dance conditioning

How To Keep Your Dancers Warm In Class

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Staying warm as a dancer is always a challenge in the winter ESPECIALLY in Cedar Rapids, IA! Learn how in this post!

 

 

Now that it is mid-January, most people feel the thrill of winter start to slowly wear off. We have seen the snow, we have done our fun winter activities and now it is just COLD! Dancers in the studio get tired of throwing on all those winter layers to and from class too. They may start to think… is it really THAT important to stay warm anyways?! We are here to report that YES! It is that important to stay layered and warm before and in between classes, even as the excitement of wearing that favorite Prestige hoodie wears off.

What is the big deal you ask?? This article from IDTA does an amazing job explaining the benefits of warming up. Dancers need to prepare their bodies for what they are asking during class. Muscles need heat to stretch and move to their max capacity. Because the temperatures drop in the winter, it is even MORE important to be intentional with a warm-up.

In all of our classes at Prestige, we include a warm-up at the beginning of class and it is for the very same reason listed above. We want to make sure that your dancers move safely no matter what the weather outside is like. So what can you do to help when it is cold outside?

  • Talk to your dancer about why it is important to warm up before class.
  • Bring your dancers a few minutes early to get a head start on warming up. While dancers catch up with their dance friends have them get moving with some light exercises. This is especially important while recovering from an injury (Ask your physical therapist for a pre-class warm-up).
  • After class, bundle up to go outside. This is always a challenge with young dancers because they are hot after class but the cool-down is equally important. By bringing the body temperature down gradually, dancers can reduce muscle spasms and cramps.

Although these tips are especially important in the winter, they should be used all year long! Staying warm in dance class is a huge part of injury prevention, which is SO valuable to all dancers. Make sure your dancer knows the importance of it and let us know if you have questions. We are here to help and guide your dancer through it! The best part? Spring will be here before you know it!

How To Avoid Burnout

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Great advice for dancers in Cedar Rapids, IA on how to avoid burnoutLike young athletes, dancers have to be aware of and take steps to avoid burnout. The dance season is very long compared to other activities. We run from August to June and only take a short break before we jump right back into things for the summer session. It’s basically a year-long activity that is extremely demanding on the mind and body. As many of our Prestige dancers know, some of our dancers are in the studio for hours and hours every single week. We are approaching the mid-year mark and want to help our dancers avoid the dreaded burnout this year. Although we can’t control when burnout may strike, we can take steps to reduce the risk.

  1. Stay focused on goals. When you are tired, sore, and overwhelmed it is easy to forget why you are doing all of this in the first place. Try writing down one main goal and keep it somewhere visible.  By seeing your goal daily on a post-it note on your mirror, in a journal by your bed, on your school planner, etc. you will be more likely to remember the WHY. This will help push you through the more difficult times.
  2. Get feedback from teachers. Sometimes burnout can come from being frustrated. “Why didn’t I get the solo?” “Why is my teacher so hard on me?” “Why can’t I nail my turns?” Sometimes, dance is HARD. Like, really hard! We don’t always leave class doing things perfectly and that can make a dancer want to give up! By checking in with teachers on what can be done differently in class, you get answers. You won’t waste time on negative self-talk and you won’t get to that place of wanting to give up.
  3. Rest. Rest is SO important for dancers. Like we mentioned earlier, dance is demanding on the mind and body. If you start feeling overwhelmed or more stressed out than normal, make an effort to go to bed early (instead of going on your social media hehe!). When you have time off during your busy season, take that time off to rest instead of filling the space with other activities. We promise you will feel refreshed and ready to get back to work!
  4. Talk to your parents and dance teachers. If you start feeling overwhelmed or run down, don’t be afraid to say something to your parents and teachers. Your parents want you to stay healthy and positive and your teachers want that too. We can all work together to figure out a plan to get you back on track.

So what do you think? Can you make it through this year without reaching the point of burnout? By following these steps we are confident you will! We are also super confident that you will do AMAZING things this year,  we are already off to a great start!

 

 

New Stretch & Strength Class at Prestige Dance Studio

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New Class at Prestige Dance Studio

Lets’ talk about cross-training for dancers! We are super excited to be offering a Stretch & Strength class to our dancers Monday evenings with Miss Alyssa at Prestige Dance Studio this Fall. Anyone curious? Interested in giving it a try but unsure if it will make a difference in your technique? Spoiler alert.. it will 🙂 Today we are going to break down what exactly cross-training is, why it is important, and also give you a few ideas for working in some conditioning at home.

Cross-training is training outside of your main activity that improves overall fitness. So for dancers, it would be swimming, pilates, yoga, running, lifting weights, or any activity that is NOT dancing. The goal is finding ways to build strength and increase flexibility in muscles that are not always targeted in a dance class. Dance classes tend to target the same muscles over and over again- which puts dancers at risk for overuse injuries and muscular imbalances. Training outside of dance can help to correct those imbalances and help dancers continue to make strides in their technique working their bodies in a new way. Listen to an expert weigh in!

Most dancers would agree that the way to get better at a certain skill is to repeat that skill a million times. While this is true; cross training can help dancers reach their goals faster and reduce dancers risk for an injury. Lets’ break down a grand jete (a leap). A dancer can practice her leaps every week faithfully but if she has weak glutes or is lacking the dynamic flexibility she needs for a perfect “split”, it’s going to be awhile before she starts to see any improvements. Now lets’ pretend that this dancer starts attending Stretch & Strength class with Miss Alyssa. She starts doing lunges and squats to work on her lower body strength. She also works on some squat jumps so she can practice engaging her glutes when she jumps. They do leg swings and spend additional time stretching. Not to mention the additional abdominal work! Any guesses as to how her leaps are going to look after a few months? My bet is that she is going to see big improvements.

Cross-training should be a part of your routine. Think about what you need as a dancer. What feedback do you get from your teachers? Do you need more flexibility, more strength, or more stamina? Pick an activity outside of dance that can support your goals. Cross-training can help you to make huge strides in your technique, avoid injury, and be a great stress reliever! Ready to get started? Miss Alyssa would love to see you in class. Contact the studio to set up your trial! Here are a few links to workouts that can be done at home. Happy cross-training dancers!

Beginners Pilates 20 Minute Workout

Quick Yoga Workout

Cardio and Strength Building Workout