Remembering Combinations

If you're anything like me, then you'll struggle with remembering those long combinations that your teacher reels off.

Well here is a new technique for you to try, it comes from Lauran Callan (or d4j on dance.net - if you don't know what dance.net is, you should go on it, it has loads of information, tips and really friendly people)

So here we go...

We all know that feeling, when your teacher comes up with a really long combination and you're thinking, "There's no way I'm ever going to remember all this!"

Imagine your teacher gives you a combination with about 15 steps in it. So normally I imagine you would try going from the beginning and remembering it all. So your thought process goes like so, ok I do this, then I do this, then there's this step, then this one, then after that there's this, and then arrrggggh?!?! What's next!?!?!

So graphically it would be

XXXXX......?!?!?!

Instead try this.

Obviously you won't be able to pick up the whole thing, but try picking up a main step from the beginning, then a couple of steps from the middle, then a step or two from the end.

So it would be like this

X...?...X...?...X

So you sort of know how it goes, you know how it starts, you've got some sort of idea for the middle, and you know you can finish it up well. Don't worry about all the bits in the middle that your not really all that sure about. But the main thing is don't stop moving even if you're not sure what you're supposed to be doing. Even if you just walk, run, bouree, jump around, whatever you want, just keep going to connect the movements that you know. If you go about it the old way you'd go until you knew it, then just stop at the bits you don't know, this way you have to keep moving, so you'll pick more of it up.

So now, try and add in the moves that come after the moves you know

So now you know this much

XX..?..XX..?..XX

And if you keep going over it, you'll soon have this much

XXX...XXX...XXX

Then this much

XXXX..XXXX..XXX

Yep that's 12 out of those 15 steps!

So it not too long you'll soon have this much

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

And yep, that's the whole thing!

Even if you don't get to keep going over the combinations until you pick it all up, then it doesn't matter. And soon you'll be using this technique naturally, and will be able to do it quickly. And in not too long you'll be able to start with having 3 or more steps in each section, so it won't take long to pick up the whole thing.

Its always a good idea to get your brain to work in new ways. This technique won't necessarily work perfectly with you, but if you don't try, you'll never know. So give it a go and let me know what you think! :)