Picking up choreography in class or rehearsal can be an arduous task. If, as a dance student, it is something that you struggle with, it can be frustrating and inhibiting to observe peers grasping the movement while you are still worrying about the first eight counts. The movement can have the utmost simplicity, the counts can be clear and you can be familiar with the music, however putting the movements together and remembering them in that order can be a feat.
A term which can be used to describe the process of quickly picking up choreography is ‘sight-reading’; quickly observing the movement once and repeating it with precision and attention to detail. The act – or skill – of sight-reading is hugely important to dancers, and can be developed over time for both class and rehearsal, and then performance. It can be used in any dance discipline and generally improves with time. The longer you take classes, the easier it becomes to read and remember movement.
Choreography does not have to be out of reach. An app available – Dance Journal – can be used to take note of what is learnt during each class, adding images and video to make the process of remembering a more pleasant process. Entries can be sorted by teacher, date or dance discipline, the the entry can even be shared with others within the app.
Video can also be used to record the movement sequences or combinations to play back time and again outside of class and rehearsal. This amount of repetitions may not be practical or available in the studio, so working on the movement in your own time can be extremely beneficial in memorising what is required.
Taking class regularly with the same teacher can also improve the sight-reading skill as you are becoming more familiar with the movement they use, meaning your ability to pick up their movements should improve. This sense of mastery adds confidence to your ability and in turn improves the memorising process in future.
Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.