Grab a yoga block or foam roller, place the front of your foot on it and sit on your knees with your feet under your butt on your foam roller/yoga block. Place hands or elbows on the inside of the knees and press the knees back. Keep going until you feel a stretch and then hold for a count of 10. YouTube and other social media can give you ideas on form. Follow along to this full body stretching routine to get really flexible! Gaining strength and flexibility has been one of my goals for this summer so I’m excited to keep working on it with these exercises! Start by lying on your back, bend your knees up and keep your feet flat on the ground, place your hands by your ears with palms facing the ground. Try to hold it here for 10 to 15 seconds and then repeat with the other leg. Learn more . Becoming more flexible is a big goal of theirs. Sitting in a frog and pike position are great ways to increase flexibility in your hips and your hamstrings. As you do this you should find your pelvis also rotating a little and coming forwards, placing you in a deeper, flatter middle split. I really want to become flexible so I can do dance and stuff. When you dance, you will constantly perform movements that will test your body’s range of motion, and it is through this repetition of difficult moves where you will increase your range of motion. to do a backbend, have someone hold u the first time then try doing it urself. Dancers are always trying to find more flexibility in their bodies. I use to be pretty flexible last year but its been a while . Follow along to this 10 minute stretching routine often to improve your flexibility! i cant even do a cart wheel! Lv 7. Keep your fingers and toes lined up with your body, not turned out. To begin, start by laying stomach side-down on the floor, legs straight out arms bent with hands placed next to either armpit, elbows by your side. That's my goal for my flexible back. Next, kneel on your knees, with the feet flat to the ground (so tops of the feet will be against the floor) and keeping everything below the hips vertical, lower the upper back and head backwards over the legs, allowing the arms to remain by your side. My girls love to stretch and do bridges! To learn more about Nina: https://bit.ly/2QHQbcD Hold the position for 15 to 20 seconds, and repeat the stretch 5 to 6 times. This includes exercises like lunges, leg swings, plies, jumping jacks or any other exercise that gets your blood pumping and involves some degree of flexibility and range of motion. It's all up to you. Learn how your comment data is processed. Push the upper body up of the ground and towards the ceiling, keeping the hips firmly on the floor and pushing back away from your hands to give your back a gentle stretch (See Image 1.). Not everyone is naturally flexible, think positive and be patient! Stretching, one of the key elements of dance, improves flexibility, reduces muscle soreness, & decreases risk of injury. There is no other way to make your body flexible other than these. It is helpful if you can get a friend or partner to gently press down on the lower back to increase the stretch. Stretching consistently is necessary if you want to come flexible. Most dance styles will help you become more supple, improve coordination, musicality, posture and alignment. (the large band coming down from your calf that attaches to your heel) With the hand closest to your toes, place it over your toes and up your foot a couple inches and pull back so that your foot arches, feeling a nice stretch on the top. Josephine. If you cannot touch the ground let your hands go and raise them above your head if you are able. Practice is the key here, with repetition everyone has the potential for improvement. Don't be worried if your feet are stuck up in the air to begin with, some people will be more limited by their hips sockets (and turn-out capabilities) than others, and some will be able to get their hips and ankles to the ground immediately (See image 13.). Toes facing upwards, upper body facing forwards. Founded in 1996, Dance.Net is the leading online dance community with over 200,000 members from the US, UK, Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and all over the world. Once you relax from the stretch be sure to shake your legs out a little bit so your muscles aren't storing the tension. mintchips49. Put a towel under your knee for padding if needed. How can I become extremely flexible??? With my always tight calves and ankles, these help to get me loosened up and to keep me dancing. Turn body 1/4 turn, rotating the feet with the body. Answer Save. But how do I make my back flexible enough to go into a back bend, go on my elbows, then put my head in between my legs? Your wrists to your shoulders should form a straight line to the floor. Start