Aims of Stretching
Asking why stretching is necessary may seem a pointless question
because dancers,
are expected to be loose. However, it is important to understand
that flexibility is not just necessary for its own sake. The
range of movement expected from the dancer of today has come
about as a result of the demands of choreographers. It is as
a response to an artistic requirement that dancers are loose.
However this is not the only requirement of a dancer. Just like
a musical instrument can produce more then just a few top notes
the dancer requires a range of physical abilities.
Getting Help
The first, and perhaps best, advice that a dancer should seek
is from someone who can assess his or her relative strengths
and weaknesses personally. This means starting by talking to
a respected teacher, perhaps after class. Frequently a dancer
may judge his or her flexibility only in relation to others in
the class. This is an unfortunate measure of self
worth, because being loose is not the being or end of being a
good dancer. What is needed is a more objective eye that can
reassure and then be specific in what does and does not need
work.The teacher may well be able to help the student devise a
program that will aid with this aspect of their work. If not
the best course of action may be to approach a Pilates or similar
body conditioning teacher. Again such a teacher will be able
to assess the needs of the dancer and give specific exercises
to help.
Warming Up
An adequate warm up before starting any stretching
routine is absolutely essential. By raising the body temperature
and respiratory rate the dancer becomes more focused, while movement
of the various joints, muscles and connective tissue becomes
freer. One of the most effective forms of warm up exercise is
low impact aerobics. Five minutes can raise the body temperate
to a level where gentle dynamic stretching can begin. These
should include the kind of limbering exercises listed in the
next section performed with a gradually increasing range of movement.
Limbering Movements
Flexibility has two requirements. The first is the range of
movement available in the various joints of the body, the second
the length to which the muscles can be extended. Though some
dancers posses what is frequently termed "hypermobility"
in certain joints most have a normal range of motion. This is,
however, more then adequate, as it is the ability to utilise
the full range that makes the dancer flexible, not some special
quality of the joints.
It is important to ensure that before going on to stretch
the various muscle groups, the dancer gently mobilises each of
the joints through their full range of movement. The following
includes some of the movements that can be done after the
warm up and prior to stretching. These can be done slowly
and fluidly several times. It is generally better to do some
of them on the floor where they are not restricted by having
to retain balance and where the associated muscle groups can
be more easily relaxed.
- Turning, raising, lowering and tilting the head.
- Rolling the shoulders forward and back.
- Circling the arms forward and back.
- Flexing and extending in the hands, wrists and elbows.
- Pointing and flexing the feet.
- Flexing and extending the knees.
- Circling the leg at the hip. (This is best done lying on
the back with the knees relaxed so the movement is not restricted
by tightness in the hamstrings.)
- Forward, backward, sideways and rotational movements of the
spine. (This may also include slow rib isolations.)
One important thing that a dancer should understand when it
comes to both limbering and stretching the spine is that in this
part of the body movement occurs not just in a few places, but
as a culmination of all the possible movements in the joints
between the vertebrae (the bones of the spine, 7 cervical, 12
thoracic and 5 lumbar and their associated joints). In doing
any limbering or stretching movement it is best to try and work
either from the top or the bottom, depending on the movement,
trying to visualise how each joint moves in its sequence. It
is often a surprise to the dancer to realise just how much they
are really capable of because they have been utilising only certain
parts rather then all of the spine, restricting their available
range of movement.
Order of Stretches
Though many people create their own stretching routines it
does seem that the order in which different parts of the body
are stretched can add to the overall result that is achieved.
The following list is derived from Paul Blakey's book Stretching
Without Pain (1994, published by Twin Eagles Educational &
Healing Institute), a book which is worth reading on all aspects
of stretching.
- Stretch the upper and lower back.
- Stretch both sides.
- Stretch the arms before stretching the chest.
- Stretch the buttocks before stretching the groin.
- Stretch the calves before stretching the hamstrings.
- Stretch the shins before stretching the quadriceps.
In most stretches a number of muscle are involved. By ordering
a routine in this way it is possible to release the tension in
the associated groups, starting from the extremities, and to
allow the major muscle groups to be lengthened more efficiently.
Relaxation and Conclusion
Three things are necessary for the dancers body to achieve
its maximum potential. These are correct exercise (both in class
and in any supporting activity), good nutrition and rest. This
latter, rest, is often ignored but it is vital to allow time
for recovery and growth and the stress of the day to drain from
the dancer. This means not only sleeping or sitting watching
television, but also giving time to really relax and free the
tensions that have built up in the body.
If possible the dancer should find a quite place, make sure
he or she is going to be warm and comfortable and lie on the
floor face up with the arm resting slightly away from the body.
Then try to release the tensions out of the body, starting with
the head, feet and hands and working towards the centre. Imagine
being a block of ice that laying in the sun progressively melts
into the floor.
This may seem a strange thing to advise in an item on stretching
but there are two important reasons for doing so. The first,
which is very relevant, is that tense muscles are less flexible.
The second, which comes to be important later, is that a relaxed
dancer is often able to achieve far more in the long term. So
practicing letting go of unnecessary tension may be just as important
an exercise as any other the dancer does.
The length of this article may seem excessive but, as with
most things in dance, there are no real quick and easy answers
when it comes to stretching. Time, effort and determination are
important, but so too is knowledge.
I hope the above goes someway
in helping dancers to gain this. Please let me know what you
think. :)
