Count It Out
A strong sense of musicality is crucial for coordinating dance unison movement.
The key to synchronization is to be extremely precise about what those counts are. This often means dividing the downbeat into sections (“1e and a, 2e and a”), so that every single moment gets its own count—even the smallest of transitional steps.
Get Nitty-Gritty
While you’re learning those super-specific counts, it’s important to keep an eye out for the tiny choreographic details that will make your synchronization even sharper. By the time you get to the stage, you should be certain of every arm, every head, every angle.
Train your brain to remember the details by thinking about them in class as well as in rehearsals.
Polish Your Placement
Perfectly synchronized unison will still look chaotic if a routine’s formations aren’t spot-on.
Learn to use their peripheral vision, rather than the mirror, to determine if their spacing is correct.
Style
Synchronizing style can be the trickiest part of mastering unison choreography. Cleaning often involves a sort of stripping away of style, which can leave a routine feeling cold. What’s the cure for “robot syndrome”? Energy. “Once a routine is completely clean, we crank the energy level way up, bringing it back to life.
You’ll find that as you work with your team more and more frequently, unison sections will become easier and easier to synchronize—because you’ll start moving as a unit. That kind of deep-seated harmony is what makes for truly explosive unison dancing.
