Tips and Tricks to Improve your Dancing!

As recital season quickly approaches, crunch time is upon us. As a student you are learning your performance choreography and you are ready to make sure you look the best you can on stage. Take a look at these helpful hints to help you prepare for your big stage debut!

1. Stretch

One of my first thoughts when a student asks me what they should work on at home is to stretch. It is something you can always do on your own, and the effort you put into improving your flexibility directly correlates to the results you see. So how do you find the motivation to stretch outside of class? Make it a part of your routine. Do you have a favorite TV show you watch? Instead of just sitting on the couch and watching that show, spend that time stretching.

2. Practice specific technique

Are you looking to improve those turns? Maybe you want to improve your battements? Practice that movement! Break everything down, practice the simple pieces. Are you looking to nail that triple pirouette? Well make sure your single is absolutely flawless. Or even before you nail that single, start working on your balance, the longer you can balance the more turns you can accomplish. Take the time to perfect the simple stuff before you go and try anything complex.

3. Conditioning

Dancers are athletes. You have to work on strengthen those muscles just as much as you have to work to make them flexible. Go back to that TV show you love. Instead of watching the commercials maybe do thirty pushups, or a hundred crunches. Instead of sleeping in on Saturday morning maybe go for a run or a bike ride. Conditioning is vital part of the dancers ability to improve, the stronger you are the more you can accomplish.

4. Watch yourself

Are you struggling to remember that choreography you learned this week? Ask your teacher or your friend to video tape you. Then go home and practice it! Often times we just need to see ourselves to help process corrections. Now don’t be too hard on yourself, you cannot expect perfection right away. Be ready to learn and grow and that will be the best start to improving your dance movement.

5. Look for inspiration

If you are lacking motivation to improve your dance technique go out and find some inspiration! Take a look online, watch some of the older girls at your studio dance, or go out and watch a performance. It just takes some inspiration to get that motivation rocking to start your journey to improvement.