Technical Tuesday
Muscles and Stretch
To stretch or not to
stretch before class – that is the question. There are other questions too, but this
is a hotly debated one. Should you stretch before class? If you haven’t warmed
up at all, it isn’t a good idea (never stretch a cold muscle), but if you
have just come in from jogging around the block you are probably warm enough to
stretch. So the answer is: it depends.
Four basic types of
stretching have been defined (see today’s link for all the details). Here are
the four: ballistic dynamic, static, and Proprioceptive Neuromuscular
Facilitation. Whew!
Ballistic
stretching involves bouncing, which I don’t recommend for dancers.
Dynamic stretching is a
controlled stretching exercise that uses dance-specific movements.
Static stretching involves
staying in the stretched position for 30 seconds.
Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation was created in the 1950s to aid patients
weakened by disease, and has been reworked for dancers and athletes. It
involves three different techniques, each with three phases that involve
contracting and relaxing various muscle groups.
That’s a very basic
overview. For a full, detailed look at stretching see today’s link.
From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets:
Dance History Factoid # 94
“There
are several types of stretching technique.”
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