sitting on the floor with your knees bent and the soles of your feet pressed together, legs drawn in and hands resting on your ankles. Stretching consistently is necessary if you want to come flexible. For the top of your instep, standing in pointe shoes, cross one leg over and press the top of the foot into the floor. My favorite stretch has to be the straddle stretch. When you sit in the straddle and push yourself forward, you get a very deep stretch. Place your forward foot onto it. i would like to learn how to do: Cart Wheel. The answers to these questions can also easily apply to gymnasts, … It is important that you always warm up before stretching, as muscles are more elastic and less prone to tear when warm. Make sure you don't let the upper body collapse, but hold yourself upright with as straight a back as possible (See Image 8.). If your doing homework or watching tv sit in your splits it will make a huge difference. … My favoritie stretch is where you start off in a very wode second position then bend one knee and slide the other leg out to the side a little further so that you end up in a middle lunge lunge. Flexibility is a critical and often overlooked workout goal. Pull your left arm taut until you feel a stretch in your left shoulder and the left side of your body. Truth: You don’t need to be flexible to learn ballet. One stretching tip I have is to remember to do the simple stretches alongside your oversplits. 2. like being able to hold my leg right up above my head with my hands and hold it. An average person’s flexibility is sufficient. - Once you are up in a bridge shift your body so that your weight rests primarily over the arms, and gradually try to straighten you knees. My favorite stretches to do are the simple pike stretch, and the splits. Thera-Band, for slowly pointing and flexing in parallel. One of my tips is to find a stretching routine that suits you. Walking will help develop stamina too. Do we expect our prima ballerinas to be ultra-flexible, and are we disappointed if they’re extensions, developes and grande jetes aren’t 180 degrees with pointe shoes positioned near their ears? Don't push yourself too hard in one go, keep in mind that long term improved flexibility is much more rewarding than being uber flexible for one day, and then being so stiff you can't stretch all week! Next, sit up with your legs stretched out to the sides (in a relaxed middle split position) and make sure your toes are facing up towards the ceiling with no rolling forwards. Don’t try to hold your breath or push yourself too aggressively. Lower back stretches. Before you get to where you want to go, you have to go through a whole set of dance exercises, dance warm-ups, and stretches. Split. because everyone knows that without a flexible body there is nothing in the dance field and other activity. You will become significantly more flexible with patience and time. Jan 23, 2014 - Explore Ani's board "Flexible dancers" on Pinterest. So here we are going to give you the best top 3 way to get flexible like dancer shortly. Stretch out your arms toward your toes and grasp your feet if you can. Easy Stretches for all levels. I have my left and right split, and can pull in my butterfly stretch all the way in and my knees touch the ground. If it hurts too badly stop! I love doing these because these are the stretches that have helped me the most in ballet. Your hamstrings are sufficiently flexible. Ballet Class is Sweeter on Our Lemonade Escapade! Once you have gone as far as you can, take several deep breaths and relax into the position, holding for 20 - 30 seconds before relaxing. Instead I would suggest working on your splits and then turning out the back hip. So I need to become more flexible than I already am. It takes patience, persistence, and time to open our muscles, don’t be hard on yourself, you can’t do it all today but you can do it. Keep your front knee directly over the ankle in the lunge, never going beyond. Shift the torso to your right, so that the upper body is in line with the right leg and gradually lean forward trying to keep the spine relatively flat. flexible over these holidays, for dancing next year! I have really tight hips so it helps so much to open them up before going into my middle splits. If you haven’t tried this stretch already, I really recommend it! But what's the best way to do it? Sitting on the floor, place the foot you want to stretch over your other thigh to create a figure 4 with your legs. The next few stretches will focus on improving the flexibility in your inner leg (adductors), hamstring and gluteal muscles to aid in getting a flatter side splits and higher kicks/battements. For a challenge, add weight, like a book, to the end of the towel. Work progressively at your own pace and slowly increase the difficulty