“I feel as though I’m a little kid on Christmas and I’ve opened my gift and inside was the one thing I always wanted and had been hoping, praying and begging for. I’m absolutely giddy!!!”

Mary: How did the course change you as a teacher (or a dancer)?

Hannah Guidry & Dr. Peggy Willis-Aarnio at the Teacher's Congress, January 2012

As a dancer I have so many mixed emotions. I’m upset because I feel like all those years were waisted and I have to start over. I’m also excited because, now that I have the answers, I can go back and begin teaching myself the right way and finally see change.

Mary: What is one thing you learned that surprised you?

Hannah: One thing I learned that surprised me was how the tendon in your foot is supposed to be when you are pulling up. This is something you learn on Day 2, and to think of how many dancers don’t have this knowledge. It’s something so basic, but the proper use of it will effect the results so much.

Mary: What do you plan to do with this knowledge, going forward?

Hannah: I plan on hiding myself in an office for about a month, really going over my notes and making sure it’s completely clear. I also plan to start from the beginning at Day 1 and begin re-teaching myself and writing out my lesson plans.

While doing this, I have had many ideas pop into my head about how I can improve–or add to–my creative movement and pre-ballet classes, and have begun implementing them with my twin 3-year-olds. I feel as though, knowing the bigger picture, I can enrich my younger kids’ program so much more.

Mary: Anything else you’d like to add?

Hannah: I feel as though I’m a little kid on Christmas and I’ve opened my gift and inside was the one thing I always wanted and had been hoping, praying and begging for. I’m absolutely giddy!!!

Thanks, Hannah, for sharing your experience with us!

If you are interested in enrolling or learning more about the teacher’s course, we are currently booking courses all over the country for this summer. Please visit the tour website, or e-mail me for more info.

I had this question on the Facebook page about the method founded by Vaganova, and wanted to share the answer because I know lots of you are probably wondering the same thing:

The syllabus doesn’t start until age 10, so what do I teach all the younger kids?

If you are a studio owner or a teacher, you know that the little ones are our bread and butter. Throngs of young girls, especially, come to be ballerinas in tutus, and many leave well before the time they reach 10 years old. So what can we do with all of those little kids?

The reason the 8-year program doesn’t start until a certain age is because turn-out is taught on the second day of training, and also because pointe work starts during the second half of the first year. Prior to about age 8 1/2 9 1/2, the bones are still not hardened enough to endure serious training, and are susceptible to twisting and bending out of shape, causing permanent damage.

The 8-year academic program, beginning at age 9 1/2 to 10, includes 6 lessons on 6 days with one day of rest. This is the ideal because it is the maximum amount that a student can safely train (your body really does need that last day to rest). By beginning at the earliest age at which it is safe to train, this program minimizes the amount of time required to develop the skill needed to be a classical artist, thereby lengthening one’s potential career as much as possible.

Pre-Academic Class

Between the ages of 8 1/2 to 9 1/2, students are still too young to begin the serious program and pointe work should not begin until age 10, however you may begin teaching the beginning of the syllabus, with slightly turned-in feet, spread out over more time, 2-3 days per week at most. You might call this group a “pre-academic” class, which will whet their appetite for the full, academic program.

Pre-Ballet Classes

From age 3 to 9 1/2, turn-out is not taught at all but lessons could still include the beginning of the syllabus, with slightly turned-in feet. This is what is known as your pre-ballet class.

You may choose to divide the pre-ballet children up into smaller groups, such as: Age 3-4, Age 5-6, Age 7-8. The older classes could do a little more from the actual syllabus, and the younger class will only be able to do the dancing improvisation portion, and perhaps a very basic introduction to the positions of the feet and arms. I like to call this class “creative movement” because it really is not ballet yet but it develops imaginative movement of the whole body, a skill they will be able to use later as a trained artist.

