How to Achieve a Clean Dance Routine
Hi aspiring pro cheerleader! Is your audition day nearing? Don’t panic. In this article, you’ll learn simple yet essential tips on how to make your showcase dance as clean as possible. And when I say clean, that means the type of polish judges are sure to put you on top of the semifinalist roster. So lean back on your seat, clear your mind, and make sure to remember everything you read down below.
1. Make your routine simple
It doesn’t take too much to impress the judges in your showcase dance. The cleaner your dance is the better you’ll score. Trying hard to make your routine exciting to look at but hard to perform makes the routine lose cleanliness. Therefore, you’ll dance sloppily.
2. Dance to the music
Don’t focus on your movement too much as you dance. Take it easy and feel the beat and transition of tones in the music. You’ll be out of sync if you overthink your form or the counting. Memorizing auditory cues from the music also helps in polishing your routine. Also, learn to control your dancing speed. Avoid rushing ahead and staying behind the music.
Read: Get Better At Dancing With These Top Online Dance Classes
3. Develop body awareness and use your muscles
A good way to dance cleanly is to master total control of your body. The best way to do this is to tense up your muscles at the right moment as you dance. Doing so will make your movements neither floppy or rigid, hence, a naturally flowing dance routine. You must be aware of where to position your body part from the start and where it stops during a routine set. This skill will help you be in choreography especially when you’ll dance on the final audition or your team’s actual performance.
4. Keep your showcase dance short
With so many candidates to review, the judges’ attention span will be short. Having a long dance routine will require you to put in an increasing effort to keep the judges appeased. This will easily tire you resulting in a messy and watered down performance. Plan your showcase dance to be short yet full of energy.
5. Learn the basic dancing angles
Every dance routine should have a major angled move. A good example of this are high V’s, punches, and toe touches of cheerleading. These angled movements are so important because they act as a shortstop and signal of what move set should be performed next. You must have an angular move in your dance routine to control your momentum, ease the flow between move sets, and to remind you of what move set to perform next.
6. Be aware of a smooth transitional flow
As a follow-up to learning basic dancing angles, every angled move must be followed by a similar yet smooth transitional move set. For example, if you chose hip-hop to be your showcase dance, start on your legs with some side steps. Then begin with a groovy upper torso move set and end with a head move. The key idea here is not to confuse the judges immediately with a variety of difficult movements. Instead, let them focus on one part of your body and shift their focus to the next. They’re more likely to enjoy watching you dance because you’re all in the same grooving pace.
7. Train to perfection
Once you’ve made your dance routine, it’s time for you to practice hard. As much as possible, complete practicing your dance routine 5 times daily until the audition day comes. Memorize all your moves and train to naturalize your dance flow with the music.
Read: Virtual Pro Cheer Auditions: 8 Simple Tips to Make Your Home Dance Videos Look Professional
8. Check yourself
To have a better judgment on how clean your dance routine is, video record yourself along with your chosen music. You’ll be able to point out which aspects of your dancing need improvement. You might as well wear your audition attire to see if your dance matches with what you wear. And if you’re satisfied with everything, you could pass your trial record as your final entry for the virtual auditions!
In summary, judges look for candidates who are easy to train and can dance without messing the squad’s choreography. The best way to show this is to keep your showcase routine short, simple, and smooth. And while you perform your dance, always remember to tense your moves properly to avoid flopping.
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