For years, I’ve been unofficially learning how to dance, long before joining a dance team at MIT. Like many, my dance journey started in the digital realm, specifically on YouTube. Without access to formal dance studios, YouTube became my personal dance teacher, offering endless choreographies right at my fingertips. This self-taught approach, particularly starting with K-Pop dances, seems to be a common entry point for many dancers I’ve met. While K-Pop opened the door, my exploration expanded to diverse dance styles and choreographers, all thanks to the vast library of YouTube. Let me share my experience and guide you on how to effectively Learn How To Dance using YouTube, transforming your living room into your very own dance studio.
Discovering Dance Choreography on YouTube
YouTube is a treasure trove for dance enthusiasts. The sheer volume of dance content can be overwhelming, but with a strategic approach, you can easily find routines that resonate with you. My method, refined over time, involves curating a personalized dance feed. It began with subscribing to numerous dance studios and choreographers. My subscription list exploded, delivering a daily deluge of new dance videos – often more than I could possibly watch. To navigate this abundance, I developed a simple yet effective filtering system based on two key questions:
- “Which songs am I familiar with or enjoy?”
- “Which studios or choreographers consistently create unique and captivating choreography?”
By focusing on videos that meet these criteria, I efficiently sift through the noise and pinpoint tutorials that align with my taste and learning goals.
Studios and choreographers I consistently follow include (but are definitely not limited to):
- 1 Million Dance Studio
- Millennium Dance Complex
- Kinjaz
- Movement Lifestyle
- Galen Hooks
- Delaney Glazer
- Jake Kodish
- Jojo Gomez
- Aliya Janell
And many more! Maintaining a diverse subscription list ensures a constant stream of inspiration and learning opportunities across various dance styles.
Choosing the Right Dance Routine for You
Selecting a dance to learn from the countless options can feel like a challenge. My decision-making process is multifaceted, considering various aspects to ensure I choose choreography that is both enjoyable and beneficial for my growth as a dancer. Here’s a glimpse into my thought process:
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Is it Fun and Engaging? The primary factor is enjoyment. Does the dance look like it would be fun to perform? I consider:
- Storytelling and Emotion: Does the choreography tell a story or evoke emotions? Emotive dances are often more engaging to learn and perform.
- Energy and Hype: If not emotive, is it high-energy and exciting? “Hype” dances can be incredibly motivating and fun for practice.
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Choreography Quality: Beyond personal preference, I assess the quality of the choreography itself. Is it well-structured, creative, and interesting to watch and learn?
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Challenge and Growth: I look for dances that push me beyond my comfort zone and help me develop new skills.
- Style Variety: Does it incorporate a mix of sharp and fluid movements, challenging different aspects of my technique?
- Technical Difficulty: Is it overly technical and complex? I generally avoid overly technical routines, especially when learning for fun and personal growth.
- Heels or Specific Requirements: If it’s a heels dance, does it require a level of flexibility or space that I currently lack? I consider practicality and adapt to my current capabilities.
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Skill Development: Will this choreography build upon my existing skills or introduce new techniques? Choosing a variety of styles helps in becoming a well-rounded dancer.
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Song Preference: Do I enjoy the music? Dancing to music you love significantly enhances the learning experience and motivation.
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Song Familiarity & Popularity: Do I already know the song? Sometimes, I might avoid overly mainstream or popular songs to explore less-known music and choreography, or embrace popular ones if the dance is compelling enough.
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Choreographer Style: Do I appreciate the choreographer’s style? If I’ve enjoyed their previous work, I’m more likely to try their new routines. However, I also consider if the new choreography is too similar to dances I’ve already learned from them, unless the song is exceptionally appealing.
After this evaluation, I bookmark promising videos into a “dance folder” – essentially a YouTube playlist. This folder often becomes extensive, requiring periodic cleaning. If a dance remains in my bookmarks for over a month without me learning it, I either delete it or move it to a subfolder to keep my active list manageable and focused.
Looking back at my favorite choreographies I’ve learned and regularly revisit, I notice recurring themes or categories:
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Story-Oriented Dances: These are routines that are particularly rewarding to perform due to their emotional depth and narrative progression from beginning to end. They tell a story through movement.
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Hype Vibes: Exactly as the name suggests – high-energy, powerful, and exciting dances that are perfect for boosting your mood and energy levels.
