Trick to Steps

maria_harlequin

maria_harlequin

New member
I'm currently taking Egyptian classes and never in my life have I ever had a teacher that took such importance on steps. It doesn't matter how smooth or clear your movements are...but put the right foot down on the second beat and you're DOOMED.

I'm terrible with steps, even super simple ones. I mean, I've done them in the past but never this extensively where everything seems to be about steps. I have to come home, analyze them, and practice them before I can do them smoothly and even then, I still mess up. And it's making me lag behind in class and making me feel like three years of training just went out the window. I'm so focused on what foot goes where to what beat that I forget the choreography and I forget the movements.

Any tips for a slow brain like mine?
 
Kashmir

Kashmir

New member
You'll hate this - practice, practice, practice.

However, as a help - if the weight changes are tricky initially work out where the weight is at each point - very slowly. Then practice the section slowly - over and over (I remember learning pirouettes in jazz many, many years ago - days and days when we would come to class, warmup, then prepare, turn; prepare, turn; prepare, turn; prepare, turn; prepare, turn; - for most of the lesson. I have not done a jazz piroutte for over 20 years but to this day, 'prepare' and I automatically hit fourth and on 'turn' I start adjusting my body to turn.)
 
LeylaLanty

LeylaLanty

New member
What Kashmir says! When you're not used to placing your feet in a certain order on certain beats, it usually helps to do as Kashmir suggests. That is, after you've figured out how to do them correctly, practice the tricky parts VERY slowly until you can do them without thinking about them. After you get some experience doing this, you'll probably find that it becomes easier to learn steps, also known as "footwork". Note that I didn't say "easy":). "Easier", means you will feel more comfortable doing it and will be able to "catch on" faster in class.

In the meantime, practice, practice, practice. At three years of study, you have a lot more to learn, so be patient. Your three years' practice didn't go out the window. They're just waiting in the wings until you get used to the new things you are learning in class. ;) When I started MANY years ago, I would sometimes run into tricky movements or footwork which slowed me down, but I picked the movements or footwork apart, practiced steadily and eventually I learned to do them without any hesitation.
 
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FatimaS

New member
Eve said:
no & there should be, it rarely gets covered. I'm just going to go back and watch performance dvds and watch their feet.;)
Click to expand...

i really like jenna's basic dvd. she covers footwork at a pace that's "easy to learn" (still--you gotta practice:)
 
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