Learning to dance at home allows you to do physical activity and at the same time master the steps, movements and sequences that can then be shown off on other occasions. Choose a dance style you want to focus on at the start of the course and be sure to add a warm-up and cool-down session to each class. Watch dance videos to learn techniques and choreography. When reproducing a movement or a series of steps, try to look in the mirror to see where you can improve. It is also possible to learn freestyle dancing, which is an unstructured style. Once you have become more confident, put on the right shoes and go wild on the dance floor!
Steps
Method 1 of 4: Choose a Style and Train Carefully
Step 1. Choose the dance style you wish to study
Since there are numerous styles, you are sure to find one that is perfect for your tastes and needs. Browse dance books, watch online videos or dance performances to find a genre you'd rather focus on. Ballet, jazz, contemporary, ballroom dance and hip hop are some of the most popular.
Find out about as many styles as possible to find one that can fit your preferences
Step 2. Warm up and stretch before you start dancing
Run in place for one to five minutes to get your heart rate up. Draw small circles with ankles, shoulders and hips to warm up the joints. To stretch the hamstring muscles, lie on your back: bring one knee to your chest and then extend your leg, then repeat with the other. Also do 5 to 10 lunges to stretch the thigh muscles.
- Online you can find numerous warm-up exercises for dancers. Try several to find out which ones you prefer.
- Warming up before dancing helps improve body performance and prevent injuries.
Step 3. When you finish dancing, do a cool down session lasting about 10 minutes
Begin to cool down your body by gradually reducing the speed and intensity of your workout so that your heart rate begins to slow down. Keep dancing, but moderate the pace or choose a slower song. Try not to get your heart rate racing again towards the end of the workout.
- If you prefer, you can stretch all the muscles you worked on during the warm-up phase by dedicating 15 seconds to each one.
- When you finish dancing make sure you rehydrate by drinking water.
Step 4. Do strength and elasticity exercises to get better
Dancing requires different types of training for a dancer to feel fitter, stronger and more confident. Get used to regular strength and endurance training such as lifting weights, climbing stairs, or practicing yoga. Try pilates, tai chi, or stretching to get more elasticity.
Method 2 of 4: Practice Steps and Choreographies
Step 1. Choose dance videos to follow to learn steps and choreography
Use a search engine or YouTube to find tutorials focusing on your chosen dance style. Pick a video or two that are specific to beginners and that seem easy to follow.
- Try to avoid video tutorials designed for more experienced dancers. Only consider them once you have practiced and feel more confident in your abilities.
- If you don't like a particular video, all you have to do is try a different one. Often you have to see several before finding a suitable one.
- You can also rent or buy dance DVDs.
Step 2. Copy the movements performed by the instructor into the video
Stand in front of the screen and mirror the movements of the dancer. Constantly keep an eye on the instructor and try to keep up with all the steps.
Step 3. Learn the order of the dance steps and sequences
Typically, dance videos feature a series of steps to learn. Practice one at a time until you have mastered it and feel confident while performing. Then, memorize the entire sequence paying attention to what is the first step to take and how to make the transition to the next.
- Once you have learned the steps, it may take some practice to memorize the order.
- Although the instructor can verbally explain the steps and sequence, it is easier to memorize them visually by watching the dance and then following it.
Step 4. Keep pace during the learning process
When it comes to learning, listening to the beats and rhythm of the music can help you remember the sequence of steps. Focus on listening to the music, and when learning a new choreography, always dance with the background song rather than without it.
If you have trouble hearing the rhythm of the music, try tapping a foot or your hands, or learn to count the time in eight, which is the count typically used in dance
Step 5. Practice the steps and choreography until you start to feel confident
Keep following the tutorials until you can dance without the need to watch the videos. At that point he begins to dance without the guidance of the tutorials listening to the music and trying to remember the steps by himself. You can always review the video if you need to quickly bring it back to memory.
By constantly practicing steps and sequences, over time it will become easier and easier to remember the choreographies on your own
Step 6. Dance in front of the mirror to see how you can improve
Choose a place that is spacious enough to dance and place a large mirror in front of you. Practice the steps and choreographies in front of the mirror and try to identify the parts you think you can improve. Then, practice by slowly correcting the steps and incorporating them into the choreography.
Alternatively, you can film yourself dancing. Having a collection of videos will also allow you to observe the progress you will make over time
Step 7. Go dancing with your family or friends to show the new steps you have learned and let loose on the dance floor
Once you start feeling confident in your skills, take the opportunity to have fun and reap the rewards of all the hours you have dedicated to dancing! Invite your family or friends to a dance class, party, bar or nightclub. You can also invite them over for an evening of dancing and fun.
Method 3 of 4: Freestyle Dancing
Step 1. Follow the rhythm of the music to move
Before you start dancing, you simply need to listen carefully to the rhythm of the music. Try tapping a foot or moving your head to help you find it. Once you've made it yours, adapt the movements to the beat of the music to create a sequence that conforms to the flow of the song.
A mistake typically made by beginner freestyle dancers is to throw themselves on the dance floor and start moving before they have even established the rhythm. If you take a few minutes to choose movements that suit the tempo of the music, you will be able to freestyle dance much more easily
Step 2. Move your arms and legs to the beat of the music
The secret to freestyle dancing is to move to the beat of the music in the way you feel most appropriate, without having to follow structured steps or choreographies. Make simple movements and make sure each one is performed to the beat of the music. For example, in one joke, you could cross your arms in front of you snapping your fingers, then extend them to your sides in the next. Complete this movement by taking steps from side to side and let yourself be carried away by the music.
When you freestyle, look around and observe the other dancers. Try new steps if you prefer, and remember that with practice you will become more confident
Step 3. Learn to master a basic step and do it most of the time
Choose the basic step that makes you feel most confident, then do it to the beat of the music. The step touch is a simple freestyle step, perfect in this regard. To achieve this, you only need to take side steps alternating legs. Add a little bounce to each step and snap your fingers to the beat of the music.
Step 4. Choose a couple more steps to take occasionally while dancing
Select some of the movements that make you feel less confident. Include them in the dance when the rhythm permits, while continuing to do the basic steps you know well for most of the song. Over time you will feel more and more confident by taking the new steps.
If you find the steps you are less comfortable with difficult, keep doing the basic one until you feel ready to try again
Method 4 of 4: Perform the Basic Steps of Other Styles
Step 1. Practice the five main positions to start studying ballet
Beginners must first learn the basic postures to lay a solid foundation in the studio of ballet. In general, there are six positions for the legs, which correspond to port de bras, that is, very precise arms transitions. Online you can find numerous tutorials and videos that explain in detail how to do each of them.
Step 2. Learn to passe to perform a simple jazz stance
Bend your right leg to the side and turn the knee out. Lift the foot up to the left knee, letting the little toe just touch the kneecap. Keep your arms at your sides.
- Make sure you extend your toe as you pass.
- The knee should form a triangular figure.
Step 3. Dance the waltz to practice a kind of ballroom dance
Look for a dance partner. The leader must take one step forward, one to the side and one step back. The partner will have to follow the same steps. This structure is called "square".
The sequence is defined in this way because it is as if the dancers draw a square during the execution of the steps
Step 4. Perform the step touch, which is the basic step of hip hop
Step sideways with one leg, bending your knees slightly as you move. Bring the other leg closer to the first with a small jump. As you perform the steps, move your arms naturally at the waist and snap your fingers to the rhythm of the music.
