15 minutes stretches for dancers for a better hips mobility and improving your dancing skills and abilities to dance and perform.
G’day dancers and movers! It’s Gaylyn Lareese here, welcoming you back to our channel where dance passion meets the next level. Today, I’m thrilled to take you through an invigorating 15-minute full-body flexibility workout that will enhance your arabesque lines and open up those hips! I’m all set to go, having first warmed up my muscles using my trusty massage balls, and I’ve also curated a calming playlist to accompany us; you’ll find it in the description box below. So roll out your mat, and let’s dive straight into stretching!
Our session today is crafted into two focused parts, making sure we address each muscle group on both the right and left sides for balance and symmetry. We’ll begin with the basics, targeting the hip adductors—that’s the inner thigh area that’s essential for hip flexibility. I’ll guide you through active and passive stretches, touching on everything from butterfly stretches to quad stretches, ensuring your body gets a comprehensive workout. Remember, breathing is key, and we’re here to enjoy the journey toward greater flexibility. Let’s start stretching and feel the difference in our dance movements!
Key Takeaways
- A 15-minute stretching routine was introduced, aiming to improve overall flexibility, particularly for enhancing arabesque lines.
- The routine includes both active and passive stretches, focusing on several muscle groups including hips, thighs, and quads.
- The session is structured in two parts, with progressions for beginners to advanced stretches, catering for complete body engagement.
- Stretches and proper dancing shoes are the often forgotten but crucial elements by dancers.
Part 1: Start your session of stretches for dancers with those hips openers Stretches
Hip Adductor Stretch
I begin by sitting upright, bringing the soles of my feet together in front of me. Reaching upwards, I then fold forward over my feet, encouraging my legs to open gently at the hip joint. Inhale deeply and, if needed, extend hands forward to intensify the stretch. Hold this position for half a minute, focusing on breathing evenly.
Single Leg Extension Stretch
Next stretches for dancers, extend one leg to the side to form a half straddle. Reaching towards the extended leg, I make sure to elongate my arm, feeling the stretch through my side. This dynamic stretch requires muscle engagement rather than relaxation, so I keep active as I stretch towards my toes for another 30 seconds. For a deeper sensation, I point and flex my foot.
Broad Fourth Pose Stretch
Shifting into a broad fourth position, I prepare for a more passive stretching experience. With a deep breath, I reach up and then over the bent knee, letting my body relax into this 30-second passive stretch. It’s important to let the breath flow smoothly and to let gravity assist in deepening the stretch.
Thigh Flexibility Stretches
Moving onto the quadriceps, I rotate my torso to gaze towards my back foot and send a line of energy from my toes through my arm. As this is an active stretch, I keep my muscles engaged, maintaining the position for 30 seconds. Then, for a passive release, I rotate fully, laying my back flat or resting on my forearms, and relaxing the pose for 45 seconds.
Glute and Deep Rotator Stretch
Returning to the half straddle, the focus moves to the external rotators, including the piriformis, crucial for a strong arabesque line. Reaching upwards and over, I aim for a 45-second stretch that targets the glutes and deep rotators, keeping mindful of the sensation across my musculature.
Best stretches for dancers
Part 2: More advanced Flexibility Techniques
Avian Posture for Chest Expansion
In this position, I drop into a kneel and arrange myself into what’s akin to an avian resting stance. My back leg is tucked in while my hands take hold of my foot behind me. Then, I extend my arms, adding tension that promotes an expansive feeling across my chest. While my foot works against my hands to intensify this pose, my aim is to keep my shoulders as serene as possible. I’ll linger here for a solid half minute.
Hip Flexor Stretch in Extended Posture
Lifting to a tabletop position, I centre my support knee while drawing in the opposite leg into an elevated, backward stance, like a ballet dancer’s attitude position. This creates a rise in my chest and ensures my active leg stays parallel to the one supporting me. My focus here is on deeply engaging those hip flexors. Through this engaged stretching, I’ll stay put for another 30 seconds.
