Good
evening!
Today
I’m writing you after finishing my day because I actually couldn’t
think of a good topic for today during the moring, but thanks to my friends I got one! They
proposed me to show my warm up for ballet class when I actually have
time to do a full warm up. So without further a do, let’s get right
into it!
To
begin with, if it’s really cold, I might run a bit on place and do
something to raise my body temperature. When it’s warmer outside I
don’t do it because I anyway have a good 20 minute walk to go to
the academy so I usually count that as a good warm up walk.
Once I
get into the studio and I’m dressed with some warm clothes I start
stretching. I know, a lot of phisios and experts would kill me
because a warm up it’s not a stretch but I guess that every dancer
might know that unless you have a small gym in your working place,
you usually get into the studio and start stretching to get your
joints opened and ready for turning out all the way through class
without having blocked hips.
I start
with a frog position. I really try to feel both of my hips square and
I try to connect my full leg to the floor as if I was doing a grand
plié in first position. I really like this stretch and some years
ago I was completely unable to ever touch the floor but slowly,
through understanding how the hips can rotate and completely open up,
I made it!
After
that I move into splits. I like to stay in the middle split for
around two to three minutes and then I bend one of the legs and get
my torso sideways towards my stretched leg.
This
stretch it’s meant to really force your bended leg to open the hip
joint as much as possible.
I then
use my roller to put one of my legs up and really feel an overstretch
of the hip joints. Bending forward is great as you force the split to
an over split.
Afterwards
I do the pyrmidal stretch. There’s a group of muscles that are
found right underneath the glutes that connect the hip joint to the
sacrum and those are the real turnout muscles. Stretching them helps
release accumulated tension and although a lot of dancers hate it
because it’s an uncomfortable position, it really helps me find my
turnout muscles. When they’re really sore it’s great to roll the
muscles with a tennis ball or a similar ball. It’s even better when
done after class as it helps to cool down your muscles and prevent
injuries that might come with overworking a certain muscular group.
I then
go into some scissor splits. This exercise helps me crack my hips
(yes cracking the joints it’s not as bad as some may believe) and
also activate the inner thigh muscles. Laying down on my back I raise
my legs forming a perpendicular line with the floor and with a fifth
position I do the action of an entrechat quatre and on the second
opening I just split.
Now
it’s time for actual splits. I first stretch my psoas.
Then I
move into the actual split. I really like to twist my body and
grabbing my back leg as it helps later with arabesques and attitudes.
It helps me to really feel a good crossing action when starting the
barre already with tendus.
Now
it’s feet time! I never had the greatest feet so for me it was
always the biggest part of my warm up. I start with rolling well the
sole of my foot with my good massage balls. I use the big beige one
for the sole of my feet and the small one for my heel.
I also
roll my calf muscles in this moment as the Achiles tendon is
connected to the calf muscles and releasing them helps to raise
properly into a good relevé position without getting cramps.
I
massage my toes and the inner arch with my own fingers. I accumulate
quite a lot of tension in my soles so this is one of my favorite
moment of my warm up because it feels like having a bit of a good
physio session.
I then
do some strengthening exercises. Starting with the Thera-Band I first
do my toes. I do a claw kind of movement where I dissociate my toes
from my arch. Another great exercise to strengthen the toes is
picking pencils with your toes. It helps building up the muscle group
that controls your toes providing more stability and a better line
when stretching the feet.
I also
do some basic demi-pointe and pointe action with the resistance of
the Thera-Band. This is also a great exercise to get strong ankles
and better arches.
Another
great exercise is the one to strengthen the side muscles of the calf
that provide stability to the ankle. The Thera-Band pushes en dedans
the foot and while holding the Thera-Band with the help of the other
foot you just need to push towards a fished position with the working
foot.
I move
into the barre to do some raises First alternating feet and then I
move into parallel raises and first position raises. I still need to
work well my demi pointe because for me, having my second toe being
the longest, I lose stability easily going towards the outside so
basic elevés exercises really help me build up strength in my ankles
to avoid twisted ankle situations.
Moving
on to back. I roll my back muscles with the help of my roller and I
then stay laying with the roller on my lower back to help release the
lower back muscles.
I also
try to crack any vertebrates that might be stuck and I roll my neck
with the blue double ball that I used for the calf. I do some bridges
and cambrés to keep mobile my back. Of course, I start a bit slowly
and then I do a full motion movement. I must be really careful with
my back because I’ve been blessed with good flexibility but that
makes me sit sometimes on my lower vertebrates and it can originate
very painful injuries.
I also
open my shoulders with the help of the Deuser Band. A towel works
very good as well!
In the
barre I fish up doing some front, side, and back stretches to keep my
hips opened and my back working.
Then I
finish up my warm up with the stability and core control. First I do
some twisting and regular abdominals but I would like to make a
specific post about it as I work my core strength better when I go to
the gym. What I almost never miss is the plank because it activates
the core like no other exercise and I find it helps me find my
balance much easier afterwards.
I also
do some up stretches to keep my hamstrings long and my back strong. I
introduce a panché as well for the same reasons I’ve been talking
about it before. Finding stability without being too hard on my muscles.
Final
exercise: stand in a fifth position for around one minute with each
leg. My teacher told me to do it during the year and although I
though at the beginning that it was a nonsense, it actually helps
finding your center and activating your muscles to get that perfect
fifth position from the very beginning of class.
Laughing about it because my friends
reminded me of my teacher saying this in class.
And
that’s my warm up! It’s quite long but that doesn’t mean that
all warm ups should be this long or that these exercises are the best
ones. Everyone is different and has different needs. For me my main
focus is to open my hips and warm up properly my feet. I forgot to
mention that if I have enough time I would do some tendus before
starting the class. Very slow and being conscious of how the sole
interacts with the floor. When I’m doing class on my own I
sometimes do the barre with socks because I love feeling well the
floor while working and it brings me more awareness towards my feet
positions.
There’s
many exercises I could get into but I think I could talk about them
in the future connecting it with injuries I might have had before. If
you’re interested, please tell me down below!
I hope
you enjoyed today’s post and I hope you have a very nice night.
See you
tomorrow!
Love,
Muriel
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