---
title: "How to loop one section of a dance"
description: "How to loop one section of a dance so the hard eight repeats, without scrubbing back to the start of the song every time."
canonical_url: "https://dancermirror.com/guides/how-to-loop-one-section-of-a-dance"
md_url: "https://dancermirror.com/guides/how-to-loop-one-section-of-a-dance.md"
last_updated: "2026-10-01"
status: published
---

# How to loop one section of a dance

Loop one section when your thumb keeps missing the bar. You meant to replay four counts and the song started again. That restart is why combinations fall apart in the middle. A loop holds the hard eight in place while you work.

**Takeaway.** Put the start on a pose you can hit, and the end on the next pose you can name. Repeat until the path is dull. Then move the loop forward by one phrase.

## Where to put the start and the end

The start should include the preparation, not only the flashy instant. If you begin on the hit, you never practise how you get there. The end should be the first settled shape after the trouble, so you know the section finished.

Five seconds of padding is plenty. A loop of the entire chorus is just the song again. Tighten it once you can survive the first version.

## The hard eight

Most routines have one eight-count that collects the mistakes: a turn, a level change, a stop. That is the section to loop. The rest of the song can wait. Muscle memory likes a stable start and a stable end more than it likes variety.

Say the counts out loud for a few passes. If you cannot count it, you cannot loop it on purpose. The count guide next to this one is the companion, not a separate hobby.

## When to clear the loop

Clear it when you can do the phrase three times without a new mistake, or when you are only getting tired. Fatigue looks like a technique problem and is not one. Stand up, shake the arms, and either raise the speed or move to the next eight.

Leaving a loop on overnight in your head is fine. Leaving it on while you try to run the whole dance will make the following phrase feel late, because your body is waiting for the jump back.

## This is not an edit

A loop is a playback fence. It does not cut the file, upload it, or build a new movie. When you want a clip to send a teacher, that is a different job, done on purpose, from your own take.

If you are still dragging a playhead by hand, the loop is in the wrong place or you have not set it. Fix the marks. Do not blame your memory for a player that will not stay put.

## After you stop

When the loop is right, you should be able to leave the phone and come back to the same bars without hunting. If you cannot, the marks are too wide or they sit on a blur instead of a pose. Move them and try again.

Count how many repeats you actually danced, not how long the app was open. Six clean passes beat twenty sloppy ones. Then either raise the speed or walk away. Both are finishes.

Stop while the correction still has a name. Write the count that broke, the side you chose, and the speed you could actually dance. Put that note on the clip itself so you do not trust your memory in the morning. Read it once before you press play. The next session starts there. A fresh video, a new song, or another half hour of watching is how that note gets lost. The phone will still have the clip tomorrow. You do not need a longer session. You need the same bars, slightly cleaner than today. Do that before you close the app.

Practise the side you see. Download from the stores linked on the download page.