One of the best ways to improve easily on your own as a dancer is to self-critique your dancing alongside your regular practices and lessons. While not a replacement for outside feedback, being skilled at critiquing your dances can alleviate some of the pressure of having someone watch a dance in progress, and help you improve when you’re practicing on your own. There are multiple different ways you can do this.
Record Your Dances
You probably already have videos of you dancing at practice, at home, or at competitions. Take some time to sit down and review them. What did you do well? What have you improved on? What is something you could work on in the future? If you do not already have some footage of you dancing, then clear some space and hit record! Next time you go to practice, ask your teacher if they can record you dancing, or just ask if you can set up your camera somewhere to get some footage. You can do the same thing when you practice at home. Record yourself doing different combos, turns, jumps, and tricks, so you have a visual for different aspects of your technique, lines, and expressions.
Keep a Notebook or Journal
If you ever catch yourself messing up on the same move or count multiple times, try writing it down. If you make a list of different corrections you get and missteps you notice yourself making, then you can read it before practice. Keep that reminder in your head going into the dance, so you know what you need to work on and how to do it. These notes should be realistic, kind, and constructive!
Watch Your Peers
You can learn a lot by observing other people. Your peers aren’t perfect dancers either. They are also constantly learning and growing. So, pay attention to the corrections they get, too! These might be things you can also work on. Take training with other people your age as an opportunity to always keep evolving as a dancer. Don’t forget to cheer each other on!
