ISTD Foundation in Dance Instruction

ISTD: Foundation in Dance Instruction

(Unit 2: Promotion of Health and Safety in Dance)

Professional source published by Dec 2008 by ISTD Examination Board. Cathy Barret, Jane Baylis, Jaap Blokdijk, Heather Burns, Jasmine Challis, Janet Cclark, Giovanna Curati, Bronda Dossett, Gail Farrow, Jacqueline Ferguson, Teresa Hall, Ben Hastings, David Henshaw, Gillian Hurst, Katy Inigo-Jones, Jillian Knight, Marion Lane, Helen Laws, Angela Lynch, Penny Meekings, Elizabeth Nabarro, Diane Paull, Kim Pedrick, Matthew Portal, Rachel Rist, Druanna Roberts, Nicola Stephens, Charles Russel LLP Partners and to the Imperial Society of Teachers in Dancing (ISTD) staff for their contributions. Warming Up and Cooling Down p115-119 and Growth and Bones development (young children (Ages 5-10years) p83-86.

Warming Up and Cooling Down

Definition of Warming Up?

‘Warming up is a set of exercises that needs to take place before any acticity is undertaken. Ideally, this should be a section of continuous movement of about 15minutes or longer and should include the large muscle groups. The effect should be such that the internal bodt temperature increases by one to two degrees.’ Shelloch (1983)

Warming up prepares the mind and body equally so a dancer can perform complicated movements that are required in a dance class. A dancers body before warming up is at a state of rest is you successfully carried out a warm-up this will improve the performance and significantly reduce the chances of injury. Warming up prepares dancers mentally and physically for the dance class ahead, so teachers need to plan and pay a lot of attention to this section of the class.

Benefits of warming up

·         It enhances the psychological focus on the activity-

Warming up gives a dancer time to focus on posture, stance and technique, giving them time to adjust to class and improves concentration will mean a dancer is more prepared for class, and will be more likely to execute difficult dance movements.

·         It increases muscle elasticity-

Warming up increases blood circulation to the working muscles this will allow the muscle to become more elastic and less likely to snap and cause an injury.

·         It improves the transmission of signals along nerve cells-

Your brain sends messages along the nerves to the muscle this will be done more efficiently resulting in quicker response times and more co-ordination.

·         It increases the heart rate-

During a warm up the blood begins to start pumping around the body more quickly, this means the increase in the heart rate ensures the oxygen and glucose are carried to the working muscles and the brain quickly for energy production and muscle contraction.

·         It increases body temperature-

After a warm up a dancers body temperature should have increased by one to two degrees, this will help warm the muscles making them more elastic. Blood also carries warmth around the body to the muscles, this increase in temperature allows more efficient energy production for muscle contraction.

·         It redistributes the circulation of blood-

As the heart rate increases the blood flow is redistributed to where oxygen and glucose are needed (for example; skin, muscles, brain and away from other areas such as gastrointestinal tract.) This is also the reason why dancers should not eat a heavy meal before a dancer class or any type of exercise for that matter as the blood will divert to the gut to facilitate digestion.

·         It improves the functions of the joints-

Movement helps the fluid in the joints to increase in volume and the thickness of cartilage increases too. This improves the joint’s shock-absorbing ability when the body is exercising.

·         It increases the respiratory rate-

During a warm up a dancers breathing should start to sound heavier, this ensure an adequate supply of oxygen from the lungs to the tissues to support the muscle contraction. Teachers also need to be aware of a warm up being too intense, their body will not be able to keep up with the demand for oxygen and this will lead to a build-up of lactic acid. Heart and breathing rates should increase during a warm-up and this usually occurs approximately 3-6minutes after you start a warm-up.

What is the Best Way to Warm Up?

Many students especially younger students do not understand that being warm and warmed up are not the same state. Sitting on a radiator with lots of clothing on drinking a hot drink does not mean the body is warm.

A warm-up should be designed to fit the age group and fitness level you are teaching. Clearly younger children do not need as long to warm up compared to a full time dance student. Having a warm up too long will on exhaust the children before the class has even begun properly. On the other hand a full time dancer who trains frequently will need a longer warm up to have the same effect on their body. A mistake that has been made before is forgetting the effect of a warm up wear off after about 30 minutes of rest following exercise.

The warm up routine needs to include the following movements:

·         A warm up should begin with using large controlled general movements that use the large muscle groups with gentle movements of the joints through their normal range of movement.

