Remembering Routines and Choreography

[suburbaknght]

When a ballroom dance competitor (or a competitress) has prepared a choreographed sequence, a rather complex and long one, how would he usually memorize it?

There are five techniques I use to memorize routines: repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, and repetition.

For me it comes down to drilling the routine into my head, practicing the steps over and over and over again until they become muscle memory - then I can lose myself in the dancing.

Of course, there are other things that help. I'm very emphatic about learning the names of figures; as a former coach once told me, "If you think, 'I'm going to do a fall away twinkle," you'll do a fall away twinkle. If you think, "I step over there, then kind of shift my weight, then go over here,' you're going to step, kind of shift, and go over here." I write the patterns and sequence down to help memorize them, but rarely refer back (unless my partner and I are arguing about the sequence). I pay very close attention to the music and what part of the floor we're occupying for each pattern in order to build in other cues. I will always video, but usually it's to have a record and doesn't really help me with memorization.

 

[leee]

Last two routines, I forgot elements of the choreography, next routine is 2.5 weeks away, pointers appreciated for avoiding more brain farts. For example, would starting at arbitrary points in the routine be helpful in working through trouble spots?

 

[fascination]

for me, no amount of preparation can fully ensure that I won't have a panic attack and blank out where I am ...BUT, often, writng my routines down in my own language is a good first step...and practicing alone from either corner also helps

 

[Casayoto]

leee, try starting shortly before the spot you got lost, and working through it. We often learn choreo in small groups and it's the transition from group to group that can be tough.

 

[3wishes]

Leee, I use the video on my cell phone. And I will just randomly start somewhere in the video. And layer another section into it. practice practice practice.
Then, without video, or my written notes, I attempt to go from start to finish.
If there is a "brain bubble" - I can feel something is missing and refer back to video.
Although, another ingredient is, if you do miss something - don't show it - just keep going...no one will know the difference except you and partner. Again, practice practice practice.

 

[Jananananana]

Learning a routine is an ability in itself. It doesn't come naturally to most people and you have to develop the ability to remember routines.

Taking a group class that does spinets of a different routine every week and learning it, memorizing it, just for that class every single week, is a good first step. Just like studying, there's no best method, you just have to do more of it to get better at it.

 

[ajiboyet]

Forgot a salsa routine once. Good thing DP knew how to follow well...

 

[nucat78]

Used to take group classes that taught a fair number of figures each week - a mini-routine, if you will. However, the routines changed week to week. Many people complained that they could not remember much aside from a figure here and there. And that spanned 20-somethings to 60-somethings, so it wasn't an aging issue.

Anyway, we now record our private lessons and stick to one routine at a time.

 

[Jananananana]

Many people complained that they could not remember much aside from a figure here and there. And that spanned 20-somethings to 60-somethings, so it wasn't an aging issue.

I think that's more of an issue with people not WILLING to put the mental energy into remembering the routine. Learning different routines week to week is to train your body and memory to memorize things quickly, under pressure, and to get used to different amalgamations.

 

[debmc]

I think that's more of an issue with people not WILLING to put the mental energy into remembering the routine. Learning different routines week to week is to train your body and memory to memorize things quickly, under pressure, and to get used to different amalgamations.

That's an interesting view. I had always thought that if I had too many different routines in my head it would be harder to learn any of them well, while it sounds like you are saying that learning alot of different routines simultaneously helps you train your memory?

 

[Jananananana]

That's an interesting view. I had always thought that if I had too many different routines in my head it would be harder to learn any of them well, while it sounds like you are saying that learning alot of different routines simultaneously helps you train your memory?

There are a few different types of routines:
1. competition routines: those you learn one at a time and really perfect every part of.
2. practice routines: routines you have with your partner, that you and your partner decide on so that you can practice certain elements that are tough for you technically
3. short one offs: quick routines that you learn in one or two classes, practice them in those classes, remember as much as possible, incorporate the appropriate technique that is taught, and possibly do them in small groups in front of the class. the purpose of these is to train yourself to remember routines and to pick things up quickly.

 

[BreAna]

for me, remembering routines is all muscle memory. I just practice it over and over. If I forget a piece, I have a video of one of my lessons to look at. I've seen many people come up with a way to notate routines, but it's very specific to the creator. A system that may work for one person is usually jumbled up junk to another. Sometimes I'll write down the figure names and any notes about counts I need to slow down on, etc. but that's about it for me.

 

[ajiboyet]

Learning a routine is an ability in itself. It doesn't come naturally to most people and you have to develop the ability to remember routines.

True. Some people just cannot learn a sequence of specified movements, no matter how hard you try. And I daresay, some people have it naturally. I learned this routine by watching only, and the first time I tried it I nailed it. Of course I didn't (and still don't) do lock steps like Allan Tornsberg, the technique wasn't there yet. But I didn't space out on any of the moves. Took me several weeks, I think, to teach the first person I tried to teach it to, even though she had the video to watch in between practices. On top of that, I don't think we ever really finished it...at some point we switched to a different routine.

I dance a lot in my head though. I run entire routines in my head. Sometimes I load up my phone with lots of different music for a particular dance and dance a single routine to them, and play with the musical interpretation of the dance (from Empress Orchestra to Pitbull). All in my head. It helps A LOT, but I'm not sure everyone can do that.

On a side note, thank God this is a forum of dancers. I can't even begin to imagine how I'd justify the above paragraph to a non-dancer...

 

[JANATHOME]

Most of my comp routines I have been dancing for 2 years now and I can do them in my head, in my sleep, except for one...

The last routine that was added was international tango and for some reason unknow I just cant picture it in my head. This has turned out to be my favorite routine... After the first few steps I just dont know what is coming next. It forces me to rely 100% on lead and follow skills both in lessons and on a comp floor.. It is actually great, it forces me to listen then respond. When the lead comes then in my head I say oh yea, that is whats next!! It is fimiliar to me but still always unexpected!

I am not saying that it is OK to not have the ability to dance your routine solo, but there is also value in going into a strict follow mode. Both have thier merits.

 

[Peaches]

On a side note, thank God this is a forum of dancers. I can't even begin to imagine how I'd justify the above paragraph to a non-dancer...

Actually, I was reading through and wondering why no one had mentioned mental practicing. DH swears by it (not for dance, of course, but for piano). He uses an extensive combination of pure repetition (muscle memory), mental practicing, study of theory (to understand how the theory drives what happens in the music, which is useful in the case of memory slips), reading and writing (he will spend a lot of time with the sheet music actually reading it, and making notes on it), practicing and playing the entire piece with just one hand at a time, and then...playing the left hand parts with the right and then the right hand parts with the left.

Yes, that's for music, but it strikes me that a lot of the same concepts cross over to dance very nicely. Also note, it has the added benefit of relying on many different types of memorization and memory, all of which reinforce and fill in for the others. Very effective.