Five basic conditioning principles for growing dancers.

Angelina trains under the guidance of her teacher, Miss Mimi. Your little dancer may follow these basic principles under the guidance of a teacher, parent, or guardian.

1 Always Warm Up!
A warm up eases the body into exercise by gradually increasing heart rate and circulation. It prepares the systems of the body slowly rather than taxing them suddenly.
2 Progress Slowly
Dancers require six to eight weeks of conditioning and classes to get into top physical condition. Students should progress slowly when returning from vacation or injury.
3 Watch Out For Fatigue
A tired dancer is more prone to injury. A long rehearsal day or a day filled with classes may be too much for a dancer who is not used to the intensity those schedules require.
4 Cool Down
Gradually diminishing the intensity of work allows the body to slow down all of its systems, including circulation. A good way to cool down is to actively stretch the body.
5 Recondition
It only takes one to two weeks to lose some of your fitness. This does not mean a dancer should never take time off; it simply means that activities have to be ramped up appropriately when returning to dance training. There must be a reconditioning period.