STRETCHING YOUR BOUNDARIES

 You do know that stretching in itself is not a warm up, riiiight?

Years ago, it was considered a safe practice to stretch as a way of getting warmed up, but nowadays health and fitness experts uniformly agree that it is unsafe, whether for sports or any type of dance. However, stretching is an important part of getting ready to dance- or for cooling down after you dance.

Time and time again I’ve seen dancers just jump right into full on dancing without any sort of warm up at all, let along stretching.  In the past, I was frequently guilty of doing this, too…but not any more! Though this might occasionally fly when you’re twenty, or that rare instance when you’re super late for a gig, it’s definitely not a good or healthy habit to be in. You want a long career, right?  And to be able to dance without pain? This might sound crazy to you, many dancers, even seasoned professionals don’t know how to stretch properly.

 Stretching is absolutely necessary for your body’s performance- whether you’re on a playing field, doing every day tasks or on a stage. Stretching helps our muscles stay limber, elongated and flexible. As dancers, these three things grant us a greater range of motion, which is important for our technique overall, and in general is essential proper posture, as well as our off-stage well being. Every one of us has a different physiology-and some are definitely more limber than others. Many of us can go easily into the splits naturally, while others have a hard time doing a simple lunge. No matter how “tight” your body feels you can still increase your flexibility by stretching properly and safely… and by working up to being more elastic slowly.

Let me say this one more time: stretching in itself is not a warm up.

Here are some hints to help you stretch safely and effectively:

Ready, Set, Go!

 If you’re about to begin a stretching regimen, make sure you have everything you need: a place where you can really spread out, a fluffy towel or yoga matt,  resistance bands and/or a balance ball if you use them…and ample space. Make sure you’re well hydrated. If you’d like to work at home by yourself, make sure that you have done some aerobic dancing before you stretch, or taken a very brisk walk.

Before You Stretch

After  about five or ten  minutes of walking or dancing, begin to  move your limbs slowly, deliberately and gently by doing modified dance movements before you focus on stretching.

Stretch…Don’t Strain

Never ever stretch cold muscles, do not force your body into a stretch, and please don’t bounce when you are stretching.  This is and called ballistic stretching, and could make injuries more likely. Holding a static stretch (where you stay in the same position for some time) can be injurious if your muscles are not already warmed up. Passive stretching, the kind where you use a ball or a strap to assist your muscles to stretch is far more gentle that either of the previous two.

Ease Into Stretching Slowly

 This means before each session, as well as pacing yourself and not taking on more than you can initially handle! A good way to begin a weekly stretching practice is to aim for a couple of ten or fifteen minute stretching sessions each week.  If you are in regular dance classes, this may already be covered, but if not, make sure to ease into working each major muscle group for maximum results.

There are many awesome resources on DVD as well as online which will help you identify certain muscle groups and the stretches that help you target specific areas, but there’s nothing like getting feedback from a live teacher!  If you are unsure how to begin a safe stretching practice, or are working towards definite fitness goals, get some instruction.  You can’t go wrong with Yoga or Pilates, but even a “stretch and tone” class at a local fitness center would  probably be beneficial.

 Make Stretching A Regular Part Of Your  Dance Practice

 Once you’ve gotten used to stretching, your body will crave it, so be sure to  warm up properly- and then stretch before and after  each  rehearsal, and show as well as at dance classes.

CROSS TRAINING FOR DANCE

Professional dancers work for years to perfect their art, but though dancing is definitely an art, essentially, dancers are athletes. Even if you are just dancing for fun, you are still making demands on your body, far above and beyond what the average person would consider exercise. Drilling in class or even at home takes physical strength, stamina, and co-ordination. For a professional, rehearsing and performing takes more of the same, but is also amplified by the intense repetition of movement and with the individual dancers stage adrenalin.

When a dancer is training, the movements inherent in her unique style of dance ( no matter what it is) constantly use particular muscle groups, in the same way, over and over. So, for reasons having to do with physical health and muscle development, it would behoove you to cross train, the same way athletes do.

The main thrust behind cross training is that it will enhance your performance by diversifying your training in a variety of ways, such as improving co-ordination or working different muscle groups. This expanded training compliments the effectiveness of your primary skill by combining it with other physical activities that will advance your abilities in general. Learning another discipline and taking advantage of the theories and benefits that come with it will help your entire body to become stronger, as well as improve your endurance and mental acumen.

For example, an Olympic caliber swimmer may run to increase endurance; a boxer will practice his fighting technique, but he might also train with weights for strength and run or skip rope for cardio. There are also many other examples of cross training techniques that are not sports-based. In the military, the elite squads are generally those who are proficient in many types of combat strategies. They are well versed in multiple specialties, such as weaponry; wilderness survival, martial arts, parachuting, disabling explosives and can also perform the duties of a medic. Visual artists often work in many different mediums simultaneously for the same reason. A painter who primarily works with oil may also work with many other mediums, like watercolors, ceramics, pen and ink, and found objects.

To make sure you are building muscles and strength in a healthy way, you may choose to cross train with something physical that compliments your dance practice, like Yoga, Pilates, or swimming laps. Aerobic activities like tennis, spinning, running or even fast-paced walking will all improve endurance and stamina as well as work different muscle groups on your body. Strength training, such as working out with weights or resistance bands will benefit your dancing as well as stave off osteoporosis. Taking a leisurely hike out in nature a few times a week may be enough for one person, while another may want to try trapeze or pole dancing- it’s your choice, because only you know what your body is capable of physically, and what you will enjoy.

And of course, learning new types of dance that are different than your primary style will not only move various muscle groups, but also enhance your art!

Remember, stretching in itself is not a warm-up and may actually cause injury, so make sure you warm your body up with a few minutes of cardio or some light dancing before you stretch. And before and after you practice, rehearse or perform, take some time to warm up-and cool down- thoroughly, IT’S THE LAW!