Okay. First of all, warm up with some light jogging-in-spot and jumping-in-spot and lots of good stretches (don't over stretch). Make sure to stretch arms, legs and flex all the joints. Once warmed up, loosen up. Relax. A good dancer musn't have any pressure. They have to be relaxed. "Cool". And keep a positive attitude, too. Don't be nervous. A lot of dancers are afraid of what others think of them. Don't let it get to you. Just do your stuff.
Next, you need rhythm. Listen closely to the song. Most music a 4-beat. That means four beats to a measure. 1-2-3-4, steadily. When sped up, it can be broken down into an 8-beat. 8 beats to a measure. That's really fast, usually. Even with an 8-beat, just try and listen to the hidden 4-beat within by counting only every other beat. Almost like a march.
Now, begin with a bit of fit work while standing (up-rock). Keep the legs and arms loose, knees bent. Remember that rhythm. Your feet are going to move in a pattern on the floor, touching the floor on each beat. Cross your right leg in front of your left leg, and touch the right foot on the ground. Now move the left foot back. Now move the right foot back to where it came, but back a space, so it's even with the left. Now move the left forward. From here, start the pattern over. You should be making a square with your feet. Try and make your own variations. Listen to the half-beats and quarter-beats mixed in with the normal beat and move to those, too.
Now for a bit of "down-rock". Foot work on the floor. This move is called the "six-step". It's pretty easy, but getting it mixed in with the beat can be hard. Crouch down with the left hand on the ground, left leg extended and right leg still bent. Now, while shifting your weight to the other side, bring your right leg just under the left. That's your second step. Now, shifting all the weight to the right hand (your left hand shouldn't be on the ground anymore), swing the left around to the left side. That's the third. Now bring the right leg around and in front of the left, the weight still on your right hand. That's the fourth. Now move your left leg back (fifth) and then the right (sixth), so that the legs are apart but even. Restart the pattern from there, or finish it. |