Transcript Experiencing Dance - Chapter 2 on Alignment and Anatomy

C H A P T E R
2
Warming Up and
Cooling Down
Chapter ??
How can the three parts of a dance class help
you meet your personal goals as a dancer?
Objectives
• Explain the structure of a proper warm-up
and create your own personal warm-up.
• Learn about expectations in a dance class
and etiquette when taking a dance class
• Reflect on what was learned in a dance
class and set goals for the next class.
• Design your own cool-down and stretching
ritual.
Lesson 2.1
Your Personal Warm-Up
Move It!
Before warming up, carefully move the major
joints in your body to note where you feel stiff
or sore. Move your shoulders, elbows, knees,
hips, wrists, ankles, and spine.
Types of Movement for a Personal
Warm-Up
1. Warm up each joint, exploring full range of
motion and using gentle movements.
2. Use aerobic movements to bring blood flow
to large muscle groups.
3. Lengthen large muscle groups.
4. Use curl-ups and curl-downs for abdominal
strength.
Take the Stage 2.1
Make a short dance using all of your personal
warm-up movements.
Take note of how your body reacts to the
movements in your warm-up dance. Ask
yourself how your body feels at the end of the
warm-up dance. Did the stiff and sore places
in your body feel better?
Self-Evaluation of Warm-Up Dance
1. Does this warm-up dance include the components
that should be included in a warm-up?
2. Does the warm-up reflect my personal needs as I
have outlined in lesson 2.1 Take the Stage?
3. What do I have to do as a next step in building an
extended personal warm-up?
4. How will I modify this personal warm-up for
different situations? (Which of my exercises will I
use?)
Lesson 2.2
Dance Class Basics
Lesson 2.2
Dance Class Basics
Move It!
1. Create a dance combination in any form (ballet, modern, jazz,
or other) in which you are comfortable and knowledgeable.
2. Teach this dance combination to another student.
3. After watching your peer dance, give comments that will
improve the performance of this combination.
4. Learn another student’s combination and make improvements
based on the comments.
5. Discuss with your partner or class how this activity improved
dance skills and understanding.
Typical Structure for a Dance Class
1. Warm-up
2. Body of the class
3. Cool-down
Take a Bow 2.2
Write a journal entry or an essay on
the importance of the dancer’s
ritual of taking dance classes.
Lesson 2.3
Stretch What You Strengthen
Move It!
1. After taking a full dance class in your school, share your
favorite stretch with the members of the class. Be sure to
demonstrate carefully and have your teacher watch for correct
alignment and performance of the stretch. Be sure to tell the
class which muscles and areas of the body that the stretch is
targeting. You may also want to explain which dance moves will
benefit from the stretch of those muscles.
2. Learn other stretches that your classmates share.
3. Pay special attention to stretches that target the areas of your
body that are tight (as you noted in lesson 1.4).
Tips for More Effective Stretching
• Stretch what you strengthen. After class, pay
attention to the muscles that seem fatigued or
tight. These are the muscles you should
stretch.
• Use your breathing to aid in the stretching
process. Exhale and relax into the stretch.
• Do not bounce in a stretch. Bouncing
actually shortens the muscle.
(continued)
Tips for More Effective Stretching
(continued)
• You should feel stretches not in the joints
but rather in the center of the muscle. If you
feel a stretch in a joint, try bending the joint a
little or place a rolled towel under the joint for
support.
• Most important, do not stretch when the
muscles are cold. Stretching sessions should
be reserved for after a class or performance.
Take the Stage 2.3
Design a cool-down that you can use after
taking a dance class.
Base it on the movements you worked on
during a class in a specific dance form.
Remember the rule of stretch what you
strengthen.
Take your personal physical traits into
consideration when creating this cool-down.
(Relate this to your knowledge of yourself from
lesson 1.4.)
If You Have an Injury During Class or
Rehearsal
• Seek medical attention.
• Implement the PRICED method:
Protection
Rest
Ice
Compression
Elevation
Diagnosis