Snow fell this week in New England, and it got me thinking- again- about warming up in dance! This time, however, it got me thinking about the music I use to warm up my students.
Typically, the warm up music dictates what kind of class a student will be involved in. If it's jazz, I'll typically put on some Dance or Electronic music. At least, that's what I've been using lately. If it's lyrical, I'll put on some slow, pretty sounding music, albeit usually sad. While I usually let the barre be the warm up for a ballet class, if I do a stretch in the center, I'll put on a piece of music that I found on a Finis Jhung and Scott Killian cd entitled "Atmospheric Stretching". Lately, however, I've been into something a little different.
For my younger classes, I've stuck with keeping genre of dance with the genre of music. For my older students, I've been straying the beaten path. I've been going down a more modern/contemporary route. I've been using the soundtrack to "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" movie (US version). The music is done by the same pair that did the soundtrack for "The Social Network"- Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. When my students who are on the younger side hear it, they usually say something like "this is weird." Well, it is. But I love it! It's slightly ominous, while being atmospheric. Having read the book by Stieg Larsson, but not having seen the movie yet, it seems to capture the essence of the story. However, I'm not quite going for that violent, thriller/crime theme in the dance class. Instead, it provides a feeling of strength for the dancers to relate with.
For a while before I was using that soundtrack, I was working with Balmorhea's self-titled album from 2007. My students liked the aspect of typewriters and sandpaper-sounding tones. It allowed for me to warm up the students at a slow-ish pace, but also allowing me to gauge how the students were feeling and either speed it up or slow it down, or even work a little longer on specific areas of the body. Without specific or consistent time signatures, or even beats, it provided more of an atmospheric soundtrack, than a downbeat driven class.
What kind of music do you like to warm up to in class? Do you like faster music or slower? What kinds of warm ups get your blood flowing faster?
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Warming Up in the Cold
It's officially mid-January in New England. That can only mean one thing- COLD! For a while, some of us in the area thought the chill would never really come, with temperatures in the 50's in December! That's almost unheard of, particularly in the area I live in. But the cold came in, and with it have come the familiar sounds of "I'm cold" from my students.
As a teacher, there is always the dilemma of deciding if you will allow your students to wear warm ups. Often, students are not well-equipped with warm-ups that will allow maximum view of their bodies. I see students with over-sized sweatshirts that go well below hip level. Students try to wear sweatpants that are bulky and will fall down if you roll up the pant leg. It prevents me from seeing their muscles, and can hide their bodies.
On the other hand, it can be tough for students to understand that they need to get their bodies warmed up immediately. Depending on the level of knowledge/technique that they are at, they often don't think to warm up before class. For my more advanced levels, I always give the speech that instead of chatting out in the lobby, they should be stretching, or doing exercises to get their muscles limber. When muscles are cold, they are often tighter, which raises the possibility of injury from improper warm up. Depending on the time frame in which I have the students, I can't always give them the extensive warm up that they may need, particularly if temperatures are at or below the freezing mark.
A way to rectify the situation is to allow them to wear warm ups. However, often times, they warm their bodies up with the warm ups on, but then when it comes time take them off, their bodies have to readjust and warm up all over again. In my eyes, this makes the warm ups essentially obsolete.
Now, as an example, I am no better. I am notorious for having cold hands that make my students recoil every time I touch their bare shoulders to correct them. Therefore, I am usually wrapping myself in sweatshirts, long sleeved t-shirts, sweatpants, and socks. Pretty much anything I'm not "supposed" to wear, I wear. And there's always that student that has to point it out- "Why can't I wear my sweatshirt? You're wearing yours!" My typical response is that I earned my right over the years to wear whatever I like and I've been in their position. I tell them I wasn't allowed to wear warm-ups, which for the most part is true. I also like to tell them that they are the ones that are working, and I am not. They are the ones whose muscles and body parts need to be seen- not necessarily mine.
Over the years, I've developed the rule that if it's particularly cold out, I will allow warm ups through rond de jambes. Mostly, I will allow them ONLY through plies. If it's in a lyrical or jazz or contemporary technique class, I will allow them through the beginning stretch. This way, they get to wear their warm ups to kick start the initial blood flow without the adverse effects of wearing them too long before the body gets used to it and has to readjust.
What's your favorite warm up clothing? As a dancer do you like to wear bulky warm ups? As a teacher do you like to allow them?
As a teacher, there is always the dilemma of deciding if you will allow your students to wear warm ups. Often, students are not well-equipped with warm-ups that will allow maximum view of their bodies. I see students with over-sized sweatshirts that go well below hip level. Students try to wear sweatpants that are bulky and will fall down if you roll up the pant leg. It prevents me from seeing their muscles, and can hide their bodies.
On the other hand, it can be tough for students to understand that they need to get their bodies warmed up immediately. Depending on the level of knowledge/technique that they are at, they often don't think to warm up before class. For my more advanced levels, I always give the speech that instead of chatting out in the lobby, they should be stretching, or doing exercises to get their muscles limber. When muscles are cold, they are often tighter, which raises the possibility of injury from improper warm up. Depending on the time frame in which I have the students, I can't always give them the extensive warm up that they may need, particularly if temperatures are at or below the freezing mark.
A way to rectify the situation is to allow them to wear warm ups. However, often times, they warm their bodies up with the warm ups on, but then when it comes time take them off, their bodies have to readjust and warm up all over again. In my eyes, this makes the warm ups essentially obsolete.
Now, as an example, I am no better. I am notorious for having cold hands that make my students recoil every time I touch their bare shoulders to correct them. Therefore, I am usually wrapping myself in sweatshirts, long sleeved t-shirts, sweatpants, and socks. Pretty much anything I'm not "supposed" to wear, I wear. And there's always that student that has to point it out- "Why can't I wear my sweatshirt? You're wearing yours!" My typical response is that I earned my right over the years to wear whatever I like and I've been in their position. I tell them I wasn't allowed to wear warm-ups, which for the most part is true. I also like to tell them that they are the ones that are working, and I am not. They are the ones whose muscles and body parts need to be seen- not necessarily mine.
Over the years, I've developed the rule that if it's particularly cold out, I will allow warm ups through rond de jambes. Mostly, I will allow them ONLY through plies. If it's in a lyrical or jazz or contemporary technique class, I will allow them through the beginning stretch. This way, they get to wear their warm ups to kick start the initial blood flow without the adverse effects of wearing them too long before the body gets used to it and has to readjust.
What's your favorite warm up clothing? As a dancer do you like to wear bulky warm ups? As a teacher do you like to allow them?
Friday, January 13, 2012
Friday the 13th
Today is Friday the 13th. I am not superstitious when it comes to this day, so I ask that everyone goes out there and DEFIES the unluckiness!
Know any good songs that you can count in 13s instead of 8s? Do thirteen sets of exercises at the barre. Hold your splits for 13 seconds. Do a 13 minute warm up. Put 13 bobby pins in that bun!
Do you have any other dance suggestions for ways to defy the unlucky myths of Friday the 13th?
Know any good songs that you can count in 13s instead of 8s? Do thirteen sets of exercises at the barre. Hold your splits for 13 seconds. Do a 13 minute warm up. Put 13 bobby pins in that bun!
Do you have any other dance suggestions for ways to defy the unlucky myths of Friday the 13th?
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Welcome 2012
Happy New Year to all my followers! This year is going to be the most exciting year yet! What are your dance goals for 2012?
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