Building the Best Warm-Up for Dancers

Building the Best Warm-Up for Dancers

For many years we have thought about warmup as just demi plies and stretches. And arguably, many dancers and teachers still think the same way. Take a moment to think about how much dance has changed just in the past 50 years . With that thought, you can see that we are overdue to change how we think about this important part of the technique class, training and preparation for movement.

Old concepts - Old world

An important thing to recognise in this conversation is that dance - and the things needed to succeed - has changed. Technique class typically works on a variety of skills, and those skills can change in focus from one training season to another, even within weeks and individual classes. With that in mind, it’s not a stretch to see how dancers can really benefit from matching their warm up with their technique training

Why plies and stretching isn't enough to warm up.

Warm up is defined as a period of preparatory exercise to enhance subsequent competition or training performance. Warm ups function in 4 ways¹

1. To increase muscle and tendon suppleness

2. To stimulate blood flow to the arms and legs

3. To increase muscle temperature

4. To enhance free, coordinated movement

Stretching is a useful tool to increase the range of motion of your joints. It is also effective for the maintenance and enhancement of exercise performance and flexibility, as well as for injury prevention. However, it has been shown that solely using stretching as a tool for warm-up activity may temporarily decrease muscle strength, muscle power, and exercise performance¹. For that reason, it isn't the best tool when used in isolation.

As for plies, which is a controlled, slow and eccentric use of the quads and glutes - the speed of this technique training misses the essential marks of increasing muscle temperature and adequate blood flow to arms and legs. So , if you haven’t checked all of the boxes above , you’re coming up short on the best way to prepare for technique training.

How to Create the Best Warm-Up

Creating movements that check all the boxes above will ensure that you’re off to a great start. Furthermore, looking at these additional points below will make sure that you’re optimizing the best way to get ready for technique class.

1. Understand your baseline and the goals of the technique class

It’s difficult to have a clear understanding without knowing where to start. Establishing your baseline will guide you to the best starting point for your class if you’re a teacher, and will help you avoid doing too much if you’re a dancer. Understanding the expected level of physical exertion or the technique goals for that specific class will also help you to choose the best warm up. For example, if the focus of technique class will be jumps, we know that quads, glutes, calves and feet will need to be ready for this, so its best to focus on this to prepare for class

2. Do an assessment and establish a plan based on that assessment.

Many dancers and dance teachers tend to not objectively think about what is needed in the warmup - usually warmups tend to look the same and focus heavily on stretching the same body parts - Hamstrings and hips. A better warmup can always be created with more information- and the best warm up happens when the dancer is directly involved in creating the warmup. This can be done informally just by asking questions of your dancers, or formally thru a dance screen such as the Dance Ready Score

A good general question to ask is - why am I doing this specific movement for warm-up? How does this help me to get ready for the technique I’m working on today?

Dancers - take a moment to listen to your body and ask yourself what needs to feel loose and warm to prepare for the work ahead. It may be legs, it may be your back or even your feet. Thinking about that is important to direct the focus of your warmup.

Teachers - dare to ask your dancers for feedback - what do they need to focus on? What body parts need more attention today? You will win the hearts of your dancers by catering to their needs by asking for this type of feedback.

The warm - up formula 3:4:3

Within 10 minutes you can get ready and check all the boxes needed to get ready for your technique class! Take this formula and apply this to your next warm -up.

Cardio - 3 minutes

This can consist of jumping jacks, running in place, jump rope, squats to the floor etc. — all movements to get the body moving and your heart rate going. No matter what movements you complete, it’s best to aim for at least three minutes of consistent cardio. If dancers do not have the endurance to complete 3 minutes straight, then breaking up into 1 minute increments can be helpful to get the heart rate and muscle temperature going and not create too much fatigue

Dynamic stretching - 4 mins

Dynamic stretching has been shown to be the best type of stretching to work and control movement through your full range of motion. This allows muscles to work through their full range - without sacrificing muscle strength and performance. Movements such as lunges, deep squats - held for 3-5 seconds - are great for this portion of warm-up.

Conditioning - 3 mins

The goal here is to prepare the musculoskeletal system for the specific needs of that unique class. Be sure to target muscle groups that will be specifically challenged by the class’s work . For example - if you’re working on turns in class, preparing the ankles, hips and core can be helpful to activate those muscle groups for efficient turns.

Warm up is the beginning - Not the end!

Once you have created exercises that target these muscle groups, be sure to keep working on your strengthening outside of class. This challenge is important to allow dancers to consciously figure out what their body calls for in order for them to improve.

Also, If you notice that there are parts of the warm up that are particularly challenging, this calls for additional attention to incorporate cross-training and conditioning into the strengthening and endurance routines outside of the studio. Check out Dansebridge Online for great options for dancers to improve their conditioning to be ready for class.

In summary, we know that an efficient and effective warm up has been shown to improve by 79%.² It is important to tailor this tool to the needs of the dancer and to achieve the best preparation for the work ahead. Do take the time to look at your warm -up, incorporate the key elements we’ve discussed, and see your dance performance improve!

➡️ Click here to check out the Dance Ready Score - Dance Fitness Assessment

➡️ Click here to check out the Dansebridge Online - Online Conditioning Program

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