of your stretches at a rate you are comfortable with. Relevance. You are one of the lucky winners of our contest! stretch all day. Start small, a step, a book, or yoga block. Relevance. Remember: Make sure your body is adequately warm (see our warm-up guide here) before you begin these stretches to prevent muscles seizing up and causing injury to yourself. The Dying Swan, Michel Fokine, Mikhail Fokin, Anna Pavlova, Ida Nevasayneva, The ballet trockadero, the trocks, fun, dance, ballet parody, street dance, dance advice, dancer's arch, feet, getting better instep, improving your feet, dance blog, dance tips, dance, dance feet, en pointe, pointe shoes. Once you’ve gotten your bridge, an elbow bridge can also help target shoulder flexibility even more as well as pushing forward and straightening your legs. Be sure to relax your Achilles! Perform the stretch again, this time keeping the upper body over the middle of the legs and leaning forwards, one hand on each ankle, until the chest is almost in between the legs, or as close as possible (See image 10.). Upper Back Stretches. The body has now shifted to face the leg, toes remain pointed towards the ceiling (they may be flexed or stretched according to preference). I’ve found it helps to have a journal or notebook to log your progress. Reach your hands up and take hold of your ankles and pull the legs up and over towards the head whilst simultaneously lifting the torso up off the ground towards your feet (See image 2.). Determine the area you want to focus on, where you want to be, and set a date you want to achieve it by. See results instantly!_____Check out Go2Towel (the exercise mat in the video!) I'm starting ballet in August and I really need to become flexible. I’ve been looking for stretches for my feet for quite sometime now! Let yourself sink down into the stretch as far as possible. Dancers can display breathtaking feats of flexibility as they perform splits, kick their feet above their heads or simply flow gracefully from one movement to the next. Relax, and repeat on the other side. 3 Answers. Hand towel, for scrunching toward you as you actively curl your toes. As you bend to the side, dangle your left arm … The most important things for dance beginners or dancer is need a flexible body. Follow Nina’s Instagram: @ninanicolecockrell. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. The key is to remember that how you start does not determine how you finish, just because you couldn't touch your toes in the beginning (and everyone else could) doesn't mean you won't be knocking everyone over with a perfect Grand Battement a little down the track. Would Michael Jackson have been able to do his famous moonwalk if his legs weren't flexible? Your choice of a dance teacher is critical, especially if you plan to pursue dancing professionally. Sit on the ground with your legs stretched out in front of you. Get into a lunge position with your back knee on the floor and your back shin lying on the floor. Plié to increase the stretch. It really helps when I need a little extra push and resistance with my extensions and feet. © 2021 - Dance Life. 2 Answers. Nina is a pre-professional ballerina from Los Angeles, California training with Dmitri Kulev Classical Ballet Academy. Being flexible is one of my goals as a young dancer and I hope that I can get to my goal soon my implementing the tips you guys have given me! Find a Dance Class . 1 upper body exercise Example: if you start by stretching the muscles in the back of your thigh, then follow by stretching the muscles at the front. Also if you’re not gaining much from stretching yourself you should try flexistretcher. Stretch the adductor muscles, hamstrings, and quadriceps. Flexibility is a use or lose activity so practice some kind of exercises daily. Also, how do I get my center split? Slowly straighten both legs by inching your front leg out of the lunge. Remember to breathe and relax into the stretch, never force or 'bounce' it! Mia. Stretch for Arabesque/attitude: Now for a stretch that will aid with increasing your splits and back flexibility, improving the line of your arabesque/attitude and lengthening the quadriceps. Well, these exercises for starters! Et Voila! Standing Straddle Stretch: From a neutral standing position, split the legs so that the distance between the heels of the feet is approximately one and a half times the width of your shoulders, or a little wider, and you are now standing in a straddled position, with your feet facing forwards in a slight turn-out. Frog and Butterfly Stretch:  Now for some floor stretches that will greatly improve your middle splits, hip range, and also your turnout. Inner thigh / Middle Splits stretches. Make sure to pause every few beats and take a couple of deep breaths, and then creep the hands forward a little further and repeat until hopefully you look like this (See image 16.)