Remembering and Learning Moves

[Ronde!]

Does anyone have a good way of remembering all their moves, or are most people like me, dancing my favourite however many moves plus ones from the last few lessons?

I can never seem to remember ones I did a few months ago... and I wish I could!!!

[Gary]

Write the moves down (or at least the ones you want to remember). During the week look over the list of moves, and maybe do the newer moves "in your head". If you forget how to do a move, if you've got it written down you can ask the teacher to jog your memory.

(Or is this all basic stuff that you're already doing? If so, sorry, that's pretty much my only "trick".)

[Gadget]

I'm too lazy to write them down, and can't really tear myself away from the dance floor for long enough to note them, so I'm sure that 90% of what has been shown to me has vanished.

What I tend to do is try to incorporate the moves (or 'inspired variations' of them) from the lesson into all dances that night - hopefully they will stick.
Hopefully other people dancing close by know a few moves that will remind me that I know them too (or used to ).

I have found that with practice, your memory for moves does actually improve; you become less reliant on the stage for prompts during the 'join 1 to 2 to 3...' bits. I can now remember the routine for just about as long as the first freestyle record ! (for me, that's an acheivement!!)

[TheTramp]

Hmmm.....

Don't know if this helps, but when I'm teaching beginners, I always say that they're never going to remember a whole routine. Pick the move you like best from the class you've done (hopefully there is a move you like in there), and make sure that you do it as often as possible in the freestyle that night. Hopefully then, it'll stick, and become part of your repertoire.

Of course, it's not the moves that are important anyhow

Steve

[PeterL]

I find that I am constantly forgetting moves but get reminded of them months later when a similar move is done.
Also I try not to do the moves that were taught that night as you end up under the false impression that you can lead the move, The woman has also been taught the move so you don't have to lead it as well as if they didn't know it. I always try the move the next time I am at a class where the move wasn't taught. That way I can satisfy myself that I can lead it, and if I can't I just forget it till the next time it is taught and try to see what I was doing wrong.

[Lou]

A list of moves taught that evening is available at most Bristol classes... perhaps that might be useful as an aide-memoire? Do you get them at Ceroc classes?

[Gadget]

Originally posted by Lou
A list of moves taught that evening is available at most Bristol classes... perhaps that might be useful as an aide-memoire? Do you get them at Ceroc classes?

The "Bumper book of moves" is a closely guarded volume that the goblins keep under lock and key at Gringotts! However there is a minor version of this tome that the taxi dancers huddle round to gaze upon in awe.

I am under the impression that you are free to write down moves in your own hand. Perhaps (if you smile sweetly and flutter your eyelashes) you could copy them from the taxi book, but the actual 'moves' from Ceroc HQ are thought of as a sort of copyrighted. {Please correct me if I'm wrong}

[Lou]

Originally posted by Gadget

The "Bumper book of moves" is a closely guarded volume that the goblins keep under lock and key at Gringotts!

Don't worry! Our bit of paper only gives the name of the move (not a description!) What goblin would begrudge that?...

[TheTramp]

Well, I agree, the full list is guarded by Fluffy I believe.

On the other hand, producing a list which just contains the moves that have been taught that night can't be beyond the realms of possibilities. Can it. Except that it is time consuming, and also unlikely to ever be looked at again by most people.

I did use to type up descriptions of the moves I'd taught, and email it to anyone who wanted it when I was teaching a regular class. But again, it's time consuming, and I'm not sure how many people actually used it!

And if it's just the name of the move, then surely anyone who does want to take that away can write it down there and then?

Steve

[Franck]

Originally posted by TheTramp
On the other hand, producing a list which just contains the moves that have been taught that night can't be beyond the realms of possibilities. Can it.

Indeed not, and you can ask to see the 'moves' book at all Ceroc venues in Scotland. Each week, teachers write their routines in it.
It is invaluable, and the book I am currently using in Glasgow, goes all the way back to 1995!!!
If you want to find out what moves you did 2/3 weeks ago, just ask the venue manager or a taxi-dancer to see the little book
If the name does not ring a bell, you can always ask the taxi-dancer or teacher to remind you of the move (preferably after the Intermediate class )

Franck.

