Jazz Dance with Leslie

Every Tuesday and Thursday I've been taking Jazz dance classes with Leslie. She insisted that I take this class with her in order for us to be closer as well as get regular exercise. I was hesitant to take this course because I haven't taken any dance lessons since I was three, and I am not the most flexible person in the world, so of course, I was a little aprehensive! Also, I know Leslie has taken many years of dance, so I thought she would probably succeed in making me look more terrible at jazz dance than I already was. Luckily, Leslie is like a personal motivational speaker for me. She is full of great advice--including advice on becoming a better dancer.

STRETCHING

Before dancing it is always necessary to stretch. This is mandatory in order to prevent muscles from tearing, cramps, and increasing flexibility. The more flexible one is, the easier it is to perform certain moves and positions. Leslie tells me that instead of watching the television while laying on my bed and nearly falling asleep, to take the opportunity to sit on the carpet and stretch. A lot of people neglect stretching because it hurts a little bit and it can be boring. However, if I stretch while watching TV, my mind is distracted from the pain and I am able to do it better!


STRENGTH

Ever noticed how thin and muscular dancers are? This is because not only do they eat healthy food, but they make sure to strenghten their muscles. Here is a list of some exercises that really help in improving dance skills: Crunches, lunges, push upsand backwards push ups. The most important of these are the crunches and lunges. This is because jazz dancing primarly uses the leg muscles as well as the core, or abdominal muscles. Strengthening these muscles will ensure an easier time balancing, which many find to be quite challenging. For example, as a warm-up each class, we must stand on our tippy toes and do twirls and kicks. I have realized that the more I work out my leg and core muscles, the easier it is for me to do these moves.