As we all know, dance is a physically demanding activity that requires strength, flexibility, coordination, and control. Warming up properly is essential to prevent injuries, but it can be difficult to know what a good warm-up should include. To shed some light on the matter, we've consulted the research and our dance science educators have put together the highlight reel for you below.
A proper warm-up helps to increase blood flow, warm up the muscles, reduce the risk of injury and should activate the cardiovascular, muscular and nervous systems. A comprehensive warm up not only prepares the body for dance but also readies the mind, providing a way for students to transition from the busyness of their everyday lives into a focused space for dance. What should a warm up include? According to the IADMS resource paper, The Importance of a Good Warm Warm Up, (Kozai & Surgenor, 2017) a warm up should include:
Neuromuscular Warm Ups Recently neuromuscular warm ups have become increasingly commonplace in sports training. A recently published pilot study (Kaufmann et al., 2022) in the Journal of Dance Medicine and Science exploring the efficacy of neuromuscular warm ups in a ballet setting suggests that these may decrease the risk of injury for dancers and are certainly an effective warm up tool. A Neuromuscular warm up focuses on priming the nervous system and proprioception for movement and in addition to the above also includes exercises that target balance, alignment and strength. There are many great resources available online that can introduce you to these ideas in greater depth, including well known sports protocols like the FIFA 11+. A word about Stretching This is often a student go-to for warm ups but it's important to remember that not all stretching is the same. Static stretching, where a stretch is held for a prolonged period, is no longer recommended as a warm-up before dance, as it can actually decrease performance and increase injury risk. Instead, dynamic stretching that involves movement is a better option. In my experience, this is a concept that students need to have explained but respond well to once they understand. A Couple of Final Thoughts In addition to the overall structure of the warm up, there are a few other things to keep in mind to ensure a safe and effective warm-up:
While these ideas serve as a guidelines, there's no one perfect warm up, but with explanation and encouragement our students can start to deepen their understanding of what is safe warm up practice and what will hinder their dancing. After all, educating dancers is what we're all about right? References Kozai, A., & Surgenor, B. (2017). RESOURCE PAPER FOR DANCERS AND TEACHERS The Importance of a Good Warm-Up: Are you warm enough to start dancing? With the IADMS Dance Educators' Committee. IADMS. Kauffmann, J. E., Nelissen, R. G. H. H., Stubbe, J. H., & Gademan, M. G. J. (2022). Neuromuscular warm-up is associated with fewer overuse injuries in ballet dancers compared to traditional ballet-specific warm-up. J Dance Med Sci, 26(4), 244-254. https://doi.org/10.12678/1089-313X.121522 Further Reading The Australian Ballet. (n.d.). Strength beats stretch. Retrieved February 25, 2023, from https://australianballet.com.au/blog/strength-beats-stretch Quin, E., Rafferty, S., & Tomlinson, C. (2015). Safe Dance Practice. Human Kinetics. Wilmerding, M. V., & Krasnow, D. H. (Eds.). (2017). Dancer Wellness. Human Kinetics.
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