How to Freestyle Dance (A Guide for Beginners)
NBA pro cheer squads do not perform a single dance style at games but rather a combination of 3 to 5 dance genres. That means the judges at the auditions are more likely to pick candidates who showcase a great freestyle dance routine.
Are you a beginner at freestyle dancing while aspiring to join an NBA pro cheer squad? Here are 8 tips on how you can be good at it so that you can impress the judges at the upcoming team auditions.
1. Just start moving
If you don’t know where to start or what dance moves to begin with, just recall all the dances and moves you’ve learned observed from the past. Or make movements based on whatever comes to your mind.
Even if you know you can’t dance well, it really doesn’t matter. If you have a passion to dance, that’s all you need to learn and hone your desired skill for dancing.
2. Focus on one or two styles of freestyle dancing
Popping, locking, breaking, house, waacking, and krumping are just some of the examples of freestyle dancing. It isn’t necessary to know them all. Learn one or two styles that you like and feel are right for your body.
Then, master it to the point where you are confident to showcase it for the upcoming NBA pro cheer team auditions.
3. Take a dance class
It’s better to learn from a professional than just learning by yourself. You can find online dance classes on sites like STEEZY, Udemy, and DANCE CITY. The best part of these sites is that there are a lot of dance styles you can choose to learn from and freestyle is one of them.
You can also hire an online coach so that you can learn properly and exclusively at your own pace. Online dance classes are usually taken in groups and the instructors mostly focus on the class’s progress rather than the individual student.
4. Pick a song you love to dance to
The song you’ll pick should be the song that you’d never get sick of listening to even if you’ve heard it more than a hundred times. The more you love the song the easier it is for you to make practice dance moves for it.
5. Dissect the track
To dissect the track you need to listen to all its layers such as the tune, tempo, beat, vocals, etc. It’s highly recommended that you listen using high-quality headphones to really hear every element of the song.
6. Let your body dance naturally to the song
As you listen and dissect your chosen track, dance a little to it as well. Start by making little shoulder shuffles until you’ll progress to full steppings with graceful arm swings. Even beautiful dance routines were created from simple hip wagging.
7. Play with combinations of moves
As a result of dissecting the track and letting your body move naturally to the song, you can then create and combine unique dance moves that represent your interpretation for every layer of the track.
For example, if the song you have chosen is Pump It by Black Eyed Peas, you can do a combination of clapping moves, hair tosses, splits, tumbles, or twerking due to the nature of the song’s overall lively mood.
8. Create a pace
Once you have created the right dance moves for the song, it’s time to modify its individual moves to be in sync with each layer of the track. Like if you have dissected the song to have a specific amount of seconds at certain parts, you should also put counting your dance moves so that it can be fully executed at these certain song structures.
To freestyle dance isn’t easy and it’s even harder if you lack the passion and confidence to learn. Always trust and believe in yourself that you can learn freestyle dancing. Set a schedule for practicing at least one or two freestyle dance styles and never miss a session. I’m sure you’ll be a master of this dance genre in no time!
Read more dance-related blogs here:
- Top 8 Health and Fitness Resolutions for Dancers and Pro Cheerleaders
- How to Keep Your Dance Motivation High
- 7 Life Hacks for Dancers
- How to Choreograph Your Own Dance Routine
- 8 Dance Styles to Learn In Your Living Room
Do You Picture Yourself As A Professional Cheerleader? Get Expert Advice From Someone Who's Been There.
If you dream of joining a dance team audition but have no idea on how to get started, my book entitled Professional Cheerleading Audition Secrets: How To Become an Arena Cheerleader for NFL®, NBA®, and Other Pro Cheer Teams will guide you every step of the way.
I wrote this book because I WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO DISCOVER the best tips and advice on staying fit and beautiful, adopting the right mindset, maintaining your image, and more... so you can MAKE YOUR DREAM TEAM!
My tips are based on my 20+ years of experience in the professional cheerleading industry.
Grab a copy of my book by clicking the text or image below:
