How To Film & Edit Better Dance Videos
We LOVE a good dance video. Whether you’re filming just for yourself, capturing choreo from class, or posting online, it’s such a fun way to track progress and feel that little performance buzz.
If you’re keen to improve your video skills – to capture your own content OR film for someone else – you’ll find a few simple tips below to lift the overall quality when recording with a smart phone:
Camera Settings
Resolution
Most phones default to filming in HD (high definition) which is perfectly great for socials. If you plan to edit or crop your video framing later, switching to 4K resolution can give you sharper, more detailed footage which lets you zoom without sacrificing quality. (If you have any storage left lol)
Exposure
If lighting feels too bright, tap and slide down on your phone screen (look for the little sun icon) to lower the exposure slightly. This can help keep a moody vibe and prevents colours from looking washed out.
Background
Check the space around the performance area is clear. A stray drink bottle in the background can be more noticeable than you think!
Filming For Another Dancer
If you’ve been handed the honourable task of being a dancer’s videographer in class, have a quick check if they have any filming preferences. If not, here’s a few extra pointers to do them proud:
Orientation
Unless they say otherwise, always film in portrait – most dancers want the option to post on socials later.
Angles
When your dancer dives down to the floor or stretches out lengthways, tilt your phone slightly to the side so their head and feet stay in frame. A small rotation helps avoid cutting off limbs without fully flipping the orientation to landscape.
Motion
A bit of camera movement (like leaning in and out gently) can add energy and help follow your dancer, especially if they’re moving away from the camera. Just keep it subtle! Too much back and forth tilting can create a motion-sickness effect and pull focus away from the actual dancing.
Star Performer
Try to keep other students out of frame so your dancer has the spotlight. It also lets them switch up moves without clashing with different ones beside them – if you’ve danced with me in a FloorWerk class before, you know I’m ALL about giving you variations to make the choreo your own!
Editing Dance Videos
Video Trimming
It sounds simple, but if you’re posting a dance video to Stories or Reels, trim the first few seconds of waiting for the intro music. Jumping straight in from where the choreo begins makes a huge difference to grab attention from the first beat! This can be done easily from within your phone's Photos app, using the slider under the Adjust tab to crop the start point.
Basic Adjustments
Don’t forget you can make other quick improvements using the built-in editing tools in your phone’s Photo app too. Adjusting things like brightness, contrast, or saturation can instantly lift the look of your video – especially if the studio lighting didn’t capture well on camera.
Advanced Framing & Effects
If you’ve filmed yourself with a tripod and want to create a more dynamic feel, try using an editing app to add subtle motion or effects afterwards. These tools let you manipulate framing to 'follow' the dancer, and layer interesting effects or transitions – great for giving dance videos that extra spark!
A few apps with FREE features I've tried:
- VN Video Editor – my current favourite
- CapCut
- InShot
Your Video, Your Vibe
All in all, there’s no “one right way” to shoot or edit your dance videos, but a few handy tricks can make a big difference. Play around, find what works for your style, and most of all… enjoy your dance journey!
Got a question or want tips on something else? Slide into my DMs over at @minxchoreo – I’m always down to help x
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