How to get back into dance shape
How to Return to Dance as an Adult | Elite Dance Studio
The saying “once a dancer, always a dancer” rings true for some more than others. Maybe you danced as a child and are finding yourself craving to get back on the floor as an adult. Maybe you were a professional dancer but an injury put an end to your career. Regardless of the reason why you chose to stop dancing, the good news is that you can always start again! Check out these tips for getting back into dance now that you are an older, wiser adult.
Don’t expect to pick up right where you left off
It’s important to get in the right mindset before choosing and starting your class. Understand that your body has changed, and it will need time to adjust. We recommend starting with a beginner class regardless of your previous experience to avoid unnecessary injury and confusion. You can always go up a level or two if you’re finding things too easy! Remember that relearning is a slow process, but it is faster than learning for the first time. So while you might be a little confused at the onset, your muscle memory will eventually kick in and you’ll find that you progress much faster than someone who is a total newbie.
Be open to trying new things
Don’t let your past dance profile dictate what you try later on in life. Just because you danced ballet as a child doesn’t mean you can’t try hip hop now. Each new style you try will challenge your mind and body in a different way, helping you grow as a dancer. If you’ve suffered an injury, certain styles of dance may irritate it more than others. The goal is to find a style of dance that suits your body today, not what may have suited your body 15 years ago.
Get back into the routine of stretching
Even stepping away from dance for six months will have major impacts on your flexibility. Gaining flexibility requires a steady and consistent approach. Ask your teacher for a list of stretches they recommend, and try to incorporate them into your daily routine.
With greater flexibility you’ll not only reduce your chance of injury, but you’ll find many of the moves much easier to execute.
Listen to your body
It’s okay to stop or modify if a movement feels painful. When re-entering the dance world, it’s incredibly important to listen to your body and adjust accordingly. You may not be able to execute the moves with the same intensity as when you were a teen. If you are recovering from an injury, be sure to follow the recommendations of your physiotherapist or doctor. Jumping back into things too early will only set you up for future injuries. If you have a particular physical concern, make sure you let your teacher know. They can suggest modifications to any moves that you find painful.
Elite Dance Studio offers a wide variety of dance classes for beginners to experienced adults. Check out our class offerings and don’t hesitate to give us a call if you have any questions.
Photo by Kris Atomic on Unsplash
9 Ways to Get Back into the Dance World .
..9 Ways to Get Back into the Dance World ...A true dancer will probably never really need reasons to get back into the dance world. They will need a push. They need encouragement. Perhaps you are just lacking a bit of confidence right now. Maybe someone told you that you would never be good enough. That should not keep you away from your love, your passion, your dance floor. Go ahead; let these reasons to get back into the dance world be your push back to your love of dance.
1 Take a Beginner's Class
One of my favorite reasons to get back into the dance world is that we are all beginners at one point or another. You may have been at the top of the pyramid and had an injury bring you down. No matter the reason you stopped, you should try again. Start with a beginner’s class. Ease your way back onto the dance floor and reignite your love for the craft. Before you know it, you will have strengthened your basic technique which is crucial on your journey to dancing once more.
2 Practice Yoga
Dancers need flexibility amongst other things. Yoga is a great tool to get your flexibility back or to push you past a plateau. It will help strengthen and tone your muscles also. You do not have to become an expert yogi in a week, but over time you will learn to love it. As your love for yoga grows, so will your determination to dance again.
3 YouTube
YouTube offers so many wonderful outlets for gifted dancers. Why not document your pathway to dancing again? Or are you a bit shy? Well, that is ok. YouTube can offer great routines and combos to help you learn quicker and faster as you master each one. Maybe it will even inspire you to chronicle your own journey. Go on. Get on YouTube and rediscover your passion for dance.
4 Rec Center Class
If you are a university student or reside near a university, check out the rec center classes. Often times, they have dance majors and dance minors teaching classes. They are usually fairly cheap and quite fun too.
Do not hesitate to get dancing again.
5 GroupOn
Speaking of fun and cheap classes, Groupon offers so many deals and discounts for numerous dance classes. Take advantage of this! I would stock up on these if I was you. You never know how good you can become. Take a chance. Make a change. Embrace learning more about your body and your passion.
