Achieving a split should not be the main focus of a dancer, but developing your range of motion and flexibility can enhance your movements. 

Stretching safely and at the right time is imperative to avoiding injury! Below is a an excerpt from a terrific blog post “Stretching Safely for Splits” written by our friend Nichelle at Dance Advantage. Her article provides sound advice that can be applied to stretching in general.

Splits are a topic on most young dancers’ minds. I know when I was a student the ability to sit in a split seemed pretty important. Of course, flexibility and range of motion are certainly fundamental elements in dance. However, when it comes to stretching and splits some dancers place intense emphasis on achieving the ideal static position, forgetting that this type of flexibility is only part of the picture. They compromise the health of their instrument – the body – as they push to extremes to get results, and get results fast.

Read the whole article HERE

Enjoy!

Filed under: About Dance, Strengthen and Stretch, The Secrets of Movement | Tagged: Dance tips, Stretching, Dance Lesson