Rehearsal, Preparation, and the Performer's Process

Between choosing choreography and performing it lies the long, disciplined work of rehearsal: the process through which a dancer learns, refines, embodies, and secures a piece. How you rehearse largely determines how you perform, and developing effective rehearsal habits is one of the most valuable skills a dancer can build. This lesson examines the performer's preparation process from first learning to performance readiness.

Learning and securing the material

Rehearsal begins with learning the choreography accurately, the steps, timing, spacing, and dynamics. Effective learning breaks material into manageable sections, drills difficult passages slowly before returning them to tempo, and uses repetition to move the movement from conscious effort to reliable memory. Dancers use various stra