6 Partner Dancing
Have you always wondered what it would be like to glide across the ballroom floor to a classy waltz number? Do you have dreams of shaking something to a saucy salsa number? Well, now is the time to get out there and do your thing. Partner dancing is awesome because it allows you to progess with someone helping you out along the way. Do you not have a partner? Sign up for a local class, and they will most likely match you with someone. Do not be afraid to go all out. Confidence is all that you need.
7 Professional Teams
Have you ever looked at an NBA or NFL dance team and wondered how they did it? You can do it too! Just mark down the audition date.
Attend as many prep classes as you can. Exercise daily. When it comes time for auditions, give your all. Give it your best. Make sure that you leave your heart out on the dance floor. That is all that really matters anyways.
8 Coaching and Teaching
Whether you have decades of experience or just five years, if an opportunity arises for you to teach, take it! The best way to learn and master a subject is to teach it to someone else. Your platform can be a studio, a gym, or YouTube. It does not really matter where you teach. Just get out and do it. I know you can.
9 Just Dance
It does not matter where you are. It does not matter who sees who. I hope that when you start to dance again, that you feel the music’s rhythm in your heart. Let the beat flow through your body. Kick your highest kicks. Leap your grandest leaps. Do not give up on yourself. Dance will not give up on you.
Today, take the time to shake a little something. Groove to the beat. Leap across that floor.
What is your motivation to dance once more?
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Training after a long break - how to return to training
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After a long break in fitness training, many people try to catch up and start exercising in an emergency mode, as they say, right off the bat. And they make a gross mistake - intensive training after a break complicates the restoration of sports form and can even lead to injuries.
How to return to fitness training correctly and without serious consequences? How to avoid the mistakes that amateur athletes sometimes make when trying to get in shape faster? You will learn about this from our article. nine0003
How not to return to training - the most common mistake
Returning to fitness after a long break, many believe that they can work in the same mode as before - after all, they once trained like that, which means they can now. It seems to a person that he is full of energy and enthusiasm, he can move mountains. But this is an illusion - the body, after a long absence of training, is not ready for the once familiar loads.
The physical condition of an amateur athlete after a forced downtime resembles that which he had before the start of training. As after the first classes, there will be aches and muscle pain in the body. Therefore, the load should be gentle - it is necessary to enter the form gradually. nine0015 But there is a plus - thanks to the previously created neural connections, recovery will be faster than if you do the exercises for the first time.
What happens to the body when you skip fitness, and where to start training
If we hardly notice a week of training, then a long absence of physical activity seriously affects our physical form.
Break 2 weeks
Gradually, the fitness of the respiratory and cardiovascular systems begins to decrease - they lose a little in performance. Aerobic endurance begins to fall, but strength qualities still remain at the same level. How to return to training after a break? nine0003
What to do: do some fitness training with a load of 60-70% of your usual, and you will be in good shape again.
Check out the FitStars YouTube channel for a great first workout after a break. Our experienced coach Olga Derendeyeva has prepared a special set of exercises for those who return to sports/fitness after a break. By doing it, you will give a feasible load to the main muscle groups, and at the same time you will not “hammer” them.
A set of fitness exercises is suitable not only for experienced fitness enthusiasts, but also for beginners. The last trainer advises to focus on your feelings and, if necessary, reduce the speed of the exercises. nine0003
Break for a month
The fitness of the cardiovascular system continues to decline - aerobic endurance is rapidly declining. Muscles begin to atrophy, causing muscle endurance to drop by 30%. Strength indicators are reduced by 10%. The accumulation of fat begins - after all, it is much easier for the body to synthesize it than muscles. Sometimes blood pressure can rise sharply.
The nervous system becomes more "nervous" - if earlier the accumulated stress was removed during fitness training, now the body "let off steam" with irascibility and aggression. nine0003
What to do: spend the first two workouts at 50% intensity, the next two weeks train at 75% of the maximum. Gradually increase the load, listening to your feelings.
Everything is individual, but most likely you will return to the loads you used to before the break by the beginning of the fourth week.
Break 6 months
The body begins to work in a slower mode. The so-called "stagnation" is formed in the tissues, the lungs are no longer saturated with oxygen to the extent that when doing fitness, the heart works more slowly. Insulin sensitivity drops, metabolism slows down, body fat grows. nine0003
What to do: get ready for the fact that for about a month you will have to train in a gentle mode. Control your condition, and even if you feel a surge of energy, do not rush to give all the best. The quieter you go, the further you'll get. This is especially true for those who have a very short period of fitness before the break.
