Do you find the thought of attending a hip-hop dance class scary or intimidating? If so, you are not alone! Many people feel the same way. Listed below are some ideas for you to use to feel more comfortable and get the most out of your dance class!
- Arrive early to your class. Being on time is not only courteous to the teacher, but it also helps you learn. It gives you a chance to find a good spot in front of the mirror and hear any introductory remarks your teacher may have for the class.
- Stand in the front of the room. It is our human instinct to hide in the back when we are uncomfortable, but hiding in the back holds you back from getting any better at the routines. Also, move around the room. Don’t get stuck in the same area of the room. Get out of your comfort zone every once in a while and change it up!
- Use the mirror. It is there for you to use to watch and correct yourself. You can also video yourself doing a routine and watch it yourself. This is a very powerful form of feedback because it helps you see where you are at with the routine.
- Watch the teacher AND yourself. The teacher will eventually stop helping and you will be expected to do the routine on your own. Watch the teacher to get the move down, and then watch yourself and focus on what you need to fix to be the best you can be. Ask the teacher for feedback. If you don’t understand something, ask questions! It doesn’t make you look dumb to ask questions! It gives a chance for you to get advice and get better.
- When running through an entire routine in class, engage your body and exaggerate the moves. Use this time to put more effort into how you are practicing the moves, because that is how you will end up performing them.
- Focus on the positives. Tell yourself you can do it! Acknowledge the things you have done right in class instead of focusing on the things you did wrong. If all you think about is the bad things, dancing will no longer be fun. Sometimes you have to settle on being “close enough” to right with a move and perfect it later. You have to love dancing and put your whole heart into it.
- Research some well-known dancers. It is a good way for you to know more about the dance world. Also learn about the history of hip-hop dancing. There is more to it then most of us know.
- Make friends in class, or bring friends to join your class. We all have a lot more fun dancing with our friends then alone. Include them in this part of your life!
- Practice makes perfect! Whenever you have free time, even just around the house, do some moves from class. The more you do it, the more natural it will become. Being a good dancer takes time. Don’t expect to be feel comfortable with it right away.
- Expose yourself to other styles of dance. It will expand your vocabulary and make you a more versatile dancer.
- Remember that hip-hop choreography uses movements that correspond to lyrics or sound effects in the music, not just the music itself. Don’t expect everything to go along with the counts of the music. This gives you the chance to feel the moves better.
- Support your classmates! When you are not dancing in class, watch your classmates and learn from what they do. It is appropriate to applaud for other groups when they finish performing a routine in class.
If you would like to “get the most out of your hip-hop class,” contact us at www.omahaschoolofmusicanddance.com and get signed up for class today!
