How to slow down a YouTube dance video to learn it
Fast choreography looks like a blur until you slow it down. Then you can see where the hands actually go, which foot takes the weight, and what happens on the "and" between counts.
How to slow down a video on YouTube
On a computer, open the settings (gear) on the player, choose Playback speed, and pick a speed such as 0.5 or 0.75. On the phone app, tap the video, tap the settings icon, then Playback speed. Keyboard shortcut on a computer: Shift + < slows it down, Shift + > speeds it up.
The audio slows too but keeps its pitch, so you can still hear the beat.
Which speeds to use
- 0.5× (half speed): for seeing what a move is. Use it on the first few attempts of a new 8-count, or on anything with fast footwork or arm waves.
- 0.75×: for doing the move with the right shapes, close to the real timing.
- 1× (full speed): the goal. It always feels faster than you expect after practising slow, so do several runs at 1× before moving on.
Going slower than 0.5× rarely helps: the music stops feeling like music and it's hard to keep the count.
Build up in steps, one 8-count at a time
The mistake most people make is slowing down the whole song. Instead, take one 8-count, loop it at 0.5× until it's clean, then 0.75×, then 1×. Then the next 8-count. Each step up is small enough that your body keeps up.
Count yourself in before every run ("5, 6, 7, 8") so you start with the beat, not after it. At slow speeds, count with the slowed music, not at your normal pace.
The annoying part, and how to skip it
Doing this by hand means a lot of dragging the seek bar back, changing speed, and missing the start of the 8-count. Run It Back does it for you: once you've marked the beat, it loops each 8-count, counts you in, and steps through the speeds you choose (for example 0.5×, 0.75×, 1×) with a short pause between runs. It also plays the video mirrored.
Open Run It Back
Free, in your browser. Paste a YouTube practice video and start.