Break for a year or more
During this time, the body has already got rid of metabolically active muscles and replaced them with fat cells. Insulin sensitivity decreased even more, and the risk of diabetes mellitus increased.
Power characteristics have fallen by at least 50%. nine0003
What to do: gradualism should be your motto. At first, cardio loads will be 20-30% more difficult for you, strength ones will be even harder. Increase the intensity of the loads not earlier than after 4-5 weeks.
And if after a fitness workout you are tormented by muscle pain for a week, this does not mean that the session was super effective. It was just that the load was too intense, and serious damage was done to the muscle fibers. Therefore, the body needs time to recover. nine0015 If you were in good shape before the break, in about 2 months you will restore your previous achievements.
After a gap of several years
After such a long break from training, your physical characteristics are not much different from those of the average person who has never been involved in fitness.
How to return to training after such a long break - read below.
What to do: is practically the same as starting from scratch.
But it will be easier and easier for you to perform all the exercises than for a beginner, because the body has muscle memory. Your body will "remember" the past experience, and with the same loads, you will gain a good athletic shape faster than someone who has never done fitness. nine0003
Perhaps you just need to change your lifestyle?
Return to fitness is different for everyone. But before you make a vow to yourself to start training next Monday, think about what caused the breakdown. If due to illness or injury, then there is only one piece of advice here - the resumption of fitness training is permissible only after consulting with your doctor. About why you should not exercise, even if you feel a slight malaise, read our article “Is it worth exercising with a cold”. nine0003
But if sports activities were stopped due to chronic fatigue, lack of sleep, depression, regular severe stress, no willpower is enough to resume training and exercise regularly and efficiently.
And it's not about the character - such a regime depletes the adrenal glands and the body signals apathy and loss of strength.
Therefore, a qualitative return to sports form should begin with adjusting your lifestyle:
- your body should get 7-8 hours of good night sleep; nine0083
- brain - effective stress-reducing treatments, such as meditation;
- and don't forget about proper nutrition. "We are what we eat" - we think you will agree with Hippocrates, who was absolutely right. The directions are different - power, dance, weight loss, yoga, stretching and others. If you are at a loss in choosing, the article “Which fitness program suits you best” will help you. nine0003
Join us - together we can do a lot! We believe you will succeed!
I want to dance. 10 misconceptions about dancing
The desire to learn to dance is natural and natural in the modern world. You can list the reasons, starting with obvious and popular pragmatic desires, for example, to start moving or losing weight, ending with unconscious and even existential ones.
This is due to the fact that dancing is at the subtle intersection of the inner and outer worlds, physical and spiritual. Above this, music becomes a driver that cannot leave anyone indifferent. nine0003
In dancing there is magic inside a person, which is not always noticeable when viewed from the side. At the initial stage, it is the external picture that attracts to dances, and sometimes repels, as it seems too frivolous and superficial.
But there are even stronger obstacles that stop many people from starting dancing. These illusions and delusions roam the minds of the majority, and are often afraid to ask about them directly, or they ask the question about it so often that they are no longer ready to hear an honest direct answer. I will try to do it in this article. nine0003
There are many examples of contemporary dance instructors sharing their thoughts about not expecting to be in the dance industry. Once upon a time there was a man and was engaged in adult, serious business.
Sometimes even very serious. A person could have children and even grandchildren. I saw dances only on stage or on TV. For reasons unknown to himself, he ended up in dances. At first, everything seemed like entertainment and a useful pastime. But time has passed, and a person catches himself thinking that he thinks about dancing not just every day, but really all the time. A couple of years pass, and he already becomes a teacher or organizer of some event. nine0003 A similar path can start at 15 or 55 years old. The only difference will be in the self-perception of the starting stage, that it’s too late to dance. In fact, for each age there is its own dance direction, which can reveal it to the greatest extent at this stage. Hip-hop or breaking is closer to children and teenagers, and Argentine tango is closer to adults. It's never too late to start dancing. You need to make the right choice of dance style based on several parameters: age, gender, music, goal. There is a dance direction for any arrangement.
nine0108 Misconception 2: men don't dance
Our culture has a number of restrictions related to dancing. Most of these causes are psychological and lie outside the realm of rational reasoning.
