Welcome to Move and Groove 6 directed by Coni Belgareto. In our 6th class of the series, we will be continuing the concepts explored in previous classes including alignment, turnout and footwork, providing dancers with the support they need to reach their personal best.

We will begin with Fusion Glow to increase the heart rate while working the obliques and deep abdominals. We will then move on to Bounce and Balance facing the barre. This exercise uses the yellow mini-loop band to train weight placement and knee alignment in rises and jumps. This exercise is brilliant for building soft tissue strength, loading the achilles tendon and the soleus muscle to increase lower leg strength.

To help young dancers with their foot articulation  during jumps, we will perform Sky Rockets Level 2. This exercise is an extension of the Move and Groove 5 exercise, taking the dancer from an upright seated position to lying supine. The Level 2 version requires more coordination, promoting the activation of the metatarsals to push through the whole foot as the arms shoot up to a fifth position.

Tips

Check that the knees are tracking over the toes.

Encourage dancers to keep their toes long when stretching their feet.

Remind dancers not to force their turnout — they should only work within their individual range.