Competition season for dance is slowly approaching, so preparing your mind and body for a long day of exercise is very important. There will always be superstitions and rituals that dancers follow so that they will do well, but prioritizing your health is more important.
One thing you can start with is to run through your routines and break down each part of the dance until you can do it with your eyes closed. Practice which parts of the dance are most interactive with the audience and which facial expressions are better to use. For jazz or Latin dance pieces, over the top facial expressions help to make the dance feel more lively. Another thing you can do is work on your stamina. Additionally, you can prioritize your sleep and nutrition.
For high energy dances, you need a lot of stamina to keep you going so that you don’t lose power on stage. Running, cardio and breathing techniques help to make your routine look easy and skilled on stage. When doing cardio, the most beneficial exercises are sprints, box jumps and body weight circuits. Sprints are going to help train your reflexes to act quickly. This will help your routine by making short, fast movements feel simple. For sprinting, you should start small, with around 20 second intervals and try to beat your distance every time. Another exercise is box jumping, this will help with your core, glutes, quads, calves and hamstrings. This exercise builds coordination with your lower body and increases your power and speed. Use a box or a sturdy platform and place it very close to you. Bend down, jump and swing your arms behind to gain more momentum, and repeat as many times as you feel you need. Body weight circuits including push-ups, planks, crunches and lunges help to build your overall strength. Core workouts are the most helpful for balance, lunges for leg stability and push-ups for arm strength.
The days leading up to a competition are very important, especially with what you eat. Eating lots of protein, vegetables and fruits to help muscle growth and keep your digestive system healthy is important. Snacks to bring to your competition can be protein bars, crackers and a wide fruit selection. It is important to always fuel your body so you don’t pass out or get tired. Avoid greasy and sugary food because they may cause discomfort during your performance. Hydration is very crucial especially before you go on stage. Typically, you need to drink at least 75 ounces of water a day; however,with exercise drinking at least 90 ounces of water would be more beneficial. Stress and Adrenaline are always going to be there right before you go on stage. Breathing techniques like box breathing and shake downs can help to calm your emotions and make your performance more clear and stable. To complete a shake down, a dancer starts by shaking their right hand for eight seconds. Then, the dancer repeats this with their left hand, right leg and then left leg. The dancer then starts over and shakes each body part for seven seconds and then decreases the time for every repetition until they get to zero. Box breathing is a timed breathing exercise where you inhale for four seconds, hold your breath for four seconds, exhale for four seconds, and then hold your breath for four more seconds. You can repeat this exercise as needed to help improve relaxation.
Keeping up with stretching and working on trouble areas are best for the days leading up to the competition. Icing, wrapping and rolling out muscles will help keep you loose and flexible. Practice and work on your technique and you will definitely be prepared.
