How to Dance at Home Safely During a Pandemic

"Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass. It's about learning how to dance in the rain." - Vivian Greene

Dance studios have closed…

We’ve entered the virtual world…

Classes have moved online…

EVERYONE is offering dance classes…

So, what do dancers need to know to continue to train safely?

First and foremost, dancers should NOT assume that every dance class posted online presents a safe and healthy way to train.

Dancers need to trust in their past training, use the knowledge they’ve gained and remember what they’ve been taught. Classes need to include a proper warm-up, need to acknowledge that everyone’s body is different, and need to present material in a way that makes sense. If an exercise presented on screen does not feel right or hurts, DON’T DO IT!! Attempting a difficult step without the training that prepares the body for it is a sure way to increase the risk of injury. If it looks too tricky, now is not the time to try it! When dancers are in a studio, teachers are constantly determining what steps and exercises students are ready for and can provide personalized guidance for performing them correctly and  safely. When dancers are on their own, that safety net disappears.

Finding a safe space to train 

Dancers are now dancing in bedrooms, living rooms, kitchens and even outside. A dance studio is designed to provide a safe space in which the body can train. At home there are obstacles like couches, lamps, chairs, beds, stoves and railings. It is usually the teacher’s job to make sure the studio is a safe space with obstacles removed and floors swept and cleaned.  It is now the dancer’s job to look at the space in which they are training and determine if it is safe and how dancing might need to be adapted. Some furniture might need to be moved or movements might need to be smaller to avoid kicking a couch or smacking a foot or arm on a railing.

Evaluating the dance surface 

The best surface for dancers is a sprung wood floor, but homes do not normally have those. Dancers are now training on rugs, floors covered by ceramic or vinyl tiles or the ground. It is important that dancers realize that turning on a carpeted or sticky floor or an uneven surface could increase the risk of twisting an ankle or knee. 

Dancers might need to  limit the turns they are doing, substituting balancing in the turning position instead - they will still be developing strength and gaining something from the exercise. Also, dancers might consider wearing a dance sneaker or regular sneaker to decrease the impact on the body during jumps. In general, it might be best to limit the amount of jumping done in our home studios and work on relevés instead - again, dancers will still be gaining something from the exercise.

Warming up 

The tendency when we’re training at home is to simply turn on the computer, phone or tv and begin our dance class. We lack the transition time we usually have as we move between activities in our day. It is important for dancers to warm up before a home class just as they would when taking class in a studio. A quick cardio warm-up or some dynamic stretching will prepare the dancer’s body as well as mind for what is coming next.

Cooling Down 

Lastly, it’s important for dancers to take some time to cool-down and transition back into life after an online class. This time is perfect for static stretching. Dancers can use the time to increase flexibility, help decrease muscle soreness and slow down heart rates before dancers return to re-join their new lives.

Ignoring Your Body - Part 2

        My previous post, Why Dancers Need to Ignore Their Bodies – Part 1, explained that when dancers focus too much on controlling their bodies, they prevent the body’s automatic, reflexive responses from working. These responses help us to maintain balance and to move efficiently and effectively. When we override these responses by trying to control every single movement we make, we cause our bodies to work twice as hard.

        Researchers have found that by directing attention away from the body and toward an external focus, dancers and other athletes can work more efficiently and effectively while also improving.

        Imagery has been used in dance for a long time. There is the type of imagery that serves as a mental rehearsal of a combination or dance, the type that envisions success on the stage that can reduce performance anxiety, and there is metaphorical imagery that can be used in class and rehearsal to help dancers understand a concept and improve upon technique.

        Metaphorical imagery is the type that provides the dancer with external foci and draws attention away from the body. My last post mentioned increasing jump height and technique by trying to jump higher than something on the wall of the studio, and using a sticker or post-it note to work on turning. Instead of focusing on getting the body to turn in space, dancers should concentrate on the sticker “spotting” the wall or mirror. It is important to note that even when the sticker is removed, the

results should be reproducible.

        Many throughout the years have used metaphorical

imagery. Lulu Swiegard is well-known for the imagery she used to teach proper alignment, and Eric Franklin has published articles and books on the subject of imagery in dance.

        Below are some examples that dancers and educators can begin using in class. These are only a few suggestions, and this list is by no means exhaustive.  If you have any examples of metaphorical imagery that have worked for you or your students, I hope you’ll share them with us in the comments below the post.

Imagine being sucked up through a soda straw – to teach students to lengthen through the back and sides of the torso as well as the front.

Imagine your head floating up like a helium-filled balloon ­– to teach spine lengthening and alignment.

Touch the edges of a bubble surrounding yourself – to teach students to extend themselves in every direction when teaching a circular port de corps.

Trace the rainbow -  to teach port de bras side

Imagine yourself wearing a sandwich board – to teach the students to bend directly side without leaning forward or backward.

Imagine water spraying out of the top of your head and arching backward

Or

Arch up over a brick wall behind you – to teach port de bras back

Imagine yourself breaking through the top of the water in a lake or pool – when opening the arms to 2nd from 5th position.

Draw each circle on the floor larger than the one before – to achieve a lengthened leg in rond de jambe par terre

Allow your leg to go over a speed bump and not into a pothole ­ - to help with the movement of the leg from 2nd postion en l’air to an arabesque position and from arabesque to 2nd position.

Let your knee open the door – to achieve a turned out retiré or passé.

Envision a telephone pole in front of you & wrap your arms around it – to help with holding a balance with the arms in first position.

Drill a hole down through the floor – to help teach strength of the standing leg and alignment in turns.

Jump over a hurdle – to teach grand jetés