Many pre-ballet teachers also include a stretching portion, in a circle in the center for example. I like to do circles with little kids because it helps to corral the group and keep them focused. However, I do not do stretches this young anymore, especially not on cold muscles or before jumping. To learn more about when and how to stretch, check out these posts, and the series, The Truth About “Warm-Up” Stretching.

Benefits of Taking Pre-Ballet

Despite the fact that pre-ballet does not teach a lot of classical ballet technique yet, there are many benefits to the student:

• Basic locomotor skills and mind/body awareness
• Musicality and rhythm
• Imaginative thinking skills
• Increased focus and ability to follow direction
• Respect for authority figures
• Peer cooperation
• Self confidence and overcoming fears

So even if you aren’t one of those people who are just natural with little kids, you are offering a valuable service to those children and their parents by providing pre-ballet classes (not to mention drastically increasing your earning potential!).

Thanks to Anita for the great question! Other questions and discussions are popping up on the Facebook page, so be sure to check it out and “like” us to participate.

Have your own tips for teaching small children? Comment below!

In A Nutshell…

• In Part 1, we did not find sufficient evidence to support the traditional thought that static stretching prevents injuries.
• Part 2 found that static stretching does increase range of motion for 60-90 mins, but the same effects also weaken the muscle for up to 1 hour (Part 4).
• In Part 3, we found that static stretching does not reduce muscle stiffness, but temperature-increasing activities, such as dynamic stretches, do.

Overall, my conclusion agrees with the following quote from Duane Knudson, Professor of Kinesiology,
California State University at Chico:

“It is clear that from the standpoint of maximizing muscular performance, stretching creates an acute decrease in performance, therefore stretching should not normally be recommended prior to exercise with apparently healthy individuals, but be programmed during the cool-down after exercise training. The other line of evidence that supports this conclusion is that the largest, prospective studies of stretching show no effect of stretching on injury rates.” -Duane Knudson

Classical ballet experts and physiotherapists agree that static stretching should not be included as part of a warm-up routine.

Lisa Howell, Physical Therapist based in Sydney, Australia, who specialises in the assessment and treatment of dancers, and author of “The Perfect Pointe Book,” advises against static stretching prior to lessons, rehearsals and performances due to the acute weakening effect of such stretches.

Dmitri Roudnev, former soloist of the Bolshoi and founder of the Ballet Intensive from Moscow, agrees:

“Intensive stretches before ballet barre diminish training and cause risk for injury.

It has become very popular for dancers to stretch intensively before the barre. When visiting schools, I often see professionals as well as young students doing intensive stretching before class. They do penche’s or sit in side and middle split positions. Sometimes they arrive even an hour before the ballet class begins and work on these stretches.

Science News reports:
‘Now, research suggests that stretching may not do your body as much good as people thought. After reviewing more than 350 scientific studies, researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that stretching may not reduce the chance of injury. If it’s athletic performance you’re after, don’t expect stretching to help you run faster, jump higher, or throw a ball farther, either. Some studies show that stretching may actually slow you down, especially if you do it before you play your sport.’

You might argue that ballet is not sport. Ballet is not a sport, but ballet training is very athletic. Dancers and their teachers want stronger, higher, better.

Ballet training history shows that active stretching was not utilized or popular. Russia ballet schools didn’t accept children if they had prior gymnastics training. Special stretches were allowed only in the 5th year of training. And it was only allowed after the barre work.

Intensive stretching before the barre defeats the purpose of ballet training, and reduces ability to for anyone to become the best dancer possible. It could even lead to injury.” -Dmitri Roudnev

Peggy Willis-Aarnio, Professor Emeritus and a leading expert on the teaching method of classical ballet founded by Agrippina Vaganova and Vera Kostrovitskaya, wrote in her book, How to Teach Classical Ballet, 1st Year – Book 1,

“Kostrovitskaya said [that stretching before warming up] had already been tried mostly by amateur teachers and that this kind of stretching leads to “professional injuries.” -Peggy Willis-Aarnio

So what do we do instead of static stretching?

