My Favorite Stretches

  Hello, Welcome to Dance Darlings! I’m Ainsley and I’ve been a dancer since I was 3. Every dancer knows you need to stretch to avoid injury and I think it helps me dance better too. So here’s my top 3 favorite stretches.  

Before I show you the stretches none of these pictures are mine and I give full credit to the rightful owners.  

1. Pigeon Stretch

   I am pretty sure this is the name for it but, this stretch stretches what you need for splits. Dance teachers commonly have you stretch lunges and some other similar stretches however, I think this one works very well. Bonus if you grab yoga blocks and lean back on them. 

 

2. Froggy Stretch

   I absolutely love this stretch! It really stretches your hips and feels amazing. There are multiple variations of this but the two I like the most are the normal froggy and a froggy sitting up. To sit up just straighten your arms instead of being on your elbows. To get a deeper stretch you can gently pulse back and forth slowly. 

3. Backbend Rock

  Many dancers don’t think they need to do backbend if they don’t take any acrobatic classes, however your back and shoulder flexibility is very important in any kind of dance. For a beginner just pushing up in a bridge is good then as you progress start to rock. If you can do that you can also go to your elbows and rock. This really stretches your shoulders and back, and feels so good. Remember these won’t look perfect right away but they will still give you a stretch. 

   I hope these were helpful! I have so many more so let me know if you want to see them!