Quality vs Quantity in Dance Practice: Part 1

The short answer: more practice doesn't automatically make you a better dancer. You can repeat something the wrong way many times. What moves you forward is the quality of each repetition, and then a good quantity of that quality work. Set up properly, think it through, then dance it, and try to do it a little better every time.

Does more practice make you a better dancer?

Not on its own. There's a misunderstanding that the more you do a thing, the better you'll get at it. But you can repeat something the wrong way many, many times. I've had people who have danced for 20 years and still aren't good, because time alone doesn't make you better. It's the way you approach it that matters, so every time you practise, be deliberate.

What does quality practice look like?

In the video I use a squirrel to explain it. One squirrel spends every day stockpiling as many nuts as he can, and when winter comes he finds they're rotten inside. Another squirrel has fewer nuts, but they're good ones that will get him through. Practice is the same. It isn't the number of times you do something, it's the quality you do it with.

Do you still need quantity?

Yes. You need to reach a certain threshold. Doing one good New Yorker won't make you good, but doing ten bad ones won't either. So it's quality over quantity, but you still need a quantity of the quality work you do.

How do you practise a figure with quality?

In the video I show how I helped a student in a solo practice session who was rushing his Heel Turns, and how I set up a figure like a New Yorker:

1. Set up properly: position your posture, your head, your feet and your arms before you start.
2. Say it first: talk the figure through. For the Heel Turn it's swing, step, close, turn.
3. Then just do it: don't try to say it as you're dancing it.
4. Pause and reset: when you finish, pause for a second and set up properly again before the next one.
5. Build speed slowly: imagine what it feels like, train your body to do it slowly, then do it a bit faster, with each repetition thought out.
6. Do it a little better each time: look at what went wrong and find a new way to do the same thing.

Common mistakes

• Believing that more hours in the studio automatically means better dancing.
• Rushing through as many repetitions as you can. There are no points for speed, but there are points for accuracy and quality.
• Skipping the set-up, so each repetition gets worse than the last.
• Getting bored repeating one figure, instead of finding a new way to do the same thing.
• Relying only on your partner and never doing solo practice.

Try this in your next practice

Pick one figure, like a Heel Turn or a New Yorker. Before each repetition, set up properly and say the actions to yourself. Then dance it without talking, pause, reset and go again. Ask yourself after each one what went wrong and how you can make the next one a little better.

Frequently asked questions

Is quality or quantity more important in dance practice?

Quality comes first, but you need both. One good New Yorker won't make you good, and neither will ten bad ones. You want a quantity of quality repetitions.

How long should I practise for?

You don't need to spend five hours in the studio. I've yet to see someone who spends five hours, or even three, in the studio and actually gets better as a result of the time alone. It's how you approach your practice that matters.

Why haven't I improved after years of dancing?

Time doesn't mean you automatically get better. I've seen people dance for 20 years without getting good, because of the way they practise. It's much better to do more with less.

Should I practise on my own?

Yes. I hope you do solo practice and don't just rely on your partner. The Heel Turn example in the video comes from a solo practice session with a student.

How did you practise in your own training?

We would dance one Feather Step in the Slow Foxtrot, then another, day in and day out, never trying to do it the same way, always trying to do it a little better. By mastering one skill, you pick up skills you didn't expect as well.

Related lessons

• Quality vs quantity of practice, part 2
• A 7 step framework for successful dance practice
• What is mastery? The 4 stages of learning
• Solo practice, Slow Foxtrot and performance

Vaughan Liddicoat is a 4 time World Professional 10 Dance representative for Australia, an accredited coach and the founder of Ballroom Mastery. He has a passion for dance and wants to help you become the best dancer you can be and have an amazing time doing it.