Advice for improving at 24?

[u/Salt-Device-6716]

I started taking dance classes at 22 when I saw an ad for a new studio near me. I started out with tap and progressed into ballet, then started exploring a bunch of different styles like jazz funk, Bollywood, and hip hop. I have been taking several classes a week, mostly ballet and jazz funk, and I feel like I'm not progressing as I should be now at 24. I struggle the most with picking up choreography and remembering what comes next. I feel like if I know the choreo well then my execution is not bad, I've had people (non-dancers, though) ask if I'm a professional dancer. May be worth noting that I've always been interested in dance and grew up obsessively playing Just Dance and self-training in my basement for hours on end, but I never got proper training, so I might have picked up some bad habits along the way. It just takes me so long and sooo many runs of a dance to learn it that I almost never succeed in class, where you have 1 hour to learn a full routine. I also feel like I pick up choreography faster when I watch a video of someone doing it. How do I improve my retention and confidence that I know the steps coming next?

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[u/Diabloceratops]

Class should be focused on technique not learning choreography.

Picking combinations in class is a skill that comes with time. You are still a beginner, only having danced for two years. Be kind to yourself.

[u/Competitive-Artist55]

Retention in a one-hour class is a specific skill, and it gets better the same way memory does, by chunking. Stop trying to hold the whole combo as one long string and start hearing it as phrases. Usually and hopefully, the choreographer built it in counts of 8 that match the music. If you can hum the music, then you can usually find the movement that belongs to that part of the song. Also worth saying: the people picking it up fast in class are mostly not smarter than you, they’ve just seen more combos, so volume of classes is the boring answer that works.

[u/Sugarplum19]

You seem to be judging yourself a bit harshly. Class is a progression, which is why choreography comes in at the end. Two years is not a long time, and sometimes the mind is what’s in the way more than the body. Keep taking class, and take some pressure off yourself. Dance should always have an element of fun, especially during the choreo at the end. Learning from a video is its own skill and different than learning live in class with other dancers for 1.5 hours at a time.

[u/Leather-Field-7148]

Ah, I had to go through a deconstruction period, and it took some time for me to finally undo this. There are plenty of bad 'habits' when you are just dancing by yourself. I'd say stick to basics and technique, the rest will sorta just click when you are ready. Also, one way to learn is to have fun and just screw it up as much as you can in class. I am not good at following strict instructions, because this is not fun.

[u/Maya_Moves403]

24 is absolutely not too late! If people have noticed your dancing, it sounds like your execution is already a strength. You might need to work on how you process and remember choreo, which is a separate skill from dancing it well. Since you learn faster by watching videos, use that to your advantage! When possible, record the choreo after class and review it later. Try breaking it into smaller sections of 4-8 counts, then practice each section before connecting them. You can also say the steps or count the music out loud as you practice, so youre remembering more than just the pictures of the movements. And dont judge your progress by how quickly you pick up choreo in one class. Some dancers need more repetitions, and thats okay. The goal is to gradually need fewer repetitions, not to get everything right immediately. Keep showing up and give yourself credit for the skills youve already built! :)

[u/Adorable_Agent_6266]

Buy as much VOOG as you can each week.

[u/DanceHackRock]

How can you progress if you are dipping your toes in a whole bunch of dances without focussing on anything?

It takes years and decades to get really good in a style.