First, in our culture, in principle, dancing for pleasure or self-expression appeared relatively recently. 20-30 years ago dance clubs were only for children. To start dancing even in adolescence was considered exotic.
Secondly, the aesthetics of the body in our country for men is not in the focus of attention. In general, this can be attributed to the fact that Russian men try hard not to draw attention to their appearance and clothing. Men in our country use other tools for this. nine0003
Third, dancing is associated with entertainment and alcohol. If a man feels serious and respectable, then he either does not have time or desire for this.
Nowadays the general cultural background has changed and the result is that men are learning to dance.
It becomes as much a sign of masculinity as clothing, hair or beard. Unfortunately, many misconceptions remain even among those who have already started dancing. Dance teachers do not always pay attention to this, as it seems to them that this is a matter of course. nine0003
Fallacy 3: special training is needed
For the outside observer, there is always a cognitive dissonance about what dance is. What he sees on the big stage in the form of a show with sweeping movements and splits is obviously dancing. Breakers doing unimaginable elements in the air and on their hands, competing with each other, also seem to be dancing. Pensioners in the park waltz. Dancing again, but for some reason everyone is so different. How to understand that this is a dance, and what physical criteria should be in the body. nine0003
In fact, any self-expression through the body to music can be attributed to dance. There are a number of reservations, but they are not essential.
For self-expression, a person uses the set of plastics that he has. Subtlety and technique do not depend on extreme ways of self-expression, and it often happens that splits and somersaults interfere with a meaningful dance. The development of plasticity and the expansion of the body's capabilities are part of the preparation of the dancer, but not an end in itself. Misconception 4: You must learn to dance in pairs
In couple dancing, the final learning outcome is that the couple dances at a party. It would seem that you should always train together to get the desired result. This is not true. Let's take an example from boxing. An indicator of a boxer's skill is a fight with an opponent, but this does not mean that he constantly has to fight. Also, the ability to dance is built on the possession of one's own body and the ability to interact.
The skill of the teacher is the correct selection of methods so that the student masters the skill.
Based on the skill, you can engage in creativity and self-expression in dance. Not everyone knows, but it is no coincidence that almost all social dance dancers have a serious dance background, which is based on the development of individual techniques. nine0003 The same can be attributed to the interaction in a pair. The ability to separate in oneself the one who leads and the one who follows the lead is impossible within the framework of studying the sequence of movements in pairs. For this, there are special exercises that make the skill more versatile. For this, the presence of a permanent couple is not necessary, as well as the regular presence of a partner in general.
IMPORTANT! You can’t experiment at a party, and everything should be in its place there: men dance with women. nine0003
Getting rid of illusions is a complex internal process. If you leave them to yourself, you can even get the opposite result.
Misconception 5: plastique and stretching are mandatory attributes of dance
Much depends on the genre of dance that you want to master.
In previous articles, I have already mentioned that different dance styles are suitable for different ages. It is appropriate to dance hip-hop in adolescence or youth, Argentine tango is a more adult dance, it is important to enter classical choreography at a young age. nine0003 The degree of necessary plasticity and sensitivity to the dance direction also correlates. For example, breaking requires great physical effort and dexterity. Elements are built on acrobatics and high speed of execution. Who are they more suitable for? Obviously young people.
There is a lot of interaction in salsa. It is necessary to feel the partner subtly, to be able to show a variety of figures and elements. Twine or acrobatics are completely inappropriate here. However, a variety of ways to show oneself are required. Accordingly, the dance is youthful, but not at all childish. nine0003
The older the dance, the less stretching or acrobatics is required. The main emphasis is on the quality of technology, the variety of ideas and the ability to show plasticity.
Misconception 6: Mirrors are necessary for learning
There is a set of instruments that dancers use to learn how to dance. The fact is that the dancer needs to receive feedback on how his movements look from the side. It is impossible to dance and see yourself from the side at the same time. The most common tool is a mirror. But not the only one. nine0003
Like any auxiliary tool, mirrors have positive and negative effects. The positive is that they can receive feedback in real time and technically it is not very difficult. The downside can be dependence on mirrors. A situation where a dancer cannot capture the feeling of dancing, such as on stage or at a party. For these purposes, you can use, among other things, video filming or proper preparation.
