Analysing Each Step
When a biologist studies blood, she uses a microscope to observe blood in detail. In the context of mastering a dance figure, how do you “magnified” and study each step in detailed?
Doing It Slowly
Sometime when you are moving too fast, you miss crucial details. You may be unbalanced, but you took next step before you fall. This is not a good sign, you have not truly mastered the figure. It is worse if you are not aware of it.
Performing each step in a figure slowly allows you to observe and analyse each step in detail. Stop after each step, and check if you are doing it correctly before moving on to the next step.
Checking Each Step
These are some of the questions to help you check each step
Are you able to stop after each step? Or do you find yourself unbalanced and falling?
Have you shifted your body weight to sending leg?
Is your body facing correct direction?
Is your feet pointing correct direction?
Is your partner standing balanced?
Have your partner shifted her body weight?
Are you swaying?
Is there a CBM?
Is your leg supposed to be forward/backward/side/CBMP?
What other questions do you ask to check yourself?
Patient
Patience you must have, my young padawan.
- Yoda
Usually I do not play music when I take time to check each step. Then I might take a bar for each step, and gradually accelerate to normal speed. Repeat it again if something is not right. Even if you found no mistake, you might want to repeat it few times to get consistent result.
This can be a boring and frustrating process. But the result is satisfying.
Positive Side Effect
There are times you might find it hard to catch up to speed for certain fast figures. Breaking the figure into individual step, and taking time to check each step actually help in this situation. Once you are able to master the figure and consistently perform it correctly, you can easily speed it up without issue.











