What I Love About dance
By Tallie Collins
The Many Different Styles Of Dance
1. Hip-Hop
2. Ballroom
3. Acrobatic
4. Ballet
5. Contemporary
6. Jazz
These are only 6 of the thousands of styles that dance ranges from.mDances such as these can take many many hours of time and effort to perfect, but if you are dedicated and determined, you will eventually get there.
What Physical Skills are Required for Dance?
Posture and Alignment (placement of the joints of the body. Weight evenly on the feet, knees bend over toes, back has curves but not forces, shoulders relaxed.)
Flexibility (The ability of your joints to move through a full range of motion. Having flexibility in your muscles allows for more movement around the joints.)
Balance (Being stable whilst being still and during movement. Using centre to manage weight placement.)
Stamina (Is the endurance of either the muscles or the heart and breathing. Ability to keep going.)
Extension (To stretch and extend the body usually arms, or legs, toes or fingers.)
These are certainly not the only skills needed to be able to dance, these are only 5 of many many more, but in my opinion, they are the most important skills to have.
How To Increase Your Flexibility
1. Do dynamic stretching. Dynamic stretching should always be done before static stretching. Dynamic stretching includes motion and is meant to mimic and exaggerate the movements of actual exercise and daily motions. This is a much safer form of stretching
2. Do static stretching. Static stretching is the form of stretching that most people are familiar with from childhood gym classes. These are stretches done in a sitting or otherwise stationary position. These can increase flexibility but should only be done when working out is completed.
3. Yoga is an Indian meditation technique and exercise which has been shown to reduce stress and anxiety (in turn aiding weight loss) and is excellent for building better balance and flexibility.
Common dance injuries
Trochanteric Bursitis - common cause of hip pain in dancers.
Snapping Hip - snapping hip can occur as a muscle or tendon passes over a bony structure.
Iliacus Tendinitis - Iliacus tendonitis often results from overuse during dance activities.
Femoral Stress Fracture - Repeated training with either faulty technique or muscle imbalance can increase the risk for a stress fracture.
Osteoarthritis - The most common causes of osteoarthritis are previous injuries, joint overuse and aging.
Here are some tips to prevent injuries like these -
Try to maintain flexibility in the hip joints.
Keep a balance between left and right side leg strength
Make sure you eat enough foods with sufficient calcium, for strong healthy bones.
Avoid dancing on hard or uneven floors for prolonged periods of time
Famous Dancers Past And Present
Anna Pavlova
Michael Jackson
Martha Graham
Jack Cole
Mikhail Baryshnikov
Mikhail Nikolaevich Baryshnikov, nicknamed "Misha", is a Russian dancer, choreographer, and classifies as one of the greatest ballet dancers in history.