PRACTICE NOTES / 02

Same move.
Which side?

A mirrored video can make a front-facing reference easier to follow. The useful part is knowing which view you’re using.

What does “mirrored” mean?

A mirrored video flips the image horizontally. If you follow the dancer like your own reflection, their movement toward the left of your screen becomes your movement toward your left.

In an original front-facing video, the dancer’s anatomical right appears on your screen’s left. Copying the screen directly can put you on the opposite side from the original choreography.

Choose based on the reference.

For a front-facing performance, a mirrored view can be convenient when you want to copy what you see. For a back-facing tutorial, you may already be looking in the same direction as the teacher; adding a horizontal flip changes the sides again.

The label alone is not always enough. Choose a visible cue, such as the first raised arm, and check it against the version of the choreography you want to learn. Text and logos can be clues that an image was flipped, but don’t assume every clip contains reliable clues.

Keep the same view while learning.

Changing orientation midway through a phrase means reinterpreting the same movement. Write down which version you chose and keep it consistent across your reference and practice recording.

Some camera previews show a mirror-like view while saved recordings use another orientation. Check one obvious arm movement in both before comparing them.

Mirroring and changing the camera angle are different.

Mirroring flips the picture. It does not reveal the other side of a body or show an arm hidden behind the torso. A side or back view is another perspective on the movement.

That distinction is part of the idea behind DanceMirror 3D: study a reconstructed dancer from another angle, then repeat the phrase in the view that helps you understand it.