The Dance Routine Corner
Learning to dance? This site will help you with advice on learning dance routines and new choreographies.
With you on your journey to becoming a great dancer.
Help!
Common problems and topics covered when it comes to learning a dance routine, new steps and performing.
Now that you know what style of dance you want to learn and where you're going to learn it there's something you need to become familiar with...dance counts!
Now these are actually very simple, but it's good to know them in advance before you start dancing otherwise it's another thing you'll have to take in at the same time.
Basically all it is...are the counts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. It's done in counts of 8 - this is one 8.
After you have finished an eight, you go onto the next one...so begin counting from 1 through to 8 again...and then repeat starting from one again.
Therefore a routine of four eights will have 32 counts in total (4 X 8 counts).
The vast majority of classes will use this system of counts. The moves are taught in relation to the counts, for example the teacher might say bring your right arm up on 1 and turn to the left on 2.
So the counts help you reference where each move goes along a time sequence. And that's all there is to it except...
There can also be counts of 'and' in between each count. So an eight count like this would be: 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and 5 and 6 and 7 and 8 and.
In this way moves and steps can take place on the 'ands' as well as the regular 12345678 beats.
This will usually be used sparingly especially in beginners routines. It is more often used in advanced routines, and so the moves will be closer together in time as there is less of a time lapse between moves.
While it is not essential to use counts when learning (some people find it easier not to) most classes will be taught with counts, and it's a useful tool to have for sections where you are unsure of timing it helps clear these issues up.
So to sum up be FAMILIAR with 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and also 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and 5 and 6 and 7 and 8 and. Got it? Good!