Never Forget a Step! Top Strategies for Memorising Dance Routines
It’s a real thrill when you’re learning a dance routine – and at the end of the course it’s always wonderful to look back on just how much choreography you learnt!
But remembering the steps from week to week when learning a routine is a very common struggle for dancers. For those of you performing at our Summer Speakeasy in May, how will you remember it when there’s no class or rehearsal for three weeks?!
The old adage “practice makes perfect” comes to mind, but what are the best techniques for not just learning the dance but also retaining it?
Here are my top tips, along with an explanation of the best ways to apply them:
Interrupt the forgetting process
Listen to the music until you know it by heart
Visualize the routine in your head
Develop muscle memory
Now, let’s dive in and explore how to use these practice techniques in a world where there’s never enough time!
Interrupt the forgetting process
A student in my class (who works in education) introduced me to this concept. Ironically, after she told me about it, I forgot the name and had to text her for a reminder!
I had noticed that if I went home and practiced a routine on the same day I learnt it, I could recall about 80–100% of the steps. However, if I waited until the next day, my recall dropped to around 50%. In other words, the longer you wait, the more you forget.
What does it mean? The phrase "interrupting forgetting" sounds a bit upside down to me, but it subtly shifts the focus from "How can I remember?" to "How can I prevent forgetting?” – a much more effective mindset for retentive learning.
The Forgetting Curve is a theory based on research by Hermann Ebbinghuas, and suggests that retention can drop by nearly 70% within one day of learning. However, repetition in small bouts at regular intervals can increase retention to 90%.
So, how does it work in practice? It’s natural to want to put your feet up after a dance class, but if you can run through the steps just once more when you get home from your class before you relax, it will greatly improve your memory recall. Even better if you can revisit the routine in intervals throughout the week in between your classes. So, give it a go!
Listen to the music until you know it by heart
For many musicians, and singers in particular, being able to hear a song in your head is essential for producing the melody you want to create. Different dance styles have unique relationships with music.
In early jazz and Charleston, that relationship is like a marriage – the dance is a direct response to the music, or even a re-enactment of its sound and rhythm through movement. Therefore, if you can hear the tune in your head, your movements will naturally become a fluid response to the music.
The great thing about this technique is that you can listen while engaging in another activity. So, be doubly productive – put on your headphones and learn as you walk, clean, cook, or simply lie down and enjoy!
Visualise the routine in your head
I love this one, and I also use it to help me fall asleep – but be warned, you might ear-worm yourself, which won’t exactly help you drift off!
My approach is quite simple: I start from the beginning and visualise the dance from a first-person perspective. If I reach a moment where I struggle to remember a step, I go back to the start and begin again. The downside? You might never get past a certain point before eventually falling asleep – but hey, mission accomplished, and at least you got in a bit of practice!
Others suggest practicing the routine with your eyes closed. When we are in a dance class or learning from a video, we’re often looking at someone else. Running the routine in your head allows you to prove to yourself that you actually know the steps – because chances are, you do!
Some people like to create a story around the movements. When actors learn their lines, they rarely memorise individual words but connect to the story they’re telling as whole and the character’s objectives throughout. So, when learning choreography, we try not to focus on individual moves but instead organise the moves into phrases. Then, group the phrases into paragraphs, and eventually, you’ll remember the whole story.
Some people take this further and create actual narratives. For example, in South Carolina (Charleston), Santa Claus (Messaround) was told off (wiggerly finger) for falling in the fountain (waterfall). I’m not entirely convinced by this strategy, but if it works for you, go for it!
Muscle memory
Dance is muscle memory – or so dance teachers say. But is this phrase just hocus pocus?
While I could only play the piano using muscle memory (I struggled with reading music), I was still a bit sceptical about its role in dance. However, time has taught me that muscle memory is real – and sometimes, it can even work against you.
Have you ever learned a dance sequence that was similar but not identical to one you had learned before? Did you find yourself reverting back to the original routine? I can’t explain the science behind muscle memory, but I’ve experienced it firsthand, and I know it’s real.
The key thing to understand is that muscle memory only kicks in once you’ve drilled the moves enough times for them to become ingrained in your body. As you drill, repeat, and practice, commit to going all in; don’t just mark the steps – dance them! This is how your body truly learns.
Once the steps feel familiar, it’s time to turn off your brain, lose that inner voice, and let your heart and soul take over. Your brain might try to regain control, but let your response here be: “I don’t need you now, brain – I’m putting you on a shelf.” The more you practice trusting your body over your conscious mind, the more you’ll experience that out-of-body feeling – the true magic of dance.
Put it to action: Saltdean Speakeasy Performance Opportunity!
On Saturday 3 May we are hosting our Summer Speakeasy at Saltdean Lido, and all students who completed our most recent courses are invited to perform with us at this event in the following routines:
Strut Miss Lizzie
Who’s Got The Pain
It Don’t Mean A Thing
Parla Piu Pano
For those of you that have performed for a crowd before, you will understand the exhilaration it brings! It is a chance to share the stage with a community, and show off your accomplishments. We are holding a rehearsal on 26 April at Open Space Studios for all performers, which costs £10 per performer.
There is still time to register to perform and book your rehearsal space – we’d love to see as many of you join us as possible!
All those wishing to perform must purchase a Speakeasy ticket here: https://www.saltdeanlido.co.uk/event-details-registration/summer-speakeasy
Register your interest: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeXDgykeTwcVEMc_Ch5gCmUf3UhdgH0eaoW1jTT7PrVIdow5g/viewform
Book your rehearsal space: https://mycharlestondance.com/workshop/p/speigeltent-rehearsal-2025
By: Fiona Ring