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Flowy/Poppy: A balanced combination of fluid, graceful movements and sharp, impactful hits. This style offers a dynamic and engaging dance experience.
My favorite choreographers often specialize in these styles:
- Galen Hooks: Known for incredible creativity and versatility. Her choreography is intricate, subtle, and complemented by unique song choices.
- Delaney Glazer: Her style is characterized by flowy, upbeat, and energetic movements, perfect for “hype vibes.”
- Jake Kodish: Specializes in poppy and more technically grounded choreography.
- Jojo Gomez: Her style is fluid, often described as “sexy” and confident, embodying a “bad bitch” energy.
- Aliya Janell: Primarily known for heels dances that are incredibly fun, powerful, and expressive.
Step-by-Step Guide to Learning Dance Choreography from YouTube
Everyone learns differently, so find a method that suits you. My approach, developed through years of practice, focuses on breaking down choreography into manageable segments. Lacking stamina for long practice sessions, I prefer learning in 15-minute intervals spread over two to three days. Here’s my detailed process:
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Utilize Tools for Learning: I heavily rely on a Chrome extension called MirrorTube. This invaluable tool allows me to:
- Mirror the Video: Essential for learning choreography as you often need to mirror the instructor’s movements.
- Slow Down Playback: I typically start at 0.5x speed to grasp the steps accurately.
- Section Looping: I split the dance into 15-20 second sections for focused learning and repetition.
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Master Sections Gradually: I focus on mastering one section at a time at a slower speed (0.5x). Once I can confidently perform a section at that speed, I incrementally increase the playback speed.
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Assemble the Pieces: After learning all sections individually, I piece them together at a slow speed. This step is crucial for focusing on smooth transitions between sections and ensuring the choreography flows seamlessly.
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Practice Without Visual Aid: I then practice the entire dance 3-4 times without watching the screen. This helps identify areas I’m less confident in and need to revisit. It’s a crucial step in memorizing and internalizing the movements.
This method, refined over years of self-teaching, might not be universally applicable. Many studio-trained dancers are not accustomed to learning at slow speeds. However, when learning independently, slowing down is an incredibly effective technique to ensure accuracy and build a solid foundation, especially when tackling complex choreography.
Measuring Progress and Continuous Improvement
While I haven’t consciously focused on “growing” as a dancer in a structured way, comparing my recent dance videos to those from years ago (e.g., 2017) reveals a significant improvement. Having gained a deeper understanding of dance from being part of a team, I can now offer more specific advice on how to progress at different levels:
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Beginner Dancers:
- Focus on Timing and Rhythm: Prioritize hitting key movements on time with the music.
- Choreography Retention: Work on memorizing and retaining the choreography. This is a fundamental skill that is often underestimated but crucial for progressing in dance. Quick choreography retention is a valuable asset in workshops and classes.
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Intermediate Dancers:
- Fluidity and Continuity: Concentrate on making your movements flow smoothly and connect seamlessly. Strive for both sharp, defined movements and graceful transitions.
- Personal Style: Begin incorporating your own personal style and flair into the dances you learn. Allow your natural movement tendencies to emerge.
- Body Awareness: Pay attention to head and arm placement, and overall body posture. Refine your lines and shapes.
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Advanced Dancers:
- Control and Precision: Develop greater control over your body. Avoid stiffness and aim for controlled, deliberate movements.
- Levels and Dynamics: Work on utilizing different levels (high, medium, low) and varying your dynamics (bounce, groundedness) to add depth and interest to your dancing.
- Holistic Movement: Engage your entire body in movements to create fluidity and power.
- Space Utilization: Use the available space effectively. Explore larger movements and stage presence.
- Texture and Sharpness: Be mindful of textures in movement (smooth, sharp, percussive) and execute movements with intention and clarity.
- Musicality: Deepen your understanding of musicality – how you interpret and express music through movement. Integrate your personal musicality into your dance.
Conclusion: Your Dance Journey Starts Now
Learning how to dance using YouTube is an accessible, engaging, and incredibly rewarding path. It provides a vast resource of tutorials, styles, and choreographers, allowing you to learn at your own pace and in the comfort of your home. Embrace the journey, explore different styles, and most importantly, have fun! Start exploring YouTube today and unlock your inner dancer. If you have any specific questions, feel free to reach out – I’m happy to help guide you further on your dance adventure!
