Chassés are in the Air

It's that time. Spring is finally starting to show it's buds. This is the time of the year when dancers start planning what they are going to do dance-wise for the summer.

Some decide not to do anything. They figure, "I've been dancing all year, so my body needs some sort of break!" Although this is partly true, a complete break will not help your body. Yes, it is alright to take small breaks from dancing, but you must still keep in shape. If you do not stay in shape through the summer season it will be that much harder to get back into it in the fall. So, resting your body from dancing can be helpful, but only in certain situations. Those such as an injury of any sort are all acceptable reasons to take a break for a couple of months. If you continue to work through your injuries, they will only get worse as time goes on.

It is safe to say that the best option for your body during the summer is to keep dancing. Maybe at a lower intensity level, but still make sure to be dancing. That way, your body is still comfortable with the movements and it will take less pain to get back into the techniques. If you plan to take on a lower intensity level of classes for the summer, make sure that your body still stays in shape. Meaning, make sure that your cardio endurance stays at the same level or even increases, and that your muscle tone still stays the same, or gets better. Again, this continuing of training throughout the summer will help your body out a lot more when it comes time for the next season of dance in schools. The less amount of time that you have to spend on getting yourself back into shape, the more time is able to be put into working on your technical ability throughout the year!