Coat closet warm-ups...

topic posted Wed, May 14, 2008 - 7:38 PM by  Ela
I'm sure you all have had very... interesting... places to warm up in before performances. (For me, the one that takes the cake was a messy & tight supply closet stuffed with 2 giant BBQ grills, stacked plywood, and metal grating. I could barely extend my arms with out getting a splinter or scrape!)

I would love to know what exercises, drills, & stretches that you all do, in order to warm up properly, while in a tight and confined area. I am sure we will all benefit! :)
posted by:
Ela
offline Ela
Massachusetts
  • Re: Coat closet warm-ups...

    Wed, May 14, 2008 - 11:22 PM
    This is a good one! I won't even go into all the crazy places I've had to prepare for a show, but I personally go through the following if I only have a small space:

    warm up my feet and ankles (circles and roll throughs)
    calf stretch and quads (and I have figured all kinds of different ways to do this depending on the amount of room) =P
    figure eights to stretch out my hips and warm up my obliques
    gluts (with level changes if space allows), twists, pelvic locks, a few squares & circles
    large hipcircles
    ribcage isolations (side to side, locks, circles)
    Full body sways
    Forward bend and back bends where I can get the space
    Arms, wrists, and hands (snake arms side if possible, down or up if needed, wrist circles, and hand undulations)
    Shimmie

    Just a few of each depending on the amount of time available. If I'm on standby, I just keep repeating to stay warm and limber.
  • Re: Coat closet warm-ups...

    Thu, May 15, 2008 - 7:35 AM
    Ha! My troupe's most recent performance found us warming up/practicing in a narrow hallway which was the exit to the trash bin and located next to the men's restroom! It was the ONLY space available away from the main performance area. Talk about inconvenient. Then the photographer for the event discovered us and BEGAN TAKING PICTURES! Ugh, not the best light in which to present your troupe, to say the least....

    Regardless of space, I always warm up all my joints with slow circles and gentle stretches, especially my lower back, hips and shoulders. While I'm doing this, I "warm up" my mind as well, doing a mental practice of my performance including how I will breathe during each move. Sometimes, we forget the importance of warming up our brains, as well as our bodies =)
  • Re: Coat closet warm-ups...

    Thu, May 15, 2008 - 8:52 AM
    When confined, I try to make use of the walls in front of me, door jams, etc. to assist in warming up.

    stretch a foot up the wall to help open the hips, then switch
    push off away from the wall to warm up arms
    one hand on each side of the door jam and lean forward and backward to open shoulders and chest and back
    "cobra" stretch up the wall (so the rest of you is against the wall, shoulders and head leaning back
    side stretches, making use of the wall – face the wall, walk hands sideways, making sure torso stays against the wall
    lunges with front leg against the wall, stepping back from it
    forward bends with you butt on the wall

    and more. Use what you have. When I have plenty of room, I do my Tai Chi to warm up, including the meditation if there's time. Sends energy to every muscle, every joint and wakes up the mind.
  • Re: Coat closet warm-ups...

    Thu, May 15, 2008 - 11:19 AM
    I often do the salutation that i begin/end classes with--it's slow, meditative and gets my body in the flowing/beautiful mode.
    If there's space, I like to do a few crunches or sit ups to get in touch with my core, so it's warmed up a bit before i go out.
    I swing my arms to get the blood pumping.
    Forward folds do wonders for me (before a show, or anytime in 'real life').
    If i'm dancing to canned music I like to listen to my ipod and mark it several times before i go on.
    I consider anything else bonus--but I like bonus!

    If I'm contorting, I have a much stricter requirements--at least an hour of deep stretching.

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