The Pulse On Tour

Tonight I just got home from The Pulse On Tour and I have to say it was yet again an amazing experience. I've been several times before and each year gets better and better. The Pulse On Tour is a dance convention where you get take classes from professional dancers and choreographers who teach you their own creative dances they've choreographed. Some of the teachers this year included Dave Scott, Gil Duldulao, Ian Eastwood, and Brian Friedman just to name a few. I especially enjoyed Dave Scott's hip hop dances and Tessandra Chavez's contemporary dance. I also got to perform in the opening number at the showcase they had, which was a blast! I had a fantastic time dancing on The Pulse stage with the energy from all the other dancers plus the great choreography we were taught. I strongly recommend going to The Pulse On Tour, you grow as a dancer and of course have a ton of fun! The Pulse On Tour has already gone to a few states and some it's too late to register so you should definitely go this year if you still can or plan on going next year. It is a great opportunity to learn from the best and to have a super enjoyable time. Plus they give out $30,000 in scholarships per city! So while you're dancing maybe you'll impress your teacher and they might hand pick you to receive a scholarship. There are many different levels you can choose from, whichever one you think is appropriate for you. For the younger ones (ages eight to thirteen) there's an organization called Camp pulse. This is a separate event geared toward introducing the novice dancers to the convention style setting. The other levels include intermediate, high intermediate, advanced, and pro. I again had an awesome time and all dancers should participate at The Pulse On Tour! Check it out! http://www.thepulseontour.com/

Pirouettes

A pirouette is a turn done on the ball of your foot with the other foot placed at the knee and your arms are usually rounded in front of you. Pirouettes are very simple but the more you can do the more impressive it is. To do a right single pirouette, you first prepare by placing your left foot in front of your right foot. You can either have your feet spread away from each other in a fourth position or for a more challenging way to do your pirouette, you can prepare in fifth position, which is when your right heel is touching the toes of your left foot. Have your right arm straight in front of you and your left one straight reaching to the left. Your arms should look like a backwards "L". The next part all happens in one fluid motion. So what you do is bend both your knees in plié ( A movement in which the knees are bent while the back is held straight.) Then you open your right arm to the right, push off both feet and bring your right foot up your leg to your left knee, Your right knee can either be facing straight forward or facing the side turned out. You do all this then make a full rotation going clockwise. Keep your head and eyes forward until the very last second then snap it around. This is called spotting, which is required to perform any turns. Spotting also prevents dizziness and helps you control your turns. Once you finish your single turn, put your right foot down off your knee and behind your left foot in a small lunge. After you've mastered a single turn you can work on getting your double, triples, quads and so on. You will just have to spot the number of times you turn. Some tips on how to make your turns more clean is to squeeze all your muscles in tight and hold your core. The more you work on your pirouettes the sharper and more controlled they will look. You will also be able to do more the more you practice.        

Grande Jete/Leaps

A grande jete, also known as a leap, is a jump in which you do a split in the air. A leap is a very common jump dancer use in routines. There are many different kinds of leaps you can do, straddle leaps, back attitude leaps, switch leaps, etc. The most common ,split leap, is what I will show you how to do. First make sure you always stretch both legs before doing your leaps or else you could possibly injure yourself. I recommend you stretch your lunges and your splits. After you are fully stretched you are ready to do a leap. If you want to do a right leap (the right leg is extended in front of you while your left leg is extended behind) stand up straight and place your right leg in front of you with your foot pointed. There are several different combinations you can do before your leap but usually dancers chassé once (a chassé is when you slide your forward foot and bend your forward knee, then quickly bring your back foot to meet with the front foot. You should be in the air when your feet meet.),step onto your right foot, then step with your left and then push off your left leg as hard as you can and extend your right in front of you and left leg behind you. You should look like you're doing a right split in the air. Do the opposite for a left leap. The higher your legs are the more impressive your leaps will look. If your leaps are not as high as you want them to be keep stretching, especially your splits, and practice them consistently. Never give up and keep working hard!   

Flexibility

As a dancer, having flexibility is very important and is tremendously impressive, especially having it in your hips, legs, and your back. Flexibility is what will enable you to perform with a full range of motion without harming yourself or getting an injury. Flexibility will help get you get your legs higher in your kicks, leaps, and extensions. Your dancing will also be less stiff and more fluid the more flexible you are. The best ways to get more flexible is to stretch properly everyday, work at it progressively, relax as much as possible when you stretch, and do it with friends for motivation. Some of the most common stretches you can do to improve your flexibility are lunges, backbends, bridges, splits, straddles, frog stretch, and a pike stretch.

Lunges
A lunge is done by placing one foot in front of your chest on the ground, then lay the other leg behind you, pushing your hips forward with your hands placed on each side of your foot. After a few minutes of stretching, switch your feet to feel the stretch on the other leg. This will open up your hips more and increase your hip flexibility.
    

 

  

Bridges/Backbends
There are two really good ways to stretch your back out. The simpler way to do it is to do a bridge. You do a bridge by laying on your back with your feet planted on the ground. Your hands will also be placed on the ground right by your ears facing downwards, the same way your feet are facing. Then push your hips up and straighten your elbows and knees as much as you can. The more challenging way to do this is to start standing up with your feet shoulder width apart. Then hold your arms up, carefully bend your back backwards, reach for the floor and release your head back. Now you're in the same position you are in for the bridge. If this is your first time, I recommend doing the bridge because it's less of a safety hazard or have someone spot you doing the backbend, by having them place an arm under your back while you're bending back. This way they can caught you if you start to fall.

 

Splits

Before you do your splits you should do your lunges to warm up your hips and prevent you from pulling anything. A split is basically a lunge but instead of having one foot placed on the ground, it slides out in front with your back thigh and calf touching the ground. If you really want to challenge yourself, try to bend your back leg and your back, and try to touch your toes to your head. This way you stretch both your back and hips out. Two stretches in one!  

 

 

Straddle

A straddle is another way to stretch your hips out. You do it by sitting on the ground and then open your legs out. Reach over to each leg and stretch your arms as far as you can to the center. Try to get your chest and stomach flat the ground when you. The closer to the ground you are the more flexible your hips and hamstrings are. Make sure you don't hurt yourself trying to go too far if you are not flexible enough. Remember flexibility takes time, you will gradually get more and more flexible over time.  

 

 



Frog Stretch

The frog stretch is probably one of the most awkward stretches but it is very effective. First lay on you stomach with your elbows propping you up, then bend both your knees, and touch your feet together. You can either flex or point your toes but make sure you are turning your feet out. You also need to keep your hips on the ground if you raise them up you won't stretch your hips properly. The first time you do the frog stretch your feet will be raised off the ground, but with time you will gain the flexibility to get them down.

 

 

Pike Stretch



The pike stretch is one of the easiest stretches you can do. First sit on the ground with your legs out in front of you. Then simply reach for your toes. For an even deeper stretch try to get your chest to your legs as much as possible. This will stretch your lower back and your hamstrings.

 

  

There are many more stretches you can do to help you become more flexible but these are the most common and are fairly easy. I promise if you continuously do these stretches for at least 15 minutes a day, you will see improvement in your flexibility. Don't get frustrated if you can't get them the first time, with time you will accomplish these stretches and will super flexible before you know it. Like I said before stretching with your friends and fellow dancers is a good idea. Keep each other motivated because YOU CAN DO IT!  Keeping a healthy diet and enough sleep also contributes. Make sure you keep your body hydrated as well. I hope this helped.