4 pro tips for your budding dancer to master folk dance

Folk dance is not only fun, it has a personal touch to it. The cultural and emotional connection inherent in this dance form cannot be seen in any other dance forms. In fact, folk dance is a genre where the dance movements are in sync with the rhythm of the folk music, which makes it all the more special and authentic. It also helps performers connect to their culture and roots. If your youngster is interested in folk dance, here are some smart suggestions to help her perform well. Encourage her to follow these tips.   

Follow a proper sequence

Experts say that learning folk dance is like learning multiplication, both need following of a proper sequence (for example, in-depth movement sequence). Folk dance also helps your little ones stay organized as it involves maintaining order of the movements (sets and beats). Therefore, youngsters need to be thoroughly explained how the sequences work and how to approach them by starting with the basics.  

Choose the correct dance set

Folk dances have sets which are different from one another. They can be both simple and complicated. A set is basically the formation of dancers. Five most common folk-dance sets, from simple to complicated are: Scattered set (partners are scattered around the room, being next to one another), longways (two parallel lines of dancers with partners in the other line), single circle (solo, without any partner), single circle with partner (partners standing side by side) and double circle (two concentric circles, with partners opposite to each other). Depending on which stage of learning folk dance your budding dancer is in, you need to choose the right set for him or her. Needless to say, it’s always convenient to start with the simplest one. 

Introduce finger practice

Usually, when amateur folk dancers engage in several movements together, it mostly leads to touch and go method. However, introducing finger practice makes the process much easier. Finger practice includes movements using fingers only and then thinking and visualizing through the process. It helps increase focus on what’s coming next and avoiding potential collisions. Therefore, introducing this method in your youngsters’ folk-dance routine will come in handy to get him more interested. 

Adapt to different moves

The key is to follow some general step-by-step rules and adapt to them time and again for better results. These include keeping the number of beats constant, keeping the major move intact, following the same direction and simplifying the move.