Freestyling Tips

[Melvis at the Disco!]

[Tequila~RTF~]

Single PAD freestyle is ALWAYS BETTER THAN thee DOUBLES. That is, of course, if we are talking about a one man routine. But, if we are talking COUPLES, that's the only way two pads being used can be better than one. Got it? Good!
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Tequila/RTF


KONAMI Take note. This is how you treat a GUEST. Not like that crap you guys like to pull off on me or any other DDRplayer you guys try to sign up for slave labor. Assholes.

[hattori hanzo]

[ライス]

[Tsinay Butterfly]

Attempting to stay w/ the previous conversation: I prefer single pad performances for myself to double pad on the simple notion that I am short, and my legs just can't move as fluidly across 2 pads. I HAVE performed doubles freestyles before though ... I just prefer singles because it's easier for ME.

Oh ... slightly off topic ... I posted some of the DDRSTREET/PUMPSTREET vids on my YouTube ... enjoy:

http://www.youtube.com/profile_videos?user=j0ceyj0ce1221

L8z y'all!

~ Tsinay Butterfly

P.S. I hope there's a remix to ignition of the FS fire out there (thanks to DDR SuperNOVA) ... because the fire never died out on me.
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Playing DDR since July 28, 2000!
Photobucket | YouTube | Poetry | MySpace

[djmon]

AH! gotta love that SMOKE routine ....

man i just step out a while just to join the military and look what happens here lol j/k.

[Ryudori]

Oh great and knowlegeable DDRFreak freestyle, uhh, people:

I posted in this topic a while back cause I was just getting into FSing...I tried the best I could to put together a LTR FS but eventually gave up. Now I'd like to give it another shot but since I have not done any "real" dancing a day in my life I'm gonna need some help.

Just to get me started, can somebody gave me some moves I could use and I'll work something together from there? That would help me out some. Thanks in advance
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My DDRecall. Drop me a challenge or something

[MaskedFalcon]

well i'm not a great or knowledgeable freestyle person....(well i might be knowledgeable because i watch freestyle videos like all the time )...but basically there are a LOT of ltr routines out there. in fact, it's good that you're starting there because it's a very easy song to freestyle to and there are a lot of routines to borrow from.

i suggest you start by watch hypnotikz and jing's ltr routines (danielle's dad's routine is good starting material too). they can both be found in both captaincanda's youtube link and in the ddrfreak videos (different versions of jing's ltr, though).

then you learn the steps. the most important part, unless you plan on doing a lot of screen-looking (which usually looks pretty bad). the nice thing is that ltr has an easy-to-memorize stepchart, with very recognizable parts (ex: "the crossovers," the two jump freezes). so you're in luck.

now for the actual moves. you can learn the moves simultaneously with the steps, or after you memorize the steps. for ltr, it's probably better to learn the steps separately (and easier, considering how many cues from other ltr routines correspond to different step patterns). in terms of different moves, the best advice i can give is watch lots of routines. that's what i do ;D. you can also look at the stepchart, do something with the feet that corresponds with the steps, and then do something with the hands that matches the feet. whatever's best for you.

whatever moves you choose, make sure they work in the context of the song and the rest of your dance. a really memorable routine has an underlying idea behind it. don't just throw random moves together, basically (i'm guilty of this).

so yeah, make your routine, and have fun ;D

[OBF]

Post all DDR vids on Youtube

[G]

With me, a good freestyle routine is one that interprets the song and the lyrics used and uses that to aid their performance. Take for example SweetBanna's "On the Jazz" routine. During the song the singer goes "You won't need a recipt." At that part, A-jay pulls a recipt out of his pocket and throws it aside stunning the crowd.

Of course its all boils down to originality and if you're having fun or not. If you're not having a good time, most likely the people watching you aren't having one as well.
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Can't PA for my life.

[MaskedFalcon]

it's actually "you can keep the receipt." it's still pretty awesome though, and that's one of my all-time favorite routines. in terms of interpreting the song, it's best to match the intensity of your dance with the intensity of the song. and to highlight changes in the song's intensity (for instance, if you're doing an A routine, the second half has to be a lot more energetic than the first!).

[Captain Canada]

Just starting out on an all-nighter paper here, time to get used to typing paragraphs over IMs, haha.

Good interaction with the crowd can elevate a routine to the top 3 in a tournament. Even a sub-par Spin the Disc will gain some respect if the performer makes an attempt to engage the audience, if he looks like he's having a good time, or tries to grab their attention (via claps, props, cueing them to sing along, whatever). One of the most tried-and-true methods is using lyrics to your advantage - after all, it's pretty much a given that 90% of the audience members are/were bemani geeks and know what lines are coming up.

However, you should put some thought into HOW you use the lyrics, especially if it's to a song that's been done a thousand times before (how many people at this point have made "prayer hands" during the second line of On the Jazz?). Being too literal is cheesy, and it's for this reason that you'll rarely see a professional dancer stoop to this during a routine. They might bust out something that fits the lyrics during a key point of the song, or have it so that their moves match the rhythm of the words, but that's about as far as they go.

In this day and age in DDR (or at least until we get a good taste of the songs in SN), I say put a twist on the lyrics if you're gonna interpret them in your dance. You might get a cheap pop if you hump the pad during "the beastly rendezvous", but you're giving the audience something they expected - try busting out a stuffed dog or something (lol beastiality). Mess around with what you've got to work with. Innovate. It's part of what separates the experienced freestyler from White Boy With a Prop #48.
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record breakin' temperature in here. LIGHTWEIGHT BABY.

[Jing]

How is it that you can throw out comments like that, and then tell us to take them as roundabout compliments?

I mean, none of your initial statements about doubles being better than singles implied anything about it being just your opinion. It was just an outright "Routines are always better on doubles." It was bold and simple.

I disagreed. You challenged me to prove my "bold" statement. What, like your statement wasn't bold? If you put so much value in individual opinion, why did you take such a stance against mine? From what I've gathered from the later posts, you could've resolved this whole thing with a simple, "Oh no, I meant it's just my opinion that doubles is better for routines." or "Freestyling on doubles is better for me."

You know, instead of all that backpedaling. But out of curiosity...how WERE we supposed to interpret everything you've said?

[naruto_fangirl_15]

Uh h-hi... I need some tips on freestyling, I know how to do it.. It's just sometimes when I do a knee drop and all that, it REALLY hurts after a while
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[naruto_fangirl_15]

how old were ya'll when ya'll first started playing ddr?
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[MaskedFalcon]

[bboy a.c300]

hey was a 1990 ever done in a ddr machine? if so was WITH or WITHOUT bars

[naruto_fangirl_15]

Jeez, I don't think I've gotten much of a big crowd.. ... I only go to play in arcades, sometimes people even clap for me... They say I'm good for a kid
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[Danceatron]

[Melvis at the Disco!]