Today, I would like to talk about an issue that popped up at my last private class, which made me share this blog with you: tips to remember dance

When you face new challenges, doubts are a necessary part of the process, new questions and unknown skills suddenly show up within you, something you couldn’t have even imagined was there. 

We, the dancers, are very lucky to have found a very loyal friend recently, and that is no other than the CAMERA. It gives us the possibility to go over our choreographies, record the new steps, check out the group choreographies, so many things that are undoubtedly, exceedingly helpful.    

However, I come from the times when having a phone with an HD camera wasn’t a thing. When first traveling to India, I actually had a giant photo camera which wasn’t easy to set wherever to make a good video. Let alone the fact that the teachers WEREN’T KEEN ON THE IDEA OF THEIR MATERIAL BEING RECORDED. 

Well, it has been done by going over, memorizing and experimenting. 

And this is why I have ENTIRE NOTEBOOKS full of drawings, lines, arrows and names of steps I wish I could understand.

I do believe recording is a good idea, however, NOT ALWAYS.

There is a memory type, the kinesthetic memory, which involves not working with the visual memory only.

Here is the thing:

“Kinesthetic memory is the brain’s ability to record movements and sensations. It allows us to assimilate information about body movements and associated sensations. Kinesthetic memory is used in the realization of gestures and movements, as well as for learning new motor skills.”

sereniti.fr

So, do you want to hear some “tips to remember dance”?

• Dance “score”. Just like musicians write down musical notes which can be read with a certain pace and rhythm, my suggestion is to make a “dance score”, which makes sense to you, just as I am doing in the video, with movements that help remember the choreography variation. 

• Do some mental rehearsing before you go to sleep, once you are in your bed. This may sound kind of silly, but for me it shows up to be very helpful for securing the choreography and remembering it the next day.

• Study Labanotation. This is not a trick, but an entire degree. I’ve studied Labanotation at the conservatory, and it is very interesting and extensive. Long story short, this method analyzes movement and is used to describe, visualize, interpret, research and evidence the vast number of possibilities of human movement, and therefore the dance.

I hope this helps!

Thank you for reading dear!