Dance 101

The Three P's of a Routine: Prep, Polish and Perfect

By Irene Booth | April 01, 2011

Competitions are currently underway and studios are constantly rehearsing, improving their routines. Prior to any performance or compeition, I find it absolutely necessary to go over the routine repeatedly and clean up little details to make sure everyone is on the same count, arms are sharp and the confidence is present in all my dancers' faces. 

During the competition season (and as we approach end-of-the-year performances), a lot of repetition and cleaning is required to make a dance routine sparkle and shine. Below are eight tips to help you with all of the fine tuning:

Establish your sections
Once the choreography has been taught, and everyone feels secure with knowing the steps, break up the routine into sections. Give your sections a name – this will help students recognize what they are: Beginning, Middle, End or Section One, Two, And Three.

Determine what needs the most work
I find when teaching choreography a lot of time is spent on the beginning of the routine. Teachers know that the first impression once you enter that stage can make or break your routine. However, the other two sections are just as important to maintain the standard you have set from the beginning. Since the beginning always gets the most attention in rehearsals, try to spend more time on the other two sections to even everything out.

Timing, formation and spacing
Go over the sections one at a time and review the counts phrase by phrase. During this time, check to ensure that all of the arms, legs, feet, and head movements are equally the same. Watch the spacing, making sure all the dancers are equally spaced out as well as the body alignment when facing the front, side, corner or back. Careful that all dancers understand the formations and how to get from one spot to the next without crashing into each other.

Treat each practice like a performance
Dancers love to “mark” their steps during class time. They need to realize that the body has to be challenged, physically and emotionally in order for it to fully understand what it needs to do during performance time. Be sure to encourage a full out run through when running your dance routines, to help build up the stamina and cardio that the dancers need to complete the routine with ease. You will want to start this process weeks before performance time.

Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.
When you feel that everything is in place repetition is the key to success. Continue to repeat sections over and over if you have to, as this will allow the body to remember.

No more mirrors
During your practice runs through, encourage your dancers to perform facing away from the mirror or in a different room entirely. Dancers need to feel what it is like to adapt to a new space. Depending on where they perform throughout the year, each stage experience will be different. Helping your students to understand this will give them the experience they need to feel secure and comfortable in any situation.

Open house
Bring in guests to watch your dancers, when they are ready to show their work. Dancers love to perform and an audience can help build their confidence and improve their showmanship.

Mini dress rehearsal
Give your dancers the opportunity to run their dances in full costumes and props. They need to feel what it is like and iron out any glitches that may occur before hand. Be proud of your work and what you have accomplished throughout the year.
 
Remember, what you put in is what you get out of any performance. So take the necessary time to fine tune all the details. Not only will your routine look more polished, you will have happier dancers with loads of confidence!

Irene Booth has been teaching for over 29 years. From an early age, Irene devoted her time in learning all aspects of the dance world. A mentor and registered teacher with the Royal Academy of Dance, she operates an established dance school on Vancouver Island, British Columbia and enjoys adjudicating competitions and festivals all across Canada.