In this playlist they didn’t have a recording for the Merchant Set on Spotify so I used the Mabula site to find another recording of the same length. A great tool for teachers and callers. Here is a link to their site. It’s a database of set dancing recording. All you have to do is enter in the number of bars and tune type and all the recording of that length will come up. I love this site as often I can find a recoding that is the right length even if I don’t have the recording in my library for that particular set. In the olden days we used to call these “scrap sets”.
Connemara | Reels 160, Reels 192, Reels 184, Maggie in the Woods 96
Waltz
video playlist
Coming soon
music playlist
Coming soon
In this playlist they didn’t have a recording for the Merchant Set on Spotify so I used the Mabula site to find another recording of the same length. A great tool for teachers and callers. Here is a link to their site. It’s a database of set dancing recording. All you have to do is enter in the number of bars and tune type and all the recording of that length will come up. I love this site as often I can find a recoding that is the right length even if I don’t have the recording in my library for that particular set. In the olden days we used to call these “scrap sets”.
it’s that time of year again for the 5th Annual Butterball. Come dressed in your feathers and finery, bring tunes, stories, instruments and your dancing shoes. This is our 5th year of hosting the Butterball. (we missed 1 year during the pandemic). You are welcome to dress up or come as you are. Please pass this along to your communities.
You can use this playlist to study up or teach the dances in your own community or to your friends and family. On the next tab there is a music playlist which is handy for teaching or practicing the dances.
In this playlist they didn’t have a recording for the Merchant Set on Spotify so I used the Mabula site to find another recording of the same length. I great tool for teachers and callers. Here is a link to their site. It’s a database of set dancing recording. All you have to do is enter in the number of bars and tune type and all the recording of that length will come up. I love this site as often I can find a recoding that is the right length even if I don’t have the recording in my library for that particular set. In the olden days we used to call these “scrap sets”.
In this playlist they didn’t have a recording for the Merchant Set on Spotify so I used the Mabula site to find another recording of the same length. I great tool for teachers and callers. Here is a link to their site. It’s a database of set dancing recording. All you have to do is enter in the number of bars and tune type and all the recording of that length will come up. I love this site as often I can find a recoding that is the right length even if I don’t have the recording in my library for that particular set. In the olden days we used to call these “scrap sets”.
Welcome to Your Ultimate Guide to Practicing! This month-long course is designed to help you develop a practice routine at any level. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced dancer, this course will give you the tips and tricks you need to build and improve your practice routine.
Over the next month, you’ll learn how to choose the material you want to practice, how to focus on specific techniques, and how to set up a dedicated practice space. You’ll also have access to a private Facebook group where you can post your progress, share your wins, and ask questions. I’ll be offering coaching and feedback sessions throughout the month for those who are interested.
So if you’re ready to take your dancing to the next level, sign up for Your Ultimate Guide to Practicing today!
The month of September we will be running a challenge and a course on practicing. Members and non-members can participate. Sign up for the membership here and/or join the free private Facebook group.
If you’re like most dancers, you probably struggle with having a consistent practice routine. The month of April, let’s challenge ourselves to build a practice routine one step at a time.
James Clear, the author of Atomic Habits, has some great suggestions for building habits. Two things that I use from his book are:
Keeping your new habit doable and small
Habit stacking
Number one, keeping your new habit doable and small. Make a commitment to yourself to do 5 minutes of dancing everyday. You may end up doing more, but don’t put so much pressure on yourself that you dread your practice time. Build the habit up slowly and steady. 5 minutes a day is better than an hour once a week. You will make great progress with just 5 minutes on a consistent basis.
Number two, habit stacking. What is habit stacking? What habits do you have on lock already? A morning cup of joe, brushing your teeth, taking your dog for a walk or making your bed? Try stacking your new habit of dancing 5 minutes a day with something that you do without thinking. I am going to stack my 5 minutes of dancing with opening my office door. Between opening the office and turning on my computer I will do 5 minutes of dancing each day.
Let’s break down our challenge into manageable steps. Here are some ideas to get you started:
1. Choose a time of day that you will practice each week.
2. Commit to practicing for at least 5 minutes, even if it’s just a few basic steps.
3. Join the facebook group! Find a practice buddy or join our online dance community to stay accountable.
4. Track your progress! Seeing your progress on video or in a notebook will help with motivation. Your brain will get a little hit of dopamine as you check off your habit tracker or record your progress each day. Consider recording a before and after video. Video yourself dancing before you start practicing and then record yourself at the end of the week or month to see your progress. You don’t have to share this with anyone, it can be just for you to see how much you improve over the month. Very motivating to see your progress so clearly!
Building a consistent practice routine doesn’t have to be daunting. By taking it one step at a time, you’ll be well on your way to becoming a better dancer in no time!
Build Your Dance Practice Routine One Step at a Time!
Are you looking to improve your dance routine? Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced dancer, it’s important to take the time to build your routine step by step. In just five minutes, you can use this practice challenge to work on one element of your reputare or routine. Ready to get started? Let’s go!
Maldon Meehan Dance is Challenging You to Build a Dance Practice Routine in April. Will you join me?
All you will need is 5 minutes a day, a notebook and a goal.
The last thing you want to be doing is trying to memorize the material from your dance class and struggling with it. That’s why we’re going to help you out! In this blog post we cover five ways to make remembering the material easier. Let’s get started!
1. Use a dance journal. It’s a simple yet effective tool for any dancer.
2. Breakdown the steps into smaller parts – make it easier for your brain to process and remember.
3. Visualize your learning, practice and performance experience.
4. Practice, practice, practice! Dance is a skill that needs to be developed over time just like any other.
5. Record yourself dancing, then watch it later! You’ll be amazed by how much progress you’ve made.
1. Dance Journal
A dance journal can help you keep track of steps from class. It’s a great way to do it right after the lesson or if there isn’t time, just write them down during the session and then go over your notes later!
Before leaving class, write down the steps you learned in your notebook. This will help solidify the movements and words into memory better than if you just danced them during class. You can also record yourself dancing these moves for future reference to make sure that they are accurate!
2. Breakdown the steps
Break down the steps into smaller parts and practice them on repeat. This will help you understand the step, like a muscle memory in your body. Once you have practiced the small movement, put them back into the whole to get better results!
Breakdowns help with overall understanding by breaking up large sequences into less intimidating chunks which allow us more easily place new information in context while still retaining previous knowledge.
3. Visualize
When we dance in our heads or visualize ourselves flawlessly executing choreography, there are two things happening at once: We’re practicing technique without putting wear-and-tear on our body like when doing physical exercise. Most importantly, we are learning new material! This visualization process works any time during your day. Also before you practice, visualize the last lesson, who was there, what the teacher was wearing and what you learned. To help me with this I often write that information in my dance journal.
4. Practice, practice, practice!
Practice makes perfect! It’s the saying that has been repeated over and over again. And for good reason too – it is true. Dance, like any other skill, needs to be practiced in order to get better at it with time. When practicing dance you can’t just cram a bunch of hours into one day; instead, plan what moves or routines you will practice each day so they are spread evenly throughout your routine schedule (i.e., 5-10 minutes every weekday).
5. Record yourself
Practicing a new dance move? Record yourself dancing, then play it back! You’ll be amazed by how much progress you’ve made. After practicing for 5-10 minutes a day just record yourself at the end of the week before your next class. This will show your progress and you can have an easy reference to jog memory if needed later on. I also like to record myself right after class for memory and reference.
I hope these Five Ways to Remember the material from your dance class quickly and easily will help you. They are simple yet effective in the challenge of remembering choreography or routines in classes!
