There is one dancer in almost every class. You know the one.
The music starts, and everyone else seems to know exactly where they're going. Except her. She looks to the right. Then to the left. She watches the teacher. She gets the first few counts and then loses the next section. So she starts again. And by the time she has figured out where she is, the rest of the class is already halfway through the combination.
As teachers, these are the moments that can test our patience. We have a class to teach. We have choreography to get through. We have dancers who are ready for the next challenge. And yet, standing in front of us is a child who isn't ready to move on. The temptation can be to simply repeat the combination. Again. And again.
But sometimes repetition alone isn't the answer. Sometimes we need to change how we're teaching it. Here are a few things that can help.
Break it down
If a dancer is overwhelmed by sixteen counts, giving her another sixteen counts probably isn't going to solve the problem.
Make it smaller.
Give her four counts.
Let her try it.
Repeat it.
Add four more.
Then connect them.
Breaking choreography into smaller sections gives dancers fewer pieces to hold in their working memory at one time, and it gives them more opportunities to experience success along the way. And sometimes that little moment of I got it! is exactly what they need.
Give the choreography a landmark
I love the idea of giving dancers something to remember besides the steps themselves.
Maybe there is a particular musical accent.
Maybe they always turn toward a certain corner.
Maybe there is a big shape that begins the next section.
Maybe there is a word in the music that cues the movement.
Give them something to grab onto.
Instead of asking them to remember twenty different movements, help them remember the map of the choreography.
“After we hit this pose, we travel.”
“Listen for that beat.”
“When the music changes, that's your next section.”
These little landmarks can make choreography feel much less overwhelming.
Don't only show it—say it and let them do it
Some dancers need to see choreography.
Some need to hear it.
Some need to physically experience it before it makes sense.
So use all three.
Show them.
Count it.
Have them mark it.
Let them say the counts or verbal cues out loud.
Then let them dance it.
Changing the way information is presented can give a dancer another pathway into the material. Dance educators have long used combinations of visual demonstration, verbal cues, counting, and physical practice to support retention.
And don't underestimate the power of saying the choreography.
Sometimes a dancer can verbalize what comes next before they can confidently execute it.
That is progress.
Give them repetition—but make it purposeful
There is nothing wrong with repeating choreography.
In fact, repetition matters.
But there is a difference between doing something over and over because we're hoping it will eventually stick and giving the repetition a purpose.
The first time, maybe we're learning the pathway.
The second time, we're listening for the music.
The third time, we're focusing on the transition.
The fourth time, we're trying it without watching the teacher.
Now the dancer isn't simply repeating.
They're building a memory.
Research and dance-education resources also point to repetition and practice as important parts of developing choreography retention.
Let them mark it
Sometimes we ask children to perform full-out when what they really need is to think.
Let them mark.
Let them walk through the pathway.
Let them do the arms without the legs.
Let them say the counts.
Let them watch another group.
There is value in taking the physical intensity down for a moment so the brain can catch up.
Once they understand where they're going, the movement can become bigger.
Don't make them feel like “the slow one”
This might be the most important tip of all.
The dancer already knows when she is struggling.
She doesn't need us to announce it.
She knows everyone else has the combination.
She knows she's looking at the dancer next to her.
She knows she's behind.
So we need to be thoughtful about how we help.
Instead of:
“Come on, you should know this by now.”
Try:
“Let's find your starting point.”
Instead of:
“You're always forgetting this part.”
Try:
“Watch for this transition.”
Instead of making the entire class stop while one dancer catches up, find a quiet way to support her.
Because embarrassment doesn't make learning easier.
Safety does.
And when a dancer feels safe enough to make mistakes, she is much more likely to keep trying.
Give them a way to recover
I want young dancers to know that forgetting choreography isn't the end of the world.
Because eventually, every dancer forgets.
Even the ones who seem to remember everything.
Teach them what to do when their brain goes blank.
Keep moving.
Listen to the music.
Find the next familiar section.
Watch for the transition.
Jump back in.
This is such an important skill.
We aren't always going to be standing in a classroom where the teacher is directly in front of us showing every step.
Dancers have rehearsals.
Auditions.
Master classes.
Performances.
New choreographers.
Fast combinations.
Sometimes they are going to get lost.
Learning how to recover is part of becoming a dancer.
Use other dancers carefully
Sometimes a strong partner can help.
But I don't want the struggling dancer to become dependent on following someone else.
Use peer support as a bridge, not a permanent solution.
Let the dancer watch.
Let her work beside someone who is confident.
Then gradually encourage her to find the movement without relying on that person.
The goal is not:
Follow her.
The goal is:
I can figure this out.
Give them something they can practice
If a dancer struggles with choreography retention, “Practice at home” isn't always enough.
Give them something specific.
“Practice the first eight counts three times.”
“Say the counts while you do it.”
“Try it without looking at the video.”
“Work on remembering the transition.”
A small, achievable assignment can feel much more manageable than the expectation to somehow remember an entire dance.
And if your studio uses video to help dancers review choreography, remember that the goal should still be learning—not simply copying the video every time.
Notice the improvement
Maybe she didn't learn the combination first.
Maybe she still needed an extra demonstration.
But today she didn't freeze.
Today she remembered the transition.
Today she didn't look at the dancer beside her.
Today she made a mistake and kept going.
Notice that.
Those are the moments I think we sometimes miss because we're so focused on whether the dancer knows the choreography perfectly.
Progress isn't always:
“She knows it now.”
Sometimes progress is:
“She handled not knowing it better today.”
And that matters.
Don't lower the bar. Change the path.
This is where I think we sometimes get confused.
Supporting a dancer who needs more time doesn't mean lowering our expectations.
It means recognizing that the path to those expectations may look different.
We can still expect focus.
We can still expect effort.
We can still expect dancers to practice.
We can still challenge them.
But we don't have to demand that every child learn at exactly the same speed. A dancer who needs more repetitions isn't necessarily a dancer who needs less from us. She may need more intentional teaching from us. More clarity. More patience. More strategies. More opportunities to try. And sometimes, simply more time. Because our job isn't to create a room full of dancers who all learn exactly the same way. Our job is to help each dancer discover how they learn. The child who doesn't pick up choreography quickly may need a little longer. She may need to see it. Hear it. Mark it. Break it down. Try it. Forget it. Try it again. And eventually, she may surprise you. Not because she suddenly became a different dancer. But because she finally had the tools to show you the dancer she was becoming all along.
Good luck!
See you in the dance studio,
Jess
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