[jiveoholic]

www.danceyourselfdizzy.com sets a good example and details (textually) the moves at the three venues at Basingstoke, Romsey and Winchester. They are available on the night they are taught.

[JamesGeary]

I used to wait until I had learned a move twice in two different classes, as after one lesson I usually found it too difficult to try and freestyle it. After learning it the second time at a second class I would try and dance that move once or twice to every song that night at freestyle. With luck it would become part of my repertoire.

As I learned more moves I found I could usually look around and be reminded of moves I'd learned in the past because other people were doing them.

In competitions I've often relied on my partners giving me a verbal lead (do 'x' move now) because when you're nervous your memory just tends to go out the window. It doesn't sound very professional, but who can tell

[Will]

Ah Mr Geary,

So you've finally decided to hit the 'reply' button (9 months after registering). I should have known you'd appear in the beginners corner - where you belong

May I now pre-empt your 2nd post and wish you a happy Christmas

Will

[Divissima]

Now I realise I'm in a privileged position, being a girlie, and that strictly speaking I'm not supposed to lead and therefore don't need to remember moves as such (this is a useful get-out-of-trouble clause when my partner berates me for missing his leads!!) but I have a suggestion for retaining moves just learned in a class.

It's really a general memory technique, but when doing the team cabaret for Hammersmith last year I found it a really good way to learn the routine (so good that I can still run through most of it in my head almost a year later). Rather than writing it down, the trick is to repeat the move as soon as possible after you learn it (so maybe in freestyle after the class) then over in your head BEFORE you go to sleep on it that night and then again the following morning, and again a day or two later and again a week or so later. Sounds like a lot of work, but I found it to be effective...

Or if you have a video camera, film yourself doing the routine before you go to bed and it will be there to refer to forever more... But that's probably cheating

[PeterL]

Originally posted by Divissima

Or if you have a video camera, film yourself doing the routine before you go to bed and it will be there to refer to forever more... But that's probably cheating

That sounds like a good method to learn a set routine, but most of us just want to learn individual moves, so we can put them together in any order. I have found the less predicatable the dance the more the follower enjoys it. After ora year 2 you have learnt so many diffreent moves that it is impossible to recall them all in a single night. I work on the method of do what comes to mind whilst I am dancing and don't worry if I forget the odd move, it is a nice surprise to me when it suddenly comes to mind months later and I can still lead it. Dancing is after all about fun and not a test.

Originally posted by PeterL
Dancing is after all about fun and not a test.

Couldn't agree more

Maybe my method might help remember moves when starting out - certainly as a beginner it can be helpful to learn a short sequence of two or three so that you don't come to the end of one move and suddenly realise that you haven't given much forethought to what to lead next. So I guess the memory method might be useful for that while you are trying to build up a small repertoire. But then the problem is doing one of the moves without the rest of the sequence.

You're right - it doesn't work so well for the situation where you are improving and the newly learned ones push the old ones out of your memory... Oh well...

I have to say, I don't envy the man having to build up a repertoire and then string them together at a moment's notice.

[PeterL]

Originally posted by Unregistered
Couldn't agree more


I have to say, I don't envy the man having to build up a repertoire and then string them together at a moment's notice.

That's the fun bit. It's what we call dancing.

[Divissima]

sorry, the above post-but-one is mine (I'm not quite sure how I managed to post it anonymously - you can tell it's the end of a busy week )
I'm not trying to duck accountability!!

[PeterL]

Originally posted by Divissima
sorry, the above post is mine (I'm not quite sure how I managed to post it anonymously - you can tell it's the end of a busy week )
I'm not trying to duck my responsibilities!!

You'll have to tell me how to do that. Could have fun making ODA posts.

[TheTramp]

I worry about you sometimes Peter

Steve