A pitfall is a hidden or unexpected challenge! And here’s the thing…we all run into them from time to time. But when you find yourself falling into stretch pitfalls, you need to identify and address them. Otherwise, they will negatively affect your stretch programs and efforts. This will directly affect your dancer’s flexibility, mobility, technique, and performance by causing “gaps” to form in their technique. And no one wants gaps….
- Have you ever told your dancers to “go ahead and stretch on their own?” You probably did this due to “lack of time.” Or a need to get something else done, which is related to, “lack of time.”
- Have you ever cut your warmup short so that you could get to other things like cleaning dances or practicing their technique? Again, “lack of time.”
Now you get it! You have a LOT to fit into your weekly dance schedule…. jazz, ballet, pointe, contemporary, hip hop, tap, choreography, ballroom, acro, tumbling, turns and leaps and, let’s not forget, cleaning and rehearsing your competition dances.
With so much to do, it can be easy to push your stretches to the side. But don’t! With all that dancers are being asked to do, it’s critical that they sufficiently stretch. They need balanced stretch sequences that provide variety and are dance specific – meaning they address the muscles and muscle groups commonly tight in dancers.
Learn More About How To Recognize And Correct For Lack Of Time:
So while, YES. It may save you time in that moment to have your dancers “stretch on their own” or skip their stretches entirely. It will NOT save you time in the long run. Nor is it safe and effective. And it certainly does NOT create healthy stretch habits in your dancers.
I mean the last time you told your dancers to “stretch on their own” did they do the stretches they NEED or did they do the stretches they LIKE? I am willing to bet they did the stretches they LIKE! Which generally are NOT the stretches they need.
Allowing to let “lack of time” keep you and your dancers from doing the stretches they NEED, on a weekly basis, is like putting a bandaid on something that needs much more than a bandaid!
Meaning – rather than addressing the fact that you need an effective and consistent stretch curriculum you continue to stretch when it’s convenient and skip it when it’s not. But consistent and proper stretching is essential to success in dance. So rather than falling victim to the immediate stretch pitfall “lack of time”. Implement an effective stretch program.
Following a weekly stretch curriculum will systemize your approach to stretching and create familiarity. Not only that. When you implement a comprehensive, age appropriate stretch curriculum, that includes the exact time it will take to complete your stretch sequence, you can plan accordingly! It’s like time blocking your warmup and stretches. Which increases productivity and gets you and your dancers closer to your long-term goals!
So, if increased productivity, helping your dancers reach their flexibility goals and saving time sounds good to you, then our weekly stretch curriculum is your solution!
And while, yes, it will take some extra time upfront to implement the curriculum. Once it’s in place it will save you time and ensure you never say, “dancers stretch on your own” again!
For the love of dance education!
Looking for more tips on improving your studio’s stretch habits? Check out the following articles:
