Freestyling Tips

Miss Toy · Posted: Fri Jul 26, 2002 4:30 pm Post subject: Freestyling Tips

I don't freestyle; I'll leave that as a disclaimer straight off. Miss Toy has the mad stage frights. Besides, I can't dance for $hYt.

I have seen a lot of freestyle, so I feel like can give you a few tips I've picked up from watching a tournament here and there. This is by far not going to be comprehensive, but I hope to be a little helpful.

First off, the best way to improve freestyle is to feel comfortable doing it. That means practice. Whether you practice at home, or practice in an arcade doesn't really matter, though you will have to eventually get up the nerve to do your routine in front of people. It just depends on how shy you really are.

Pick a song you like, and that has a steady stream of arrows. Luv to me Maniac Little has a huge gap in it, which is good for a silly routine that you're just doing for fun, but not a serious freestyle. I mean, how impressive is it to do a flare with no arrows? It's not DDR at that point.

Memorize your song, your moves, and the arrows that go with it. Look happy and energetic, and face the crowd as much as possible. Make eye contact with the audience. Nobody wants to see your back. We want to see you're "just had the best sex (or chocolate, or whatever) of your life" smile. You could have the slickest routine in the world, but if you don't look happy, neither will your audience.

I personally like dance routines, but comedy routines and gimmick routines will work too. This is your freestyle, not mine. In any case, try to make it flow. If you can do this routine off of a DDR pad, in a club, at a dance, or in a play, and still look cool, you're on the right track.

Anything which might possibly damage the machine is a failure in my eyes. If you break the machine during a routine and nobody can play DDR in your arcade for a week, nobody will love you, not even me. (...and I love everyone!) That means matrix walks are bad for you, as are any stories that you try to mime involving real food.

Move your entire body. While J Dogg's Am-3P was cool back in the day, it's not up to par by today's freestyling standards. Watch out for dangly arms, or a stiff upper body. Watch out for those stiff arms and fingers that make themselves into little guns when you concentrate. You'd be suprised how many people only move one arm when they freestyle. Be careful, or it might be you. When you do arm movements, extend them fully.

Don't hold the bar. It breaks the flow of a routine and looks pretty silly. If you can't keep your balance during a song, you're not going to look very graceful. Of course, there are exceptions to every rule; perhaps you're pretending to peek over a fence at someone?

Handslaps and kneedrops are frowned upon in general, mostly because they have been overused (and hurt like hell). Of course, you may like handslaps and kneedrops. That's fine. Keep in mind that while you may think it looks cool, it's hard to make a handslap flow in a routine. Think about how often you've been at a dance and seen someone lean down and hit the ground really hard. Probably not very often, and if you have seen it, you probably thought they were pretty kooky.

I personally have not seen a freestyle in which a ground move flowed with the rest of their song. That doesn't mean it can't happen; i just haven't seen it. If you come up with something, I'd like to see it.

Watch real dancers. Steal their moves. Incorporate them into your own freestyle. Remember, we're trying to look nice on and off the pad.

Videotape yourself while freestyling. You are your own best critic, in most cases. You'll notice those strange hand movements you do. You'll see when you're not smiling, and when you look down at thge arrows too much. Have other people watch your videos (and your in-person fresstyle) and let them give critiques.

Freestyle on double. Double gives you a lot more room, and allows quite a few more moves that you would never be able to pull of on Single. Moonwalking for a full two steps isn't all that cool now, is it?

I'm sure there's more, but hell, I don't freestyle.

LÂ¡ustyle · Posted: Fri Jul 26, 2002 8:54 pm Post subject:

you've pratically summed it all up..... i dont think anyone could've said it better.

heey.. i used a small portion of ground work in my routine(i thought it flowed well)... handslaps are still good.. as long as their still not the basic plants. (i still use some here and there)

but i believe you forgot: (try to) "be unique"

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The Game II · Posted: Fri Jul 26, 2002 9:18 pm Post subject:

Yea! A sticky about FSing!

Anyway, you all basically broke it down. All I can say is have flow.

