable you are in your head, the better. If you can imagine yourself doing the routine without getting distracted or messing up, you’re golden. Remember, it’s your mind that controls the body. It’s not how much you can think about the moves, but how well you can execute it mentally. As dancers we want do not want to think when performing.

5.      Practice with a friend – Practicing with a friend can be great. There’s more energy to vibe off of than your own. If there are parts of the choreography you just don’t happen to remember, both of you can work together in teaching each other or figuring it out.

Remember, the more you work at it, the more you improve. We all have the potential to become amazing performers and dancers, but becoming our best doesn’t come from doing nothing, Things like listening to music once a day can help a great deal. Especially as dancers, it’s vital that we know our music. Even marking the moves in your head can help. It’s the little things that help in the long run. Imagine how much how much better you can become if you just went the extra mile every time.

Did we miss anything? Want to add some more? Let us know and leave us some comments!

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Get Your Head In The Game – Mental Preparation

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