4 Ways to Improve Your Belly Dance Learning Skills
You’re in belly dance class, and the teacher just showed you a new combo or a new piece of choreography. Once you’ve “taken it all in” and it’s your turn to show what you learned, can you? Does it come easy? Do you get stuck halfway through? Everyone has different learning abilities and learns at different paces, but one thing is for sure: if your brain didn’t fully process what you were taught, it is unlikely that your body can replicate it.
Of course, you will need to practice. You’re not going to get it all perfect on the first try. But if your brain isn’t clear on the instructions first, the process gets a lot more complicated. Here are some tips to help your brain process dance instructions quicker:
Speak Up
If anything doesn’t make sense, or if there are gaps in your understanding of what the teacher showed you, don’t be afraid to ask questions. There’s nothing to be ashamed of. Every question matters. Someone else in class might be struggling with the same thing as you. Asking questions also helps your teachers have a clearer understanding of what is working or not working for their class, and helps them improve.
Turn Off the Music
Do you feel like you know the moves but when the music starts, it throws you off your game? Then turn it off. Try going through all the moves without any music. If you notice you’re making mistakes, correct yourself as you go but don’t discard them and move on. Self-correction is a great learning tool.
Sing and Dance
Sing your cues to the steps. This way you will be putting several of your senses to work at once, which can help you get better results out of the learning process.
Run Through the Moves in Your Head
Visualize yourself executing each movement and how they feel in your body. Mental practice is a wonderful learning method.
Do you love belly dance or have always wanted to try it? Be part of the best world dance community in Denver, Bella Diva World Dance. Register for a class today.