No matter how many dance performances you have participated in until now, the scope for improvement always prevails.
We have created this blog to uncover secrets to becoming a better dancer in any dance form. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced dancer, you will surely benefit from the ingredients mentioned in this blog. So, to become the best dancer you can be, get into the blog right away.
How To Become a Good Dancer?
Continue reading for some great tips to help you get there:
#1 Make Good Posture a Habit
Maintaining good postural alignment while dancing will not only look beautiful, but it will also improve your balance and allow you to move more dynamically from foot to foot. You can practice your posture all day long; imagine yourself a champion dancer when walking to your car, or through the office, and in the grocery store. Everywhere you go, you can practice standing tall. Focus on keeping your blocks of weight stacked one on top of the other. Your blocks of weight are your head, shoulders, rib cage, and hips. Doing this daily will make it a habit and eventually, you won’t need to think about it anymore. Check out this video on posture to learn more.
#2 Celebrate Your Victories
Celebrate every success, even if it’s trivial. There can be many reasons to celebrate. Here’s a list of just a few –
● You showed up for all your lessons last month.
● You succeeded in leading or following a complicated dance move.
● You participated in your first competition or showcase.
● You got up the courage to go to a dance social and ask someone to dance.
Your growth will naturally come when you acknowledge all that you have accomplished. It can be easy to get stuck on your mistakes and have negative thoughts. To help stay in a positive state of mind, and motivated to continue growing, be sure to make some noise with every small achievement.
#3 Dance Musically
You need more than merely training your body to become a better dancer. You need to go a step ahead and study the music you are dancing to.
Studying music will give you a better understanding of how to dance to it. Once you are more familiar with the type of music you are dancing to, you will be able to anticipate the energy and accents throughout each dance much better.
There are a couple of things to keep in mind when it comes to dancing musically; One thing is to make sure you maintain your timing. This means that your feet need to be stepping on the correct beat for the dance you are doing. For example, if you are dancing Salsa On 1, the basic rhythm would be 1-2-3(4), 5-6-7(8). You will take three steps then pause on count 4, then take three more steps followed by another pause on count 8. Once you have the timing down, the other part of dancing musically is to be able to demonstrate rhythmical actions in your body that accent the music. Some examples of this are to add a shoulder shimmy, body wave, head roll, body pump, etc. These are all actions that would go well with Salsa music.
You will notice that after practicing this strategy, your body will become a physical representation of the music and you will feel more confident on the dance floor.
#4 Warm up and Cool Down
The warm-up:
Warming up your mind and body is very important before starting any physical activity. Doing this before dancing will increase blood flow which helps you get more oxygen to the muscles. It will improve the efficiency of your movement and give you a better range of motion. When warming up, begin by taking a few deep breaths to help relieve any stress you may have and get you into a focused mode. Then begin doing movements to get your heart rate up so that your muscles will be warm. Pair this with some dynamic stretching to help improve your mobility and increase your range of motion.
When you begin dancing, you will notice that you are able to move more flexibly, and you can move with a broader range of motion. Not only will it help prevent injury risks, but it will also refine your dance moves.
The cool down:
When you complete your practice session, reserve time for cooling down and stretching. Cooling down is a great way to bring your heart rate back down and allow your muscles to recover. Do some gentle movements and take a few deep breaths to start the process. Then, go into a few static stretches to help lengthen your muscles. This will help improve your flexibility and reduce soreness.
#5 Move with Feeling
Executing a move is more than just doing the steps. You must infuse your every action with emotion and good technique so that it looks and feels fantastic. This is much easier when you have practiced the techniques and dance moves so much that it becomes a habit and you and your partner are able to let go and feel the music together.
First, learn the techniques for the styles you are dancing and drill them daily when practicing on your own. Eventually, the action will become more natural, and you won’t need to focus on it as much.
Then, when dancing with your partner, focus on your connection together. Part of being connected means you are matching resistance into your points of contact through body weight, and never losing sight of each other through the entire dance. Examples of your points of contact are your hands and frame.
Once you have spent time focusing on these aspects of partnering dancing, you will have an easier time letting go and getting into the music.
Blending your feelings into your dance is the best step you can take in the process of becoming a better dancer.
Wrapping Up
Now, you have the ingredients to become the dancer you are meant to be. Make sure to practice regularly because repetition is key to locking it all in. We wish you all the best and hope you take the world by storm with your dancing. Thanks for reading 😊
Check out our most recent YouTube video to improving your dancing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3IAWUxfF3I
