Tips & Pointers
Some Tips for Surviving the Show Season
Warm Up! While you may only be 'marking' steps, always make sure you do a full warm up before class, and this is NOT just sitting in side splits! Aim to get all of your muscles warm and the heart pumping a bit!
Make Sure You Stay Warm! Lots of injuries happen in rehearsals, as we are moving around, then sit and rest for a bit, and then suddenly get up and move again! Make sure that you wrap up warm if you are going to be not dancing for more than 5 - 10 minutes.
Keep Hydrated. We sweat a lot more than we realize in dancing, so make sure that you keep sipping water at regular intervals. Room temperature water is better than ice cold, and while it is good to keep your electrolytes up, sports drinks tend to have a little too much sugar in them. Dilute them if you simply must have them.
Keep Your Energy Levels High. Make sure that you have good "Slow Release" carbohydrate snacks to keep your energy going through long rehearsals. This is not chocolate! A little every now and then is okay, but not as your main source of energy!
Get Lots Of Sleep! Healing happens when we sleep, so give your body the best chance by getting to bed early.
Ice Your Feet! Especially when doing a lot of pointe work, your feet are sustaining micro injuries every day. Put them in a bucket of ice water for 15 minutes after stopping dancing for the day (make sure your feet are flat on the bottom) to help settle any little bits of inflammation. This is horrible in the beginning but you get used to it, and it really does make a huge difference! Then pop them up a wall or on the end of the couch to further reduce any inflammation in the joints.
Keep Up With Your Exercises! While lots of dancers struggle with having the time, it is REALLY important that you keep up with any strengthening exercises while you are in performance mode. Make the time.
Focus On Technique! While you are learning lots of choreography, sometimes the footwork can get sloppy, and this is when injuries happen. Always think about your foot placement and how you are working the feet to avoid injury.