HOME
DANCE
DANCE TERMS
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
HOME DANCE DANCE TERMS |
|||||||||||||||||||||
| Stretching and its importance in dance. | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Stretching and flexibility is one of the main fundamental techniques of a dancer. Without proper stretching technique, a dancer could easily injure themselves. The lack of flexibility can inhibit the ability to perform some dance leaps and turns. Many injuries that occur in dance and other sports are caused by the inability for the muscle to stretch to the needed length for proper performance. This causes the stressed muscle to pull on the adjoining tendons and muscles and may result in a pulled muscle if the other muscles are not able to compensate. Thus, proper stretching and relaxing techniques are a nessessity that need to be learned for all dancers. | |||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
| This stretch calls for streight legs and for the head to be down to properly stretch the hamstrings and back. | |||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
| (Right) Amber works on her front leg stretch. It is important to get both legs straight while keeping the hip down. | |||||||||||||||||||||
| The Jazz Dance class works on their flexibility and strength at the bar. The goal of the dancer as they get stronger and more flexible at the bar, is to get both legs straight, to keep the heel forward on the leg they are holding, to keep their hip down, their leg in a proper second position, and to stand up straight at the bar. Dancers should be allowed to look in the mirror to check their body positions to make sure they are aligned properly. | |||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
| Every once in a while we like to challenge our dancers flexibility. This stretch has the dancers get as close to the bar as possible on their supporting leg. Their leg on the wall is straight and they press against their leg on the wall as one stretch, and then they arch their backs for the second stretch, pushing their hips forward to deepen their splits and to stretch out the lower back. | |||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
| The dancers should have their heels forward and should be pulling their toes back to get a deep stretch in the inner thigh for a nice turn out. Their heads should be down to give the back a nice stretch. | |||||||||||||||||||||