10 creative ways to practice your dance
Dear fabulous Luminesque dancers,
For those of you who haven’t met me yet, my name is Britney Mocca. I have been with Luminesque Dance since the beginning of its creation. I have worked in various roles such as student, teachers assistant, coordinator and currently a drop-in teacher. Below I have written a how-to guide, specifically tailored for Lumi dancers. This guide breaks down my personal method of the ten levels of practising so you can be the most powerful version of yourself on stage or on film. Some of these practising methods can be done on the bus, at work or in your shower and some methods don’t require you to move at all. Whether you have 5 minutes or an hour there is a practise method for you.
Don't worry as always, I got you.
With love,
Britney Mocca
10 creative ways to practice your dance
1. LISTEN TO YOUR MUSIC
Many artists often overlook this step even though it may seem obvious. Listening to your music outside of practice time is an easy way to familiarize yourself with a dance piece.
Google the lyrics so you can connect to the music on a deeper level. I suggest listening to your song until you know all the words.
For more in depth learning see if you can identify different instruments, including its entrance and pattern.
Give extra attention to the way the artist sings/raps/speaks the lyrics and the story the artist is trying to tell.
The deeper your understanding of the song, the easier it is to hear and dance to harder steps such as a syncopated drum beat or an irregular bass pattern. I highly recommend committing to this step everyday.
PRO TIP: Use your song as an alarm when you wake up in the morning. Or make a playlist, add the song(s) you will be performing to multiple times so you hear them frequently.
2. WATCH THE IN CLASS/TEACHER VIDEO
I suggest watching the in class or teacher videos at least four times.
1st screening: Watch as an audience member, admire your work and what you get to do. Take the time to acknowledge that you’re taking a class, putting in effort and giving yourself the opportunity to dance freely. Not all bodies are afforded the same privilege of expressing themselves through dance.
2nd screening: Watch the sections of video where dance steps seem unclear several times over. If there is a move you didn’t get in class, slow that part of the video down and watch several times. It may be helpful to watch multiple people (if it's a class video) execute the move or sequence that is unclear.
3rd screening: When reviewing commit formations (positions and shapes that artists dance in while they are performing) to memory (if the class is in person): Does your dance go from a line formation to a square formation? Or an X to three lines? What dance moves do you need to perform to transition to that formation?
4th screening: Watch your teacher for how choreography should be executed. Is there a party section? Robotic section? What is the mood of the overall piece? Choreographers often make dances specific with many different intentions, be sure to take note.
PRO TIP: Download the video on your phone or record the video from another device so you can watch the video without using your data or being connected to wifi. In addition, when in class record a video from behind, facing the mirror, so you can follow the steps of your instructor.
3. VISUALIZE YOURSELF
I was once told that pro olympic athletes visualize themselves executing their sport multiple times a day. The act of visualizing movement stimulates the same part of the brain that is activated when their body is physically doing the sport. This allows multiple practise sessions that can be done anywhere without your body becoming fatigued.
So sit back, relax, listen to your music and visualize yourself dancing. If you find yourself unable to visualize certain dance steps, rewind the song to that section and try again. If you are still drawing a blank, rewatch the video of your dance and when you’re ready go back to visualizing.
Once you can visualize from start to finish without making any mistakes, incorporate how you want to feel, your facial expressions, how the audience reacts and what kind of performance you’re giving.
4. RUN YOUR PIECE ALL THE WAY THROUGH
You know your music, you’ve watched your teacher (and maybe classmates) perform your dance a billion times and can visualize all the moves in your head. It's time to get those moves on your feet and dance it out.
Play your song and dance the whole piece without stopping. If you forget a section, breathe, let the music continue to play and come back in when you remember your steps. This will give you accurate feedback of where you are starting from.
PRO TIP: Before you begin rehearsing your choreography, warm up your body, go through the dance drills your teacher does in class (i.e body rolls, arms, walks etc) and end with a stretch. This will make sure you continue strengthening your body and lengthening your muscles to avoid injuries.
5. REFLECT AND DRILL
Reflect on what you did well. Don’t skip this step! It is important to acknowledge positive actions to maintain momentum and continue practising when you run into difficulties or frustrations. After running through your piece go over the sections you’ve forgotten or could use more work.
This could look like a 15 second choreo section.
Rehearse each section multiple times (I would suggest at least five times in a row) until you've gone through the entire song.
By going over small chunks you are working smarter not harder. This will prevent the exhaustion you would inevitable feel if you continually ran through the whole piece.
Continue this pattern until you’ve gone through the entire song.
Once you've done this method for all the parts you’ve struggled with, run the song all the way through from the beginning.
PRO TIP: Having trouble remembering your choreography? Connect your phone to your tv and play your class video while dancing so you can watch your teacher.Then start the video over, this time not looking at the video. When you feel confident just play your music.
Practicing is a lengthy process, sometimes it takes days or weeks for your body to commit moves to muscle memory. Take your time and be patient. It is ok for feelings of sadness, frustration or anger to arise during this phase. Many great performers go through these feelings. This is what makes performing so rewarding in the end because you know you’ve worked hard. Be persistent, this step will pay off in the long run.
6. ADDING ELEMENTS
This step is for all my detailed babes out there. In this stage, run your dance piece extremely slowly without music and go over the four elements: focus, breath, character and execution.