Stretches for dancers: full body flexibility stretch routine
Best Stretches for dancers
After warming up our muscles with some massage ball prep, we dive right into our tailored 15-minute full-body flexibility stretch routine. This sequence is brilliantly structured to enhance your arabesque lines by targeting the most pivotal muscle groups for an all-encompassing stretch experience.
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Butterfly Stretch
- Duration: 30 seconds
- Sit with the soles of your feet touching.
- Lean forward gently, increasing the stretch by reaching your hands forward.
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Half Straddle Stretch
- Duration: 30 seconds
- Extend one leg out and reach towards it.
- Activate your muscles for a dynamic stretch.
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Grand Fourth Position Stretch
- Duration: 30 seconds
- Transition into a grand fourth on the floor.
- Reach up and over in a relaxing passive stretch.
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Quadriceps Stretch
- Duration: 30 seconds (active), 45 seconds (passive)
- Engage the quads actively by reaching back to your foot.
- For a more passive approach, lie back and aim to make the back flush with the floor.
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External Rotators Stretch
- Duration: 45 seconds
- Return to the half straddle and focus on stretching the external rotators, essential for maintaining your arabesque.
Part one of our routine concludes after following these stretches for both sides of the body, with an audible cue signalling when to switch.
Heightened Flexibility
Part two ascends into more intricate stretches that promise a deeper engagement for the hip flexors and a release for the upper back, chest, and arms.
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Pigeon Pose Extension
- Duration: 30 seconds
- In a pigeon pose, clasp the foot and pull back to open the chest while keeping shoulders relaxed.
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Active Attitude Stretch
- Duration: 30 seconds
- From all fours, extend into an attitude position feeling a profound stretch in the hip flexors.
After repeating these for the alternate side, with the familiar sound cue to switch, we approach the conclusion of our routine.
Gentle Repose
Finally, we embrace a serene Child’s Pose, welcoming a deep stretch across the back.
- Arms Extended Child’s Pose
- Duration: Final 30 seconds
- Arms are outstretched to maximise the reach and soothe the back muscles.
And there we have it! Hopefully, you’re feeling a notable looseness in your back, openness in your hips, and fewer tensions in your quads after those stretches for dancers routine.
Wrap-Up of Today’s Stretching Session
I’m over the moon to share how today’s 15-minute full-body flexibility stretching routine went! Starting with the butterfly stretch has really helped in giving my hip adductors that much-needed stretch. Sitting up straight, bringing the soles of my feet together, and folding forward has allowed for a great stretch in my inner thighs, enhancing my flexibility there.
Transitioning into the half straddle, reaching out with an arm over the leg, I really felt the stretch down my side. Keeping the muscles engaged makes this an active stretch, so I could really feel it working.
Next up, moving smoothly into a full stretch from the grand fourth position on the floor, just really reached over and relaxed into it. This passive movement is all about breathing and letting go, which I did for a comfortable 30 seconds.
For the quadriceps, those ever-important muscles for a strong arabesque, I focused on a mix of active and passive stretching. The active quad stretch involved a twist and reach, imagining a line of energy from my toes through to my fingertips. Following on with a passive stretch, laying back and relaxing on the ground, helped release the muscles even further.
Returning to the half straddle, I focused on stretching my external rotators, crucial for maintaining arabesque lines. Leaning into the stretch, I could feel it across my glutes and deep within the piriformis.
Pivot to part two, where the stretches got a bit more challenging, targeting the hip flexors and upper body. The pigeon pose was fantastic for an active chest opener, using resistance to enhance the stretch. Not to mention, the arm-extended back attitude from all fours really addressed those hip flexors.
Finishing with Child’s Pose, I extended my arms to the side to include a gentle stretch across my back. Making the perfect ending for our stretches for dancers’ routine of today.
I hope your muscles are feeling looser, your hips more open, and those quads less tight after our stretches for dancers session.
Thank you for reading our blog post about the 15 min Best stretches for dancers
Dance teacher, music lover and latin dancer!
