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.

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.

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.

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

  
  

• Helps to mobilise the vertebrae in the spine

  
  

• Focus on alignment

• 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

"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

"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?)

"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

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.

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

Limbering

Walks

Rhythm

Arms

Isolations

Dance movements - Kicks, Turns, Jump

Progress Picked 2 of above

Foot Warm Up

Bounces

• Dances

• Cooldown

• Cooldown