5 Tips to Remember Your Patterns

Listen to my PODCAST with 5 tips to remember your patterns!

Tip #1 – Take Notes or a Video

It’s often helpful to have a small notepad with you so that you can jot down some notes about the patterns you just learned.  What is name of the pattern? What are the lead and follow techniques? What is the count for each dance pattern? By writing down some notes, your mind creates a stronger memory for that dance pattern. A quick cell phone video will also be a big help. Lots of students this trick to remember patterns.

Tip #2 – Practice New Dance Steps Immediately and Often

Chances are that if you do not review your new patterns immediately after a lesson or at least on the same day, you will most likely forget it. Right after class is over, take a few min break then come back to the pattern and try it again. This will help groove the memory for easy recall. A few time per week try to walk through your pattern at least once to keep the memory fresh.

Tip #3 – Use Visualization

Many Olympic athletes routinely use visualization to perfect their sports performance and you can do the same for your dancing. Simply relax, play some music and start to visualize in detail how you are going to dance to the music. Think about those cool moves that you just learned and visualize yourself dancing those dance steps to the music. Visualization is an extremely powerful technique that allows you to rehearse your patterns in your head before you ever step out on the dance floor.

Tip #4 – Remember the Basics in Your Patterns

Each move has a basic. Is you new move based off of a push, pass, tuck or turn? Remember what basic the pattern is built on and then try to find the thing that makes that move different. What makes this move unique. If you can remember that key difference it will be easier to recall and then lead the new pattern!

Tip #5 – Teach Someone Else

This isn’t for everyone but teaching someone else or practicing with a partner is a great way to remember! When you are teaching, you are forced to think back and remember all of those lead and follow techniques that you were taught in class. By verbally teaching a dance move, your mind quickly transitions from the mindset of “I can’t remember the dance move” to “I remember the dance move and can teach it to someone else”. This is a powerful shift in thinking.

Watch our thoughts in this video!

7 thoughts on “5 Tips to Remember Your Patterns”

    • Hi Mario,
      Thanks so much. We try hard to put out useful stuff for WCS dancers. Happy dancing, Brian B

  1. i like that you provide direct and to the point information without a lot of fluff…

    Love that slide and glide move, going to work on it.

    i have directed a few of my WCS buddies to your site.

    thanks

    Gary Hincman

  2. I practice at home by myself a lot to work on my footwork and memorizing patterns. I find that tip #5 is a great idea. At times i will talk myself through a pattern pretending to teach it to someone. Im an instructor in another hobby so this comes more natural to me and helps me understand the details better.

    • Phillip!!!
      That’s PREFECT.
      It’s really the best way to do it.
      Thanks for sharing the tip.
      Best wishes,
      B

Comments are closed.

Improve your spins with this drill!

Enter your email - watch the video now!
WATCH NOW
close-link

The #1 Key toMusicality in West Coast Swing
WATCH THE VIDEO 
close-link

Improve your turns
for 2-Step
with this FREE video!

WATCH THE VIDEO 
close-link

3 keys to styling
with any dance partner!
WATCH THE VIDEO 
close-link

5 different ways to
Style Your Anchor Step
WATCH THE VIDEO 
close-link

SHOW ME THE SONGS 
close-link

Learn the basics
of West Coast Swing
in this FREE video!

GET THE VIDEO
close-link

 Get our FREE
Move of the Week Videos

GET YOUR FIRST VIDEO
close-link

WATCH THE VIDEO 
close-link

Learn the most important
Footwork Drill
for west coast swing

WATCH THE VIDEO 
close-link

3 Keys to better
Social Dancing

WATCH THE VIDEO 
close-link

Learn to Stay on Time
with these 4 tips

WATCH THE VIDEO 
close-link


 
Watch your video
close-link


 
Watch the video
close-link
  Special Offer  

Get Your
14 Day Free Trial

Click the button & I'll Explain Personally
LEARN MORE >
With ❤️ Brian & Megan
close-link