Dynamic stretching has been shown to significantly reduce muscle stiffness and injury rates by increasing body temperature and blood flow, and has even been shown to increase performance.¹

But how can two kinds of stretching have two opposite effects? Wouldn’t dynamic stretching also inhibit muscle performance?

“Stretching muscles while moving,” explains Gretchen Reynolds of the New York Times, “a technique known as dynamic stretching or dynamic warm-ups, increases power, flexibility and range of motion. Muscles in motion don’t experience that insidious inhibitory response. They instead get what [Malachy] McHugh [(director of research at the Nicholas Institute of Sports Medicine and Athletic Trauma at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City)] calls ‘an excitatory message’ to perform.” Therefore, these dynamic exercises should be done in place of static stretching prior to lessons and performances.

Dynamic stretching is most effective when it is sports specific, in order to “activate all of the joints and connective tissue that will be needed for the task ahead,” says Terrence Mahon, a coach with Team Running USA, home to the Olympic marathoners Ryan Hall and Deena Kastor.

For ballet dancers, all exercises at the barre are dynamic stretches (which incrementally more difficult, a technique known to sports as “interval training”). However, simply beginning the barre with the plies on cold muscles is not sufficient. In Dr. Peggy Willis-Aarnio’s classical ballet teacher’s course, we learned that there is a short sequence of exercises developed by Agrippina Vaganova and Vera Kostrovitskaya which warm-up the ankle, knee and hip joints prior to the plies and the rest of the barre. (The correct execution of these exercises can be seen on Peggy Willis-Aarnio’s DVD series, “The Classical Ballet Lesson,” demonstrated by Galina Mezentseva.)

What are your thoughts?

Agree or disagree? Have a personal story that relates to stretching? Want to ask a question? All comments are welcome!

Footnotes:

1. In one 2004 study, golfers who did dynamic warm- up exercises and practice swings increased their clubhead speed and were projected to have dropped their handicaps by seven strokes over seven weeks. (Gretchen Reynolds, Stretching: The Truth)

If you are just joining us, we are on a mission to find out whether or not static stretches are an appropriate way to warm-up prior to a lesson or a performance. Don’t forget to follow me for the conclusion!

We’ve already covered whether static stretching reduces injuries, whether static stretching increases range of motion and whether static stretching reduces muscle stiffness. Today, we’ll ask one final question:

Does static stretching increase muscle readiness?

Photo via BoysInBallet

For example, in a 2004 clinical trial by the Department of Health and Human Performance at the University of Nebraska, static stretching was found to impair maximal force production in women.¹ Another study that same year found that static stretching reduced balance, reaction time, and movement time.² These findings are not just limited to adults, or athletes who are unaccustomed to stretching prior to strength and power type exercise, but have also been seen in athletes who ARE accustomed to stretching prior to exercise. For example, in young, female gymnasts:

“Children’s lower extremity power is reduced when the performance immediately follows passive, static stretching, even in children accustomed to static stretching during training sessions involving explosive power [e.g. drop jumps]“.³

The exact mechanism by which muscles lose their power to contract after static stretching is not known for sure, but researchers generally agree that there are a few possible mechanisms, or likely a combination of several:

One theory is that muscle power is reduced due to a central nervous system inhibitory mechanism.⁴ Basically, your brain tells your muscles to relax in response to the stretch, and works against contraction of those same muscle groups.

Another theory is “increased muscle-tendon compliance leading to a reduced rate of force transmission from the muscle to the skeletal system”⁵. To understand what this means, we need to understand the function of the tendon. From Wikipedia.org:

Tendons have been traditionally considered to simply be a mechanism by which muscles connect to bone, functioning simply to transmit forces. However, over the past two decades, much research focused on the elastic properties of tendons and their ability to function as springs. This allows tendons to passively modulate forces during locomotion, providing additional stability with no active work. It also allows tendons to store and recover energy at high efficiency. For example, during a human stride, the Achilles tendon stretches as the ankle joint dorsiflexes. During the last portion of the stride, as the foot plantar-flexes (pointing the toes down), the stored elastic energy is released. Furthermore, because the tendon stretches, the muscle is able to function with less or even no change in length, allowing the muscle to generate greater force.