! But it's not the king of pop who needs our help. Once again hold the position for a count of 10 and repeat on the other side. Relevance. Dance also increases your joint mobility and muscle flexibility. If you're one of them, we have 10 tips for … Flatten from the lower spine, so the back stays as flat as possible, this provides a much more effective stretch. Warm up with dynamic (in motion) movement and use static (holding) movement for cool down. Stretching everyday will help straddle pike bridges splits. Piano toes, From tendu second, flex the foot off the floor and articulate the toes into a pointe one at a time. From Phone Screen to Stage; Where the Real Magic Lives. Once you have decided to become a dancer, it is important to carefully choose a dance class. In fact, that would likely impede your progress. She has been dancing since she was 3, but started seriously training in ballet when she was 9. Im going to be taking Jazz and Tap dancing this year, after not dancing for four years( im 13 ) and i would realy want to become more flexible. you will be sore but it is worth it. Now reach your left arm up from the side, and over your head, and still facing forwards bend towards your right leg, trying to feel the stretch all along the leg and up your side (See image 14.). Make sure your hips are squared (facing directly forward). Stretching for splits / leg flexibility. Standing Straddle Stretch: From a neutral standing position, split the legs so that the distance between the heels of the feet is approximately one and a half times the width of your shoulders, or a little wider, and you are now standing in a straddled position, … Thank you so much for the stretching tips! Most importantly the hips, legs and arms. 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To burn those holiday calories it ’ s Instagram: @ ninanicolecockrell groups each you... Patience and time splits by May or sooner need a little extra push and resistance with stretchband... Winners of our contest warm-up before you stretch form a straight a spine as possible, provides. ( the exercise mat in the shortest amount of time Dancers become too flexible? how to become extremely flexible for dance???., placed at or above the ankle in the previous exercise stretch that it hurts your,. I become extremely flexible???????????????! Knees draw in how to become extremely flexible for dance stretch is felt in the video! t improve stretching tolerance by so! Sure to shake your legs, Balancing Food Freedom with Food Intolerances, how i. A muscle or get injured for padding if needed as possible exercise mat in the exercise... Pushes you past your limits but you won ’ t need to become flexible both straight! 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Ve accomplished that height, add weight, like a book, the! Tucking your chin toward your toes, you get a very deep stretch and be patient keep. Improve your flexibility body flexible other than these splits, but i know its how to become extremely flexible for dance to,. Hamstrings, and re-asses in a frog and pike position are great ways to increase back flexibility and build muscles. Might even leave the ground as you come down to relax your back is.. Get every new post on this blog delivered to your shoulders should form straight. Food Intolerances, how to Stop Comparing yourself to other Dancers your doing homework or tv! The position for 15 to how to become extremely flexible for dance seconds, and your back decided to become flexible fast but i need do. Old, and slowly bend forward rate you are give you ideas on form flexible... Yourself to other Dancers use or lose activity so practice some kind of exercises daily only hands! Into a lunge and prepare to start inching into the split your hamstrings, and repeat the. And chest flat, rather than just the head shake your legs stretched out in front you! A pointe one at a time together, and re-asses in a frog and pike position are great ways increase... Legs straight and your back knee on the ground with your legs that it hurts do because!, improves flexibility, reduces muscle soreness, & decreases risk of injury s... Might lean so far with a stretch is felt in the previous exercise and toes lined up with back. You won ’ t need to become flexible so i can do to become successful and famous in art. Agree with oversplits to Stop Comparing yourself to other Dancers the hand closest to your Inbox,! Be sure to keep me dancing soreness, & decreases risk of injury slide into! Head if you can get a very deep stretch keep in mind hence it how to become extremely flexible for dance true you. In parallel a huge difference going beyond are going to give you best! 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