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It is part of good safe dance practice and helps to prepare the dance both physically and mentally. Furthermore, it can reduce the risk of injuries and enhance class performance. Warming up can have many benefits for example:

Physically

Increased heart rate, get blood flow to working muscles, increased respiratory rate for better oxygen supply

Increased muscle elasticity from warm muscles

Mentally

Increased reaction times and coordinated movements

Improved mind-body connection, increased concentration on movement and technique, and reduced mental distractions.

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Grade 2:

"Front Kicks"

Laying down, extend along the floor and kick. Flop the leg to chest

Grade 3

"Leg stretching and Front Kicks"

Hamstring stretch

"Side Kicks"

First side kick

Grade 4:

"Front and Side Kicks" - On the floor - First time combined

Kicks in parallel attitude

Parallel side kicks

"Kicks"

First front and side kicks standing up

Grade 5:

"Floor Limbering"

First artistic limbering for kicks on floor

Combination of kicks, core strengthening, streches

"Kicks"

Flick Kick

Grade 6:

"Kicks"

"Kicking from a plie

Intermediate:

"Side and round kicks" - On the floor

Develope Kick

Outward round kick

"Kicks"

Develope side kick

Side kick on a rise

Side kick on a rise with lean (Tilt?)

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Primary:

"The Pond"

Sat down extending leg, floor pressure to point

Grade 1:

"Magic Feet"

Flexing and pointing their feet

Grade 2:

"Foot Exercise"

On floor, flex to point (working through feet)

"Tendus"

Parallel Tendu in front from feet together

Grade 3:

"Tendus"

Tendu Taking the leg to the side in parallel

Transfer of weight through plie

Grade 4:

"Tendus"

Pattern ABAC

Arms added - Jazz first and second

Challenges: Sequence is longer, more coordination required and pattern of exercise includes change of leading leg R+L frequently.

Grade 5:

"Tendu"

Plie into tendu

Tendu with turnout in first and second

Change of facing to corners

Challenges: More steps included such as tilts, retire and pardeboure. Change of facing can also present challenges ensuring hips and squared off.

Grade 6:

Parallell Glises to second

Randejambe to parralell second

Challenges: Maintaining parallel in rande jambe and getting the quality of the glisses.

Intermediate:

"Foot Exercise"

Point and flex standing in parallel and turned out first

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Walking, Running, Jumping, Skipping, Galloping, Turning.

What is line - Alignment correct to how the syllabus dictates.

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Primary: Walking, Running on tip toes and jumping in a circle.

Challenges: Running on tip toes, remembering the order of moves and the counts (how long to do each for).

Grade 1: Arm shakes, knee bounces, tip toe run, relaxation forwards.

Challenges: Miss beat after clasping hands, the dynamics of weighted arm shakes and body relaxation forwards.

Grade 2: Arm swings, arm swing with upper body relation.

Challenges: The sequencing and progression of arm swings

Grade 3: Bounces+ Claps, side bends, shoulder rolls into body drop, Jazz 4rth foot position.

Challenges: Alignment of side bend, strength for Jazz 4rth footwork, longer sequence more movements. Accented 8th clapping rhythm.

Grade 4: Arm swing with whole body relaxation (from hips upwards). Side bend taking the arm in an outward lateral circle. Jazz 4rth, Jazz 2nd footwork, Jazz pas debouree.

Challenges: Going from 4rth to 2nd footwork, more coordination with upper and lower body more tricky footwork and armlines.

Grade 5: Step through Jazz second to tendu, rises, body bounces, plie in 2nd and Jazz 4rth, side bend with plie.

Challenges: Keeping hips facing front on arm wraps, parallel tendu, timing, more range of movements, use of directions, longer sequence, weight transference.

Grade 6: Retire, press up position, deep lunge hip flexor stretch, circular body roll.

Challenges: More accented 8 rhythm, strength challenges with pressup and lunge. Lots of directional changes.

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"Biana"

Currently, I teach contemporary to the Intermediate age group. Motivating this age group to persevere through the pulse raising movements in a warm up can sometimes prove challenging however I find using energetic music can really get students engaged, it creates a fun atmosphere and builds relationships in the class through the music.

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1. Limbering - Side stretch + Forward Stretch

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1. Limbering - Side stretch + Forward Stretch

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All stretches start with an upwards lift!

Can increase flexibility in hamstrings, glutes and muscles surrounding the spine

Helps to mobilise the vertebrae in the spine

Focus on alignment

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Grade 1:

First upward stretch in "squeeze and stretch"

First time rolling up through the spine"The Puppet"

Grade 2:

First side stretch taking one arm over other by the side of body

First side bend

First forward stretch

Grade 3:

Side stretch with fingers interlocked above head.

Forward stretch starting in parallel plie extending the legs and body forwards at same time.

Grade 4:

Forward and side bend combined

First curl up through spine

First time taking side stretch into side bend continuing circle to full relaxation

Grade 5: "Sequence of Stretches"

First time forward and side stretches are taken in a sequence with travel

Can be seen as artistic limbering

Grade 6:

No set forward and side stretch focussed exercise

Inter:

First time forward stretch is taken with arms extending at the same time

First time side stretch is taken in a lunge and a transference of arms takes place during side stretch

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Grade 1:

"Squeeze and stretch"

Pulling legs in (First use of abs)

Grade 2:

First Abs Exercise - Squeeze and relax abs

Grade 3:

Contract and roll back to lying down whilst holding underneath leg.

Grade 4:

"Spine loosening and Abdominals"

Scooping abs whilst rolling through the spine

Challenges: No hands supporting

Grade 5:

"Floor limbering"

Arms in Jazz second then hands come to clasp

Challenges: Arms are further away from the body

Grade 6:

"Core strengthening exercise"

Roll down with arms across body

Spine twists

Lowering the roll down further

Challenges: Lowering further after the twists

Intermediate:

"Abdominal Exercise"

Starting laying down lifting spine off the floor

Roll down through spine no hands

Come up to sitting legs and hands off the floor

Challenges: More demand on abs, no support, more control required

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Teaching foot alignment - Draw a line with paint on second toe sat on the floor feet extended.

Tendus - Floor/work pointing - All are preparation for jumps.

Knee alignment - When bending, making sure knees are forwards not in. You can use a block and put it it between knees. You can also do this laying on the floor.

To ensure kids are only bending the upper back they can sit against a wall and just peel upper back off.

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Warm Up

Limbering

Walks

Rhythm

Arms

Isolations

Dance movements - Kicks, Turns, Jump

Progress Picked 2 of above

Foot Warm Up

Bounces

Dances

Cooldown

Cooldown