Some of the more popular questions I am asked by my dance students are... "What can I do to improve," "How can I get better," "How can I make the competition team," "How can I get my splits"? My favorite answer to these questions is... STRETCH! Stretching daily is an essential component to being a successful dancer. I recommend that my students spend 10-15 minutes stretching daily- even 5 minutes will help! Flexibility becomes very beneficial to learning and executing new skills. Especially if a dancer is interested in joining a competitive team, I highly encourage a purposeful focus on stretching.
One fun way to get my younger students to stretch at home is to create "Sticker Charts". Print out a calendar and post on the fridge, etc. Each day the student stretches- they put a sticker on their chart. They can bring back their completed chart to class for a prize. Hey- this could work for adults and teens too! :) Keeping yourself motivated is key to sticking to it. And if you forget for a couple days (or weeks)... it's okay! Get back at it and start over.
When should you get started- now! If you're considering auditioning for a competitive team this summer- start stretching daily now. Gains in flexibility is a slow process, it will not happen over night. But it will happen with consistent hard work.
Looking for a way to get started- check out this tutorial video my sister Emily and I made for our students to follow along with at home. Modify if need be and enjoy!
http://youtu.be/xey9RKnLzEQ
One fun way to get my younger students to stretch at home is to create "Sticker Charts". Print out a calendar and post on the fridge, etc. Each day the student stretches- they put a sticker on their chart. They can bring back their completed chart to class for a prize. Hey- this could work for adults and teens too! :) Keeping yourself motivated is key to sticking to it. And if you forget for a couple days (or weeks)... it's okay! Get back at it and start over.
When should you get started- now! If you're considering auditioning for a competitive team this summer- start stretching daily now. Gains in flexibility is a slow process, it will not happen over night. But it will happen with consistent hard work.
Looking for a way to get started- check out this tutorial video my sister Emily and I made for our students to follow along with at home. Modify if need be and enjoy!
http://youtu.be/xey9RKnLzEQ
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