What to do when you're steps behind in dance.
The music is blaring. Your teacher has cheered “5,6,7,8!” as your heart and mind race to keep up. You turn around in the choreography to realize, gasp! You’re offbeat. Or even worse, you’ve lost the next step completely. Your mind runs blank and you shift your gaze from side to side in a silent cry for help from your peers. They are too busy to help. What do you do?
I have this exact conversation with students regularly. “I always seem to be steps behind” or “I just can’t seem to keep up” or most commonly “I just don’t get it.” Don’t fret, you are not the only one! It happens to everyone. When we dance, the mind and body work together as a team to create movement that flows with the music we hear to create a visual representation of what’s on the musician’s sheet. Here are some tips on keeping up.
Count it out
Alright, I’m the first to admit that I do not like counting in my dance. I am one of those types who wants to feel my way through the music, but not everyone is that way. Start by finding the beat of the song. Stop dancing and start clapping to your music. Count it out in your head (or out loud) in sequences of 8 if the music allows. We call these sequences of 8, phrasing. A phrase is a musical thought, which ends with a musical punctuation called a cadence. For example, let’s try it on your own. Each one of these lines is 8 counts. Try it out on your own!
When I find myself in times of trouble, Mother Mary comes to me
Speaking words of wisdom…….let it be
And in my hour of darkness, she is standing right in front of me
Speaking words of wisdom,…….let it be
If it feels like you are clapping really fast, you probably are. Clap to the beat in halftime. Once you find it, start with simple side-to-side steps. Continue to clap and count. Feel the beat in your body and commit to verbalizing it. Once you feel comfortable there, return to your dancing but continue counting verbally. This is like creating your very own metronome. Dancing is sometimes like the game, Guitar Hero. “Hits” happen usually on the beat.
Check your posture
Ever feel like your feet are like bricks but your teacher has feet like a feather? When dancing, especially in belly dance, we are asked to keep our weight low to the ground and earthy. This means we commit weight to our heels a lot. Try your best to keep your weight centered but on the balls of your feet when moving quickly. This reduces the amount of lift you need to do. Think of it like moving in the world’s smallest kitten heels.
“Where is your weight?”
This is the most commonly used “teacher question” asked to my students. “Where’s your weight?” and then have them point to the leg that they are standing on or the foot that is holding your body. For example, you’re standing up straight. Your feet are tired so you’ve shifted your hips to the left and pulled up your right foot onto the toe. The right foot doesn’t push into the ground, but it just rests there. That means your weight is on the left. Let’s say, in our theoretical combo, you need to step with your right foot next. But after your last movement, your weight ends on your right foot. You need to make sure to prep yourself for the next movement. Whether that’s dictated in the choreography or you are incorrectly ending on the wrong side, you need to have your body set up for success. A quick weight shift on the off count or making sure that in your last movement, you change weight is essential to keeping up with the timing.
Make sure you’re doing the previous movement for the correct length of time
Your teacher has given you an 8-count combo, but you seem to be finished within the 12 counts. It means somewhere along the way you are not moving fast enough. If you need to, ask for a count breakdown for each movement and verbally count along with it. Just. like a deadline, things need to be completed in a certain amount of time. Breaking it down into sections makes it easier to follow.
You’re doing too much
When we dance, it can pump our Adrenaline! When our friend Adrenaline shows up, it can be hard to calm her down. This makes us do movements for incorrect times, pushes our limits on the size of the movement, and distracts us from keeping on time. Settle into your movements but don’t get lost. You’ll need to keep some level of focus on the timing until you start to naturally feel it.
Wait For the Next Train
Imagine you are late for a train. You see it pull in but you are a block away so you start running. You’re struggling to hold your belongings and you’re out of breath. You finally get to the train entrance but the door closes. You’ve missed it.
This is what it can look like when you are behind in your dance. Sometimes, it’s best to stop and just wait for the next train. While practicing, stop, breathe, and start again at the beginning of the next count. It’s easier to start again then rush to get to where you need to be.
You’ve got this
Practice does not make perfect, it makes better. Continue to work on these small things so that you can find your natural timing. Not everyone is born with it (most aren’t) but it’s nothing that can’t be learned. Keep at it, and seek feedback from your instructors when needed. Happy Dancing!
Got any questions? Share them in the comments below!
Kat teaches, dances, and produces shows in Tacoma, Washington. You can find out more about her belly dance classes, belly dance performances, and belly dance shows at www.tacomabellydance.com