The Season That Ruins Dancers And What You Can Do About It! (Part 1)
photo credit: Wendy Piersall
It’s that time of year for dance schools.
No matter where you are, it’s very likely that you have a recital or end of year dance presentation to attend.
Not only does this signal the culmination of lots of hard work for dancers nationwide, but in many cases it also signals the beginning of a period of, shall we say…less work.
Many dance schools don’t have classes at all over the summer, while many others have classes, but find that they are poorly attended as kids take advantage of summer fun and vacations.
As a result, students (and instructors) can see a decline in their abilities over the Summer. This makes readjusting in the Fall that much more difficult and can increase the likelihood of injuries as students attempt to do what they could do before the off season.
To help prevent this uncomfortable outcome, I have decided to share some basic strategies for preserving your hard earned abilities over the Summer.
This is part one of a two-part post. The second part will be added later this week.
Priority #1 – Maintaining Flexibility
Flexibility is often the first thing dancers lose over summer vacation.
Obviously the way to avoid this is to continue stretching. Luckily, as a dancer you are probably already equipped with a wide range of stretching routines and techniques.
I recommend running through these frequently while you watch television…something that we can all do a lot of over the summer!
Flexibility is like anything else…
If you don’t use it, you lose it!
And chances are your dance instructors will not be going easy
on you when classes start up again. Keep that in mind if you need motivation!
Priority #2 – Where Are Your Tap Shoes
The worst thing you can do is put your dance shoes away while you are out of class.
Like the old saying goes, “Out of sight, out of mind!” This is especially true for tap dancers. I guarantee that if you toss your shoes to the back of your closet, they won’t see the light of day again until
the new session begins.
So to avoid neglecting your shoes, make sure they are visible in your room or practice area. From time to time, put them on – even if you don’t plan on practicing. I have found that just having your shoes
out and visible significantly increases the likelihood that you will actually practice with them.
And that leads me to Priority #3!
Practice, Practice, Practice…
You knew this one was coming!
Stretching and wearing dance shoes is wonderful but all is still lost if you fail to practice. It’s amazing how quickly technique and execution can falter over the course of just a few weeks.
Don’t believe me?
Ask anyone who has ever experienced a dance injury. It goes away fast.
Throughout the school year, I perform at dozens of schools all over Georgia. Yet as I write this post (its been about a week since I last performed) I can already feel the difference in my body. If I don’t practice soon, I’ll be a blogger who taps, instead of a tap dancer who blogs!
Sometimes it seems that what is most hard won in dance, is also the most fragile. You’ve got to stay on top of your dance technique or else…
When I post part 2 of this article later this week, I’ll outline 4 strategies to help you get the most out of your practice time.
In addition, I will also be posting an article about portable tap
boards and surfaces; something that is very important for tap dancers wanting to practice at home.
If you are a tap dancer who likes to practice at home, check out eTapDance.com; my website designed to inspire and aid you in perfecting your tap technique.
Head over there right now and join the mailing list to receive a free membership and information about online tap lessons!
June 5th, 2008 at 7:13 am
[...] In part 1 of this two-part post I discussed a few very simple strategies that will help you not to lose everything you have learned over the laid back Summers at many dance schools. [...]
June 7th, 2008 at 11:56 am
[...] work on at home. Terrence at TapDanceMan.com has a pair of good posts about this on his site. See Part 1 and Part 2. If you are unsure about what you need to work on, how to set goals, or ways to achieve [...]
April 7th, 2009 at 2:25 am
[...] to know more about preventing dance injuries: 3 Things You Can Do Now To Shorten Your Dance Career The Season That Ruins Dancers And What You Can Do About It! (Part 1) The Season That Ruins Dancers And What You Can Do About It! (Part [...]
April 7th, 2009 at 4:28 am
[...] Maintaining Your Skills [...]
May 28th, 2009 at 11:42 pm
[...] work on at home. Terrence at TapDanceMan.com has a pair of good posts about this on his site. See Part 1 and Part 2. If you are unsure about what you need to work on, how to set goals, or ways to achieve [...]