Hi again beautiful,
So last week I talked about you being fit and/or looking fit enough – and I definitely called bull sh*t on that.
Today let’s talk about the 2nd concern that I hear from instructors… “What if I forget a move?” So, there’s no getting around this one. The answer is… you have to practice! Practice until those moves are so comfortable that you can’t forget them even if you wanted to.
Second, practice with the music. Know the downbeat, know the 8 count, and say your cues in rhythm. Hear it, feel it, be it.
Third, use holding patterns. So, when I forget what I’m going to do next, I always resort to simple holding patterns like hip shimmies, hip bumps or shoulder shimmies, so that I can gather my thoughts and think about my next move. Look, If you’re smiling, talking and doing your holding pattern, no one will know that’s not what you were supposed to be doing. Am I right?
And fourth… have a cheat sheet. Yep a cheat sheet. I sometimes use choreography notes either right in front of me if I’m teaching online or by the music player if teaching in-person – just in case my brain goes blank. And yes, it happens to the best of us. In my In-person classes, I usually have my notes sitting by my water bottle or music player, so that when I draw a blank, I have my students do a holding pattern, and I get a quick drink or pretend to adjust volume and look down at my cheat sheet. You see? Nobody knows what I actually did…but now you all do… Shhh… don’t tell.
So, all in all…my truth smack is that we’re all human. If your students know that you forgot a move, they’ll love you even more because you ARE human.
Now go and practice!
Oreet