How can I learn choreography fast from a video?

By the RepeatWatch team · Updated

Quick answer

Learn choreography fast by looping small pieces, not watching the whole routine. Loop one eight-count at 0.75× with a 2-second pause, mark it twice, then dance it full out while the trainer adds 5% every three loops. Chain each new eight-count onto the last so the transitions get as many repeats as the moves.

Try this now: watch a routine’s first 30 seconds three times, then try it. Next, loop only the first eight counts five times and try that. Compare.

How to learn choreography fast with RepeatWatch

  1. Watch once, then stop watching. Play the routine once at full speed to hear the song structure. After that, practise only inside loops.
  2. Loop eight counts at 0.75×. Set A and B around the first eight-count, speed 0.75×, Pause between loops 2 s.
  3. Mark it, then go full out. Mark the first two loops with small, low-energy moves to learn the order. From loop three, dance full out.
  4. Climb to full speed. Speed trainer: +0.05× every 3 loops, goal 1×. Each step is small enough that you rarely notice the change.
  5. Chain forward. Save the eight-count as a section. Learn the next one the same way, then loop both together so you practise the join.
  6. Run the routine as a playlist. Add every section to the Playlist tab with 2 or 3 repeats each and play it through at 1×. Note which join breaks and loop it.

Try it on an example: open Part 1 at tempo in Tiana Shern’s beginner “Greedy” tutorial with a 20-second loop already set at 0.75×.

Try it on an example

5 common mistakes

  • Watching the full video over and over instead of looping the eight-count you can’t do yet.
  • Going full out from the first loop and getting tired before the order is memorised.
  • Learning sections in isolation and never practising the transitions between them.
  • Skipping the full-speed step. Slow practice is a means; the show is at 1×.
  • One long session instead of a few short ones. Spaced practice holds better than cramming.

Frequently asked questions

What is marking in dance?

Marking means doing the choreography small and at low energy, often with hands standing in for feet, to learn the order without tiring yourself. Mark a loop or two, then dance it full out.

How many times should I loop each eight-count?

Keep looping until you get three clean runs in a row at the current speed. The speed trainer is built around that: it only steps up after a set number of loops.

Is it faster to learn the whole routine at once?

Usually not. Breaking a sequence into chunks makes each part easier to remember, and chaining them gives you practice on the joins. Whole run-throughs are for checking, not learning.

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