For example: walking, lunges, arm swings etc. Using feet, ankles, knees, hip and should joints.

·         The pace of the movements should increase slowly as the dancers heart and breathing rate increase.

·         Next, start by using the spine then you can start to engage the neck as well.

For example: bending forwards with knees bent to protect the lower spine, controlled twists and side bend. With the neck side to side, forwards and backwards and slowly tilting.

·         Gentle stretches of the muscles can be performed. Make sure when stretching these large muscle groups that the stretching is not extreme as dancers are still preparing for bigger movements and stretches.

For example: hamstrings, quadriceps, hip flexors and calf muscles. You could even try controlled movements standing with your foot firmly on the ground, bent supporting leg and leg extensions to the front and side or deep lunges forward.

·         Once the dancer feels warm and more prepared for class you can then perform some simple jumps with changing directions to complete a successful warm up.

 

Effect of a Warm Up

1.       Feel warm with an increased heart rate but not out of breath;

2.       Still be able to hold a conversion

3.       Be sweating

4.       Feel that their muscles and joints are warm and supple;

5.       Be able to execute dance moves with accuracy

A warm-up should take into account a number of factors including:

·         The fitness level of the dancer;

·         The style pf dance/dance genre;

·         What the dancer has already done during the day;

·         The temperature of the environment;

·         Whether there are any old injuries;

·         How much space and time is available.

What is Cooling Down?

At the end of a dance class it is very important to cool down. This will be accomplished through gentle and sustained movements that do not cause stress on the muscles and joints. Cooling down helps the dancer and her body to wind down and relax physical and mentally, to reduce the breathing and heart rate and to prevent any injuries or muscle soreness.

If a dancer suddenly stops after a high level of activity, the heart carries on pumping blood through the body at a high level even though the muscles have stopped working. If the muscles stop working and the blood is still pumping at a high level the blood has nowhere to go and leads to ‘pooling.’ This can result in a dancer feeling dizzy or even faint as the blood flow to the brain is reduced. The waste products which has pooled in the non-working muscles will not be removed and will lead to sore muscles the next day.

The aim for a successful cool down is to reduce the intensity of the body movement, allowing the redistribution of blood from the muscles to pump towards other organs in the body. During the cool-down the body returns to pre-exercise state, it is necessary that a teacher leaves time for a cool-down.

Principles of Cooling Down

·         Do not stop the activity suddenly.

·         Keep moving, bringing the intensity of the exercise down gradually. For example: walking around the room, or gentle movements on the spot.

·         Concentrate on relaxing and feeling the breathing rate slow down.

·         Do some static stretches.

Growth and Bone Development

A human body goes through a lot of different stages and developments at different points in life. These changes do not only effect the body physical but also emotionally this can have an impact on a dancer’s ability to perform at their best. Dance teachers need to be aware of these changes and developments and take this into consideration when teaching their classes.

Young Children (Ages 5-10 Years)

Firstly, young children are not small adults. There are many differences between a child and an adult, mostly the immaturity of the organs and tissues. For example a child’s liver is not as well developed as an adult’s.

Bone Growth-

The long bones in a child’s body are not fully mature (ossified) at birth. These process can take up to 20years to fully develop and reach maturation. The plate of cartilage at the end of the long bone (the epiphyseal plate) continue to grow and ossify (turning into bone) to allow for total bone growth. Teachers need to be aware of the immature bones and are susceptible to dislodging following an injury.

Body Proportion-

A child’s proportion are different to an adults, they go through stages of having short limbs or a big head which is normal but every child is different. This will lead to a child finding certain movements difficult, maintaining or supporting their weight especially when a movement involves a sustained extension of arms and legs. When limbs grow children need to find muscle that will help control or hold an extension, this will take time, some students longer than others.

Body Temperature-

Children are not able to regulate their body temperature as well as adults due to their immature sweating mechanisms. This means children will find extreme temperatures hard to tolerate, they will need to keep warm, and ballet cardigans are very popular in the winter.

Energy-

Children do not have as well-developed store of glycogen as adults, this means children will not be able to perform disciplined for a long amount of time, and short burst of high energy.

Emotional Development-

·         Perceiving the world physically

·         Perceiving themselves at the centre of the world

·         Less developed social skills

·         Language development

Teachers need to be aware of this, and be there to support them. Listening and responding to children provides a guide for them to follow, working with others will also help them develop social skills.