When adding elements to a piece first think about what you’re going to focus on in terms of what you want your audience to notice i.e your beautifully extended arm, your admiring gaze of an audience member, fellow cast mates or something practical like a door frame so you have a focal point to execute a turn. Whatever it is, make it specific.
Then move on to breath. As I’m sure many of you have heard, Vanessa (Artistic Director of Luminesque and performance coach extraordinaire) loves nothing more than an exhaled breath as it seduces the audience. Find the places to breathe so you can achieve better stamina throughout the piece.
Once you are breathing and focused you can move onto character. How can you elevate your character with breath, facial expression or movement?
Lastly each dance has sections that are executed in specific ways. Is there a part of the dance that is robotic? Flowing? Hard hitting? Groovy? Find different styles in your piece.
PRO TIP: Practice this section with the shoes you’ll be using in the show/taping. This will help continue to build your muscles and develop your confidence.
7. RUNNING YOUR PIECE
Running your piece should be done starting with “marking” (not doing the moves full out but moving enough for the brain and muscles to remember what you are supposed to be doing). End with performing full out through gradual repetition (this is to avoid injuring yourself).
The first run should be at 25% capacity meaning not using all your energy, marking the piece and maybe even visualizing harder sections in your head.
The second run should be at 50% which means you are dancing the whole piece at a low intensity but being mindful of adding your elements
The second run should be at about 75%. You are doing your moves with high intensity and intention. At this stage this is a good time to add character choices and be mindful of where you are looking.
And lastly 100%. This step should feel as real as performing on stage. Breathing should be a number one priority, you should know what you are focusing on, you’re in character and fully ready to perform. I recommend changing into your costume (if it is close to show time), putting on your headphones/stereo on blast and dimming your lights. This is also a good time to break out any twinkle lights, disco balls or fancy light bulbs you have hiding in your closet.
PRO TIP: Do the last run (at 100%) three times in a row to build up stamina. If you are out of breath that is the best time to push yourself into another run to challenge your body. This will also prepare your body for the increase in adrenaline you may feel on stage/film performing for other people.
Give yourself the opportunity of performing full out so that you can adjust to your costume/shoes/hair etc in the privacy of your own home. At this stage things can go wrong; costumes can malfunction, makeup can run off your face, shoes can break or you can forget moves because you are not used to doing them full out or in character. If you are making mistakes and things are going wrong you are practising correctly. I have had more costume malfunctions, makeup don'ts and choreography memory flubs then I can count. This is why we practise at home. That way on the day of performance you have more mental space to focus on being present and fabulous.
8. PRACTICE WITH A FRIEND
Sometimes it’s hard to get the motivation to practice by yourself.
Make a new friend or find a buddy so you can hangout on zoom (or your preferred social platform). This is a great way to involve yourself in the Luminesque community and get to know your dance mates.
Tell people about your dance classes and how you are practising. Having someone in your life to hold you accountable will help you along your journey.
Ask your friend/partner/family member to watch you perform. This way you can get used to people watching you.
PRO TIP: Ready for the next level? Ask whoever is watching you for constructive criticism. You could ask them to watch you dance with a question in mind i.e “ Am I embodying this character?” Having questions for them to answer can help get the feedback you are looking for and speed your growth as a performer.
Make it fun! Have a glass of wine, put on some makeup or have a dance session outside (if they are in your bubble!)
9. TEACH SOMEONE ELSE
If you can teach someone your choreography, you know your choreography.
Be as specific and detailed as you can.
When you are teaching others ask yourself: Where do they look? What vibe does this piece have? What are your arms/face/legs doing at any given moment? What is the story?
While you’re teaching, take note of places in your choreography you are unsure about, write them down or refer back to that video you saved.
10. WATCH YOURSELF
I guarantee you this will allow for the most amount of growth. I know the struggle can be real on this one (as I'm aware not everyone wants to watch themselves on video ) but watching yourself grow week to week can bring incredible rewards.
Pay extra attention to your steps, face, execution and intention.
Tell yourself three things you did awesomely and three things you want to improve on.
At the end of the term go back and watch the video of yourself performing week one, then compare it to the end of term. I promise you that if you followed the steps above you will see improvement.
BONUS: REFLECT
Any one of these above methods of practicing will be helpful in your growth as a dancer. Many of these steps go above and beyond the expectations of Luminesque teachers.
Practicing is for you but it also benefits your teachers and fellow dancers.
When you practice you become confident and add layers to your performance.
Practising adds a level of professionalism to your work that others will notice and admire. For more tips on professionalism see my previous article “The Luminesque guide to professionalism” in the student portal.
When you come to class having already practiced you can ask your teachers to go over specific steps instead of asking them to review your whole piece.
Your class can move forward and look even cleaner, vibrant and visually appealing because you decided to put the extra effort in.
Taking the time to practice benefits everyone whether you did 5 minutes or an hour. Be proud of yourself every time you practise.
I want to encourage you to try all of these steps, (if you are able) at least once. If they don’t work for you that’s ok, find your own method. If the methods do work, amazing! I’m so glad I could be of help. Remember how much energy you put into these practices and how far you’ve come from day one. You’re already awesome for taking the time to read this. I wish you all the best on your performers journey, keep growing and keep glowing.
Sincerely with love,
Britney Mocca
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