OH! It is almost time for that show you really want to be part of and you are still short of “performance ready”. What can you do now? You can give up and tell your self there is always that next show or you can fight the last few weeks before the show and memorize and correct the flaws your teacher told you to correct.

We all been there. I still remember under pressure feeling more nervous as the time came close. Maybe I was too young but the closer to the show the more my nerves got the better of me. This article will help you to maximize improvement. The key is just a little memorization.

This article will only focus on Choreography memorization.

BREAK IT UP

Focus on each song. In class ask yourself “what did I do wrong?”. This is easy to do when you are looking at yourself and the rest of your teammates. If you are a girl look at the best girls. If you are a guy look at the best guys. Through the song you have to pinpoint WHAT did you do “Under” standards based on the rest of the team. Then, what else? Memorize. If you can’t retain the list of details then take out a small note pad during water break and write them down.

JUST ASK

If there is something you do not know how to correct, for example a series of turns, ask the instructor. Not a student. You don’t know if they are doing it right. Once you understood the turns. Write them down with words you can understand the step.

AS SOON AS YOU’RE HOME

You should practice what you know you need to correct for the show right away before you forget. Get in front of the mirror or wardrobe to observe your self and see if you are now closer to what the team is doing.

THE LIST

Now you should have a written list of things to practice and correct. Try to simplify it. Example: Turns at beginning, zapateado in front couple, improve diagonal lines, don’t forget to turn to the left at the end. Memorize it.

BACK TO CLASS

Test the things you worked on at home. You should now be able to cross off many items on that list. Repeat the cycle during the new class and each class until the show. You should have great success with this system. It is called by LEYENDA ballet folklorico the elimination process.

In conclusion, it take practice at home, commitment to take the time to write down things but it helps. It really does. It makes a difference between you missing that show or not if you were close enough to the rest of the team.

So why giving up when you can use this clever little system?

We look forward to hearing from you and tell us your experiences.

Thank you and “Happy Dancing”