Preparing for dance class
As anticipated in previous articles, evaluating how to dress for dance class is clearly a preparatory step with respect to ‘training itself.
However, before engaging in the study and execution of dance techniques, every good dancer (from beginner to professional) devotes a few minutes to warming up.
Warm-up techniques normally follow standard figurations aimed at activating muscle groups and joints
To prevent possible injury
.
There is an attempt to take more care of the parts of the body affected by the positions that will later be performed in the study phase.
These techniques are basically similar for both ballet and modern dance.
In fact, the exercises take place mainly on the floor for the first part and then with some stretching exercises at the barre.
Here are some examples of useful floor warm-up exercises to practice before class:
Warm up ankles, feet, hamstrings and lower leg muscles
Sitting on the floor, legs stretched forward and torso erect with both arms along the body and hands touching the ground.
Twist clockwise first the right foot and then the left foot five times.
Repeat the exercise by doing counterclockwise rotations on both feet.
Repeat the sequence by twirling both feet clockwise and counterclockwise at the same time, five more times.
Warm up trunk, shoulder blades, arms and cervical area
Lying supine with legs outstretched and arms stretched out to the sides along the body: draw circles with the arms directing them upward to reach the head, then spread them out until they touch the floor and let them come back down along the sides as they crawl across the floor.
Repeat the sequence three times clockwise and then three times counterclockwise.
Next: spread the arms sideways making them crawl across the floor to reach the head, descend down the center of the body bringing the hands to pubic height and then return to the initial position along the sides.
Warm up the hips and stretch the back
After finishing the trunk and arm exercises, remaining supine lying on the floor, bend both legs bringing both knees toward the chest.
Embrace the legs at knee height with your arms and push them toward your chest, while your back will remain extended on the floor .
Exhaling while pushing your knees toward your chest will throw out the air .
Repeat the sequence three times.
Follow our tips on how to dress for dance warm-ups.