Advice for all young dancers

[drdance]

Hi everyone, I have just posted on my FB page https://www.facebook.com/saferdancetraining/ a post with advice for young dancers regarding online/home training. I would be very grateful if you could share this on your pages/social media. Thanks

 

The text reads:

"This is a message for all you young dancers out there – especially those of you who are training at a vocational level, or who want to become professional dancers in the future…. My message to you is the same as it always is – you have one body and it’s got to last you your whole career.

 

You are probably panicking right now about being away from your dance school or your normal classes. Many of you probably take lots of classes and you’re worried about keeping up with all of it. Maybe you’re worried you’re going to fall behind, that you’re going to lose fitness or flexibility during this time.

 

I completely understand your fears. It’s probably not helped by being away from your classmates. The only contact you have with them might be on social media which, right now, is being flooded with pictures of people joining in with online classes from home, or if they’re really lucky, they’ve got a home studio set up! But all that can make you feel like you’re not keeping up. It’s a worrying time.

 

I’m here to remind you NOT TO PANIC! Try and treat the next few days, maybe even a week, like a holiday. Take a break! Your body and your mind will thank you. Spend some time with your family – appreciate them because we all know that if we’re lucky and no-one gets poorly, we’re going to be stuck with them for a while. A few days off will not be a disaster, just like a few days off at half term or over the holidays is never a disaster; then once you’ve had your break, start by using the classes that your own teacher or school has provided or recommended for you. They know you best and they know your level, and what you should be working on. It’s going to be really tempting to try to fill your schedule with every available online class going but it’s worth remembering some basic advice that I give at any point in time:

1)     Do not do more classes/training/exercise than you would normally do. You might risk burnout, or injury.

2)     Do not attempt moves or styles that you don’t normally do, especially if the person leading the class cannot see you to guide you.

3)     Make sure you warm up properly before starting any exercise session. A warm up should get your heart rate and breathing rate going faster and loosen up all your joints, in an active way. Avoid passive stretching! (see my aerobic interval training video if you want any tips).

4)     Avoid the temptation to practice contortion or acro tricks. These are really dangerous if you’re not with a qualified coach who can supervise you. You risk serious injuries.

5)     If you are tempted to join in online classes that aren’t from or recommended by your own teachers, check the credentials of the person running the class. Make sure they really know what they’re doing, especially when it comes to teaching things like strength, flexibility, acro or other specialisms. Remember that children and adolescents should not be trained in the same way as adults, because their bodies are very different. So check the qualifications and experience of anyone who says their fitness/stretch/strengthen/acro class is suitable for children/ adolescents.

6)     Finally, and I cannot stress this enough, your body has got to last you your whole career. With any luck, that is going to be a long career and hopefully lasting way, way past this period of time. What you do now could cause you serious long term problems but it could also set you up for an amazing career!

 

Good luck and if you have any questions about how to stay safe please drop me a message!

[alison]

Excellent advice as ever, DrDance!

[drdance]

Thank you, Alison. Please do share on social media if you can! Thanks x

[alison]

I don't do social media, but I can at least link it to a couple of other threads.

[Mumofballetmaddaughter]

Excellent advice at any time drdance and even more so now. Thank you for posting x

 

[drdance]

3 hours ago, Mumofballetmaddaughter said:

Excellent advice at any time drdance and even more so now. Thank you for posting x

 

Pleasure! Please do share the post on social media if you can. Thanks 

[Confuddled]

Thanks for the advice - I’m torn between letting dd do some of the classes like EYB and NYB where it’s aimed at young people and I know and trust the brand, and saying to just wait for her dance school. I don’t mind about her losing fitness etc as that’s all regainable, but a good class does make her so much happier, and that’s really important at the moment when she’s cut off from so many of the things that make her happy.

[WrapsnBows]

1 hour ago, Confuddled said:

Thanks for the advice - I’m torn between letting dd do some of the classes like EYB and NYB where it’s aimed at young people and I know and trust the brand, and saying to just wait for her dance school. I don’t mind about her losing fitness etc as that’s all regainable, but a good class does make her so much happier, and that’s really important at the moment when she’s cut off from so many of the things that make her happy.

Just think about it being a pick me up for her in these times ...... when they dance so much then cut to nothing over night it’s as much as a shock for them than us, also it’s nice for them to see other teacher choreography, my DD19 is loving the EYB Classes and has also been doing stretch classes from my DS dance classes and is really enjoying stepping away from her uni dance assessments and learning from others xxxxx 

[drdance]

14 hours ago, Confuddled said:

Thanks for the advice - I’m torn between letting dd do some of the classes like EYB and NYB where it’s aimed at young people and I know and trust the brand, and saying to just wait for her dance school. I don’t mind about her losing fitness etc as that’s all regainable, but a good class does make her so much happier, and that’s really important at the moment when she’s cut off from so many of the things that make her happy.

I'm not saying don't do any of them - just exercise caution. Those that are aimed at young people from a reputable source like NYB and EYB will be great! My post was really aimed at all those who feel the need to join in with every single thing going - every professional ballet dancers' class, every Instagram live, and every opportunity to get a name check or a shout out from someone on social media!