Hi Zoria et. al. !!!

This is less of an article and more like a topic for discussion. And here is my two cents!

I was perusing the "tribe" yesterday and saw a very interesing topic: warm-up versus stretching (or nothing) at the beginning of class or pre-performance. I thought this was a GREAT topic, as I have often wondered myself why we don't do a warm-up, per se.

As was mentioned in the other discussion group, stretching our muscles should be done post work-out, NOT before! I tend to forget this myself, but we could really hurt ourselves by stretching when our bodies are not warmed up. Range of motion "excercises" are most beneficial for pre-dance. And, I personally have discovered that meditation before dance gives me a MUCH better dance experience! And I read that one the dancers in the other discussion group does some breathing techniques, ROM (range of motion), dancing, then stretching. I think that, that is the way to go! I think I'll revise my practice sessions to include a similar variety of movements. So for me, it will be meditation and breathing (maybe 10 minutes), ROM (another 5-10 minutes), dance, then stretch.

Oh, and yoga (a wonderful practice for anyone, especially dancers) is not like ROM. It's more like stretching, and is probably best for post-dance or non-dance times after a warm-up like ROM. I tend to alternate and do yoga at non-dance times.

--Neferet