How do I warm up before dance practice at home?
Five minutes is enough: two of light cardio to raise the pulse — jogging on the spot, jumping jacks, or dancing badly to a song — then two of moving the joints the routine will use through their range, then a slow, small run of the phrase itself. Save held stretches for the end; cold muscles pulled long do not dance better, they tear.
Raise the pulse
Anything that makes you slightly out of breath in two minutes. Dancing loosely to the song you are about to learn is the most efficient version, because it also puts the music in your ears.
Move the joints
Ankles in circles, knees soft bends, hips in circles both ways, spine rolling down and up, shoulders in circles, neck gently side to side. Match it to the routine: floorwork wants wrists and hips; footwork wants ankles and calves.
Then the phrase, small
Mark the phrase at half size and half energy before you dance it. It is a warm-up for the specific movements and a first review of the memory at the same time.
Step by step
- Two minutes of pulse. Jog on the spot, jumping jacks, or loose dancing to the song.
- Two minutes of joints. Ankles, knees, hips, spine, shoulders, neck, matched to the routine.
- One minute of the phrase. Marked small, at low energy.
- Stretch at the end. Held stretches after practice, when the muscles are warm.