#gsudance

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dance comes from the soul.

Be at peace today

Be patient

Take your time

Breathe

Learn

Try again.

Sometimes, it gets hard when you can’t accomplish things as fast as you would like, especially in dance, but don’t let it bring you down! Take your time, learn from your mistakes and try again. Let your confidence come from your soul, dance from within, feel the music, the words, and breathe. 

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Dance Tip #1

Focus: Improving Extensions

Dancers love a great extension, but it takes a lot of dedication, flexibility, and strength to get it to look amazing! Today’s tips will help to improve extensions. 

          1. Three-way Splits. Having a perfect 180 degree split is hard to practice in the air, so we must perfect it on the floor! Try to sit in all 3 splits for at least three minutes each day. Remember to point your toes, turn out, and straighten your knees. 

         2. Over-splits. Okay, yes we just talked sitting in splits, but if you’re splits are pretty good, you should still push for progress. Place your foot over a “rolled up towel or small stack of magazines two to three inches high.” If this is still not enough for you do not be afraid to increase the height. 

           3. Pied a la Main. Try this in-class exercise at home! Stand in first position with one arm over something that can symbolize a barre, like a counter top. Now, take the other hand and grab your heel. Next, “plié your standing leg and extend your working leg while keeping your hand on your heel.” Pull it towards you as much as you can while keeping a balanced and even posture. Now straighten your standing leg slowly and raise your working leg as high as you can without hurting yourself and keeping your hips as even as possible. Once you feel comfortable, remove your hand from the “barre” and try to hold it for as long as you can and then slowly come down to tendu.             4. Barre Holds. Place your leg on something that can symbolize a barre, placing it to the front and to the side and stretch over it. Focus on your alignment and placement.

          5. Barre Lifts. Place your foot (pointed and turned out) on your “barre” with your hips square, body straightened and raise your foot from the barre a little, even just an inch. Hold for 8 counts and slowly lower back down. Repeat this exercise on each leg four times with your foot to the front and then to the side. 

         6. Slow Developpé . To develop strength try doing slow, 32-count developpés: “eight counts to passé, eight counts to attitude, eight counts extended, and eight counts to lower.” This will build muscle endurance and make it easier to hold extensions.         7. Pike Lifts. “Sit on the floor, high on your hips with a straight spine, feet pointed and turned out, knees straight, and arms six inches away from either side of the body, fingertips grazing the floor.” Point and straighten one leg and lift the other six inches off the floor. “Hold it for eight counts, then lower it, alternating legs and repeating eight times (for a total of sixteen).” This will help you get a feel for the length required for good extensions. 

***ALL tips from today come from link above. Read more by clicking on the link “Focus:Improving Extensions.” ***

I hope you guys enjoyed today’s tip! I don’t know about you all, but I am trying these today! All of today's tips are from the link above, be sure to check out their website for more tips. 

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Can you say Woman Crush Wednesday? These lovely DEGSU ladies had a wonderful performance at Spotlight’s Spooky Plaza (Fall 2014). Can’t wait for more performances this fall!  

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Summer Stretch

Continue stretching and working on your technique as a dancer! 

And remember stay hydrated! 

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Contact?

You can email Dance Ensemble at [email protected] 

President: Taylor Colquitt

Vice-President: Lea Nelson