How to Learn Choreography

1, variations of point-point-point step for Instrumental 2, some sort of side-to-side move for Vocals 1, and some sort of "in your own circle" moves for Vocals 2 & 3.

Rehearse in Your Head

This tip won't help you much in making it through a 4-hour workshop where the choreography is all taught at once, but it will help you learn choreography that is taught over the course of several weekly classes.

Now that you've absorbed the music and you know it so well that you know what's coming next, you're ready to begin mental rehearsal. The great thing about mental rehearsal is that you can do it in the car, while doing yard work, etc.

Write down everything you've learned so far in the choreography, if you haven't already done so. Consult your notes and memorize the first two moves, in order. Just the first two. You can come back for the rest later.

Start the music and envision yourself dancing those first two steps. Then go back to the beginning and repeat. As you do this mental rehearsal:

• Envision yourself easily making the transition from the first step into the second.
• Picture what your hands and feet are doing to make the transition.
• Pay attention to what the music is doing. Analyze how the movement fits with that particular part of the music. Try to link the music in your head with the movement that goes with it.

  When you feel totally confident that you know how to move from the first step into the second, add the third move to your mental rehearsal. Again, keeping rewinding and mentally repeat the three moves together in order many times, thinking about how to transition from one to the next.

  Continue adding one move at a time to your mental rehearsal. Take the time to absorb each move and truly understand the transition into it before you add another.

  If you find that you don't know which move comes next, press "pause" on your tape/CD player and stop to think. Don't go any further until you remember. Try first to remember without consulting the notes, but if that doesn't work, go ahead and consult the written notes. Then go back to the beginning and try again.

  Do this over and over and over in your car, on the commuter train, while doing yard work, while bathing the baby, and any other time you can carry your portable tape/CD player with

  The copyright of the article How to Learn Choreography in Middle Eastern Dance is owned by Shira. Permission to republish How to Learn Choreography in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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