Barre with Justine

Do you struggle with finding the time and brain space to memorize choreography?

Sometimes it is more the THOUGHT of needing to learn an entire class that is worse than the actual process, right? I’ve been teaching pre-choreographed programs (Les Mills BodyStep and BodyBalance, as well as SoulBody Barre) for about 6 years and it’s taken me about that long to feel like I have a good handle on what works well for me to learn as quickly as possible. I hope these tips can help you too! Just like our students we each learn in different ways, but perhaps there will be a few ideas you can take away from this post.

My Essentials: My AirPods, printed notes, timer

1. Don’t start too early: I feel like this is an example of where what works for me may not work for you. My brain only seems to be able to learn one version of something at a time. If I’m teaching BodyStep 130 the week before the new choreography drops then i can’t start really diving into the new choreography until that same week. Sure I will listen to the music to get a feel for the new release, but I can’t focus on the moves!
2. Block time and FOCUS: This is where the timer countdown (on my FitBit) comes in handy. I will set a timer for 30 minutes, focus on 2 tracks, and not let anything else distract me (except kids…they have a way of appearing with desperate needs the minute my AirPods go in lol)
3. 2-3 tracks/songs at a time: The idea of learning 10-12 tracks is too much. I like to break the release down into 2-3 tracks and make that the focus for the time period or day.
4. Do, practice, read: My method of memorizing is to do the tracks (maybe not using my most intense effort), practice cueing the tracks, and then (usually that evening in bed) read the notes for the tracks. This works for me because I’ve made the mistake of NOT doing the tracks myself and then either not being ready for the intensity of the moves or not having made that connection between mind and movement. That said, I used to practice the entire release repeatedly and really wore out my body! Once I’ve done it once, I focus on cueing rather than doing the movements.
5. AirPods: I feel like this is such a big part of what helps me learn these days. My AirPods cancel out background noise and let me really focus on the music, which forms such a big part of pre-choreographed classes. Being able to recognize shifts in the beat and intensity is really important for remembering the movements and patterns.
6. Printed Notes: For me, they are reinforcement of the kinesthetic and auditory learning that’s already happened. I like to read the modifications, the focus of the class, etc. to keep reminding myself. If I’m struggling with a track I will play the music and follow the notes to reinforce the correct flow of the moves.

I hope this helps! As a new instructor it can be sooo intimidating to teach pre-choreographed formats. Yes, it provides you with amazing moves and music but you are relying on your own memory AND trying to motivate the class at the same time. Finally, it does get easier the more you teach this way. At the beginning it would take me weeks to learn a new release. Let me know if this helped you and if you have any tips of your own to share!