Bottom line: The elastic properties of the tendon structure are very important for muscle function and efficiency. Research has found that, after you stretch, the muscle-tendon unit is more compliant, which means it is not as “springy” and the result is that the muscles are not able to generate as much force.

Yet another possible reason for reduction in performance is that static stretching can significantly increase muscle soreness and muscle damage (as indicated by elevated creatine kinase in the blood).⁵

Why is muscle power and readiness important for ballet dancers?

Photo via BoysInBallet

Since we now know that muscle power is reduced significantly for up to one hour after static stretching, it does not make sense to do these stretches just prior to a performance, where the dancer may need to go right on stage and start jumping. It also does not make sense to do static stretches in between the barre and the center, since the center work involves allegro work. For these reasons, ballet physiotherapist Lisa Howell advises against static stretches prior to lessons, rehearsals and performances.⁶

It may be less obvious that the ballet student or professional would need to have muscle power for the barre exercises, which begin with plie and battement tendu. However, the dancer will certainly need power for the later exercises at the barre, such as grande battement, where the leg is thrown with control. Class length being 1 hour and 1/2, the entire barre should be completed within one hour, so this within the time that the muscles may have reduced power. Additionally, the muscles can become quite taxed in beginner students while trying to maintain a turned-out position in even the most basic exercises at the barre, so muscle efficiency is important here as well.

That’s it for now! Follow me tomorrow and we’ll wrap up with a conclusion, including what all of this means for ballet dancers…

Sources:

1. Acute effects of static stretching on peak torque in women. Cramer JT, Housh TJ, Johnson GO, Miller JM, Coburn JW, Beck TW
Department of Health and Human Performance, Center for Youth Fitness and Sports Research, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska 68588, USA. jcramer@unlserve.unl.edu
Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research / National Strength & Conditioning Association [2004, 18(2):236-41]
2. Effect of Acute Static Stretching on Force, Balance, Reaction Time, and Movement Time. BEHM, DAVID G.; BAMBURY, ANDREW; CAHILL, FARRELL; POWER, KEVIN Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise . 36(8):1397-1402, August 2004.
3. Acute static stretching reduces lower extremity power in trained children. J R McNeal, W A Sands Pediatric Exercise Science (2003) Volume: 15, Issue: 2, Pages: 139-145
4. The acute effects of static stretching on peak torque, mean power output, electromyography, and mechanomyography. J. T. Cramer, T. J. Housh, J. P. Weir, G. O. Johnson, J. W. Coburn and T. W. Beck EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHYSIOLOGY Volume 93, Numbers 5-6, 530-539, DOI: 10.1007/s00421-004-1199-x
5. Should Static Stretching Be Used During a Warm-Up for Strength and Power Activities? Warren B. Young, PhD University of Ballarat, Ballarat, Victoria, Australia, David G. Behm, PhD, Memorial, University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada National Strength & Conditioning Association
Volume 24, Number 6, pages 33–37
6. Lisa Howell, physiotherapist: webcast.

If you are just joining us, we are on a mission to find out whether or not static stretches are an appropriate way to warm-up prior to a lesson or a performance. Don’t forget to follow me daily this week while I uncover what current research says on the matter, piece by piece!

We’ve already covered whether static stretching reduces injuries and whether static stretching increases range of motion. Today, we’ll ask the question:

Does static stretching reduce muscle stiffness?

While stretching might make your muscles feel like they are less “stiff,” this feeling does not actually have anything to do with the stiffness of the muscle tissue itself.²

Instead, this feeling following stretching or mild movement following inactivity is something called a “thixotropic” or history dependent (length and contraction) effect.^1