Actually, does anyone else have that problem with getting both arms to move during a FS? It's as if I have to really concentrate on moving my right arm, and then that breaks my concentration on getting the steps.[/b]
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Tsinay Butterfly of AIM Ü · Posted: Fri Jul 26, 2002 10:53 pm Post subject: Re: Freestyling Tips

ug89 · Trick Member Joined: 30 May 2002 Location: Dallas, TX

Wow, that was really thorough! Thanks!

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Ptah · Trick Member Joined: 25 Jan 2002 Location: San Diego, CA

dont forget "Be Original" ... i've seen soooo many dynamite rave routines that are EXACTLY the same and alot of people copying moves from Lil B and other well known DDRers.
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ug89 · Trick Member Joined: 30 May 2002 Location: Dallas, TX

Also, you mentioned video taping yourself, which is very important, but I would like to add just a couple of things.

If you've already figured out which moves you are going to use in the routine, watch yourself in a mirror. (If you don't have a video cam) Take the dance steps and mimmick your routine in the mirror, this way, you can at least get a taste of what you look like. Another thing, DON'T STEAL PEOPLE'S MOVES, which is exactly what VANILLA ice cold sprite said, but I'm repeating it again

I'm not the best freestyler out there, and I haven't even entered any tourneys, but I'm giving you some strategies that I'm using for an upcoming tourney. Hope this helps!

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b4evermackin · Trick Member Joined: 25 Apr 2002 Location: Michigan

Just a little thing....

To help hand plants and knee drops look good and flow with what your doin, use em when ur turnin and turn with em, looks much better.

That's it for now, piece.
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DJ_Pancake · Posted: Sat Jul 27, 2002 6:19 pm Post subject:

Thx 4 the tips, right now I need all the freestylin tips i can get

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DDRvirus · Basic Member Joined: 27 Jul 2002 Location: Norwalk, Ca

wahts that move where you hit UD with you feet then slide down and hit RL with your hands? I've seen this move used often in PIU

sfr · Trick Member Joined: 24 Jan 2002 Location: abq nm

yay, tips! Maybe next tournament i wont suck!! I'm so glad maybe is such a flexible word.
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GregC98498 · Trick Member Joined: 09 Mar 2002 Location: Washington

Cookies · Trick Member Joined: 06 Apr 2002

what difficulty leverl are most FS done on?

ug89 · Trick Member Joined: 30 May 2002 Location: Dallas, TX

ã©ã¤ã¹ · Trick Member Joined: 26 May 2002 Location: Los Angeles, CA

LÂ¡ustyle · Posted: Mon Jul 29, 2002 2:58 pm Post subject:

ph0sFATE · Trick Member Joined: 29 Jul 2002 Location: Earth

what about songs on the 3rd mix? sorry i posted on before without checking this section.
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fireworm · Posted: Tue Jul 30, 2002 7:45 am Post subject:

... Maniac are cool to make a FS. Just test it in "Face" "Rose" or "do it all night"... "turn me on" etc..... it's easy to found a place wheres no arrow pass.

--Excuse my english.. im a french man...

Challenge Chicken · Posted: Wed Jul 31, 2002 1:07 am Post subject:

what are some simple freestyle techniques a new idiot like me can do?

All I have right now is a semi-technique on the 5th Mix machine when I'm doing B4U (I know, it's annoying...but I don't do it to be trendy, I do it because it works for me)

I do kind of a "Hopscotch" routine where it's a simultaneous left-right, then I hit up with both feet, and then the next with both feet, then I go back to playing like a normal human being again.

What I have is crappy, but I'm working on it, if anyone can offer any simple things they have seen, done, or still do on DDR (keep in mind, I said simple, I don't know how to do a friggin flare

)that would be great! Thanks in advance

GlowMember
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LatinFreak · Posted: Thu Aug 01, 2002 5:02 pm Post subject:

Dont worry i do the hopscotch too. So dont feel bad.
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(selecting a dinner course) "Let's heat it UP with this number!"
(at the dance) "What a step!" "Show me your hottest moves!"
(i'm skipping the typical post-prom activity commentary...fill in the blanks @.@x)
(afterwards, smoking in bed) "I was MOVED!"