Things You’ll Need:

• Knowledge of your field of dance study
• Time before (and after!) lessons to warm up and stretch

Why we warm up

1. Start slowly. The goal of dance warm up is not to make you sweat or feel warm, but to raise your temperature and heart rate to a “working” condition.
2. Go from zero to 60. Dancers beginning from a standstill ask a lot of their hearts and limbs. Blood and airways need to be flowing and muscles need to be able to reach into a leap, turn or plie. Warm up exercises and stretching accomplish that.
3. Avoid injuries. A “pulled” muscle is actually a tear in a muscle or tendon that was not properly prepared for action. Warm up in order to stay on the dance floor, not the sidelines.

Know How to Warm up

1. Raise your heart rate and work the joints you will be using. Begin warm up with dancelike movements that mimic steps or arm motions. Remember to start out small and gradually increase motion.
2. Add movements specific to your style of dance. Ballet dancers will drop into plies, tap dancers will practice gentle shuffles. Ask your tutor for ideas.
3. Follow a planned warm up regimen. Put together some of your own favorite dance moves in a special sequence.

You have sewn the four pieces of ribbon to the sides of your ballet shoes and you now need to know how to tie your ballet ribbons. Once tied, ballet shoes with ribbons look so elegant and keep the shoe attached to the foot, whilst freeing up the front of the foot to stretch as much as possible.

STEP 1
Put the shoe on the foot of the dancer. It is important the dancer is standing up as it flexes the foot correctly for ribbon size. Hold one ribbon in each hand.

STEP 2
Taking the ribbon which is attached to the outside of the foot, cross over the front of the ankle, pass around the ankle (inside), around the heel, around the front of the foot again and hold it just above the inside ankle bone.

STEP 3
Taking the ribbon which is attached to the inside of the foot, cross over the front of the ankle, pass around the outside of the ankle, around the heel, all the way around to cross over the front of the foot again, around the back and coming to a stop above the inside ankle bone. (This ribbon goes around the foot more than the other ribbon)

STEP 4
Take the ends of both ribbons and do a double knot. After you have done a double knot you will need to leave approx 4-5cm and then cut the rest off.

STEP 5
Tuck the ends inside the ribbons around the ankle.

TIPS
You can use a bobby pin to help push the ends inside the other ribbons.

STEP 6
After cutting the ribbon to length, you will need to do something with the ribbon to stop it fraying. You can buy products which will spray on and stop the fray. A cheaper, just as effective method is to singe the ribbon.

If you are doing an exam or competition, it is important for the ends not to fall out. Once you have tucked them in, spray the ribbons around that area with hair spray, it will help to hold them in place!

STEP 2
Twist hair into one long strand and wrap it around into a bun shape. Use one or two bobby pins to secure the coiled hair into the hair underneath the forming bun.

STEP 4
Cover the bun with a hair net. You can keep adjusting and tightening the hair net until it fits snugly over the bun. Use extra bobby pins if needed.