In many countries in Latin America, dance classrooms are not equipped with mirrors. Classes are held in bars or large halls. The dancers initially form the skill of focusing on the inner sensation, and not the habit of looking for their reflection in the mirror with their eyes.
nine0003 Misconception 7: there is a lot of obsceneness in dancing
A common question from novice dancers who are taking their first steps in more contact couple dances is “in order to dance cool, there must be passion inside the couple?”. I immediately answer that no, not necessarily. Kizomba, bachata and Argentine tango attract many with their close contact. Like any other contact in our everyday life, in dances, contact can be different. We hug friends, parents, children. These hugs can wear many different shades. Sexual overtones are one of many. nine0003
The culture of dance also includes the boundaries of what is acceptable. A compliment from a well-mannered person is different from a statement about female sexuality by a gopnik. Usually, those who study at a dance school already have an idea of what boundaries should not be crossed. A good dance from a technical point of view will never look vulgar or vulgar.
Dancers always have a choice about the boundaries of contact.
Most prefer to leave a good impression of themselves, as word spreads just as fast in the dance world. nine0003 Misconception 8: the best dancers are the bearers of culture
Even the very question of the origin of this or that dance can be paradoxical and ambiguous, especially when it comes to its development and performance.
For example, the Viennese waltz did not originate in Vienna, but in Germany. Salsa has its main roots in the USA, not in Cuba. The famous Greek folk dance sirtaki was invented for the film "Zorba the Greek" and appeared only in 1964.
The same can be attributed to the development of modern dance styles. Korea is known for its world-leading break dancers. People go to Turkey for Argentine tango, Spain is strong with excellent salsa and bachata dancers, in Egypt, Russians are considered the best belly-dance performers. nine0003
A good dance is based on quality training and diligence. Skin color, place of birth and age are secondary.
Exotic appearance, unfortunately, is often a reason to be more superficial about one's own professional development. This becomes the reason for the low level of teaching among the bearers of culture. I am sure that few readers of this post will be ready to conduct a master class in Russian folk dance outside of Russia. The mastery of mastering and teaching a particular style does not depend on the dancer's homeland. And "they absorbed the dance with their mother's milk" is nothing more than a common misconception. nine0003
Misconception 9: You have to know a lot of moves to learn how to dance
Focusing on learning a lot of moves often detracts from the essence of dance. Of course, the sequence of figures is important. Especially at the start. Over time, the dancer should have an understanding of how movements can be generated independently. Accordingly, instead of memorizing millions of figures, you can understand how to create them.
From every system of improvisation that a dancer can use as an instrument, dozens, hundreds or thousands of variations are derived. This frees the head from trying to reproduce the exact sequence and definitely adds freedom in the performance of the dance. nine0003
The huge theme of musicality can be attributed to the same question. Not every pre-conceived or learned sequence will fit specific music. The dance should give freedom, and not drive the dancer into the shell of the ropes.
Misconception 10: dancing is homosexual
The unusually high attention to the body and the flair from stories about professional ballet led to the spread of this myth, among other things. Unfortunately, such an idea still exists in the minds of our fellow citizens. nine0003
The dance industry is now very broad and is represented by many dance styles. Some of them can even be called homophobic. Dances reflect the general attitude to the world and it is different depending on the life position and worldview of a person.
In many dances there is contact between the dancers. In Russia, dance contact between men has always been perceived very intensely. In most other countries it is different. An example of the fact that this tension is associated only with the dance theme and does not apply to other areas is, for example, wrestling. When practicing techniques, men are in much closer contact with each other. Sometimes lying on the floor and holding each other tightly. The historical roots of Greco-Roman wrestling are also ambiguous from a sexual point of view. But in our country, unlike dance, they are perceived as acceptable and brutal. nine0003
Dance, like the culture of speech, makes a modern person more successful and self-confident. The ability to control one's body, tune in to another person and the ability to be aesthetic in the plasticity of movement is valuable in the modern world. If we add here the pleasure of the process and the availability of dance as such, then the possibilities of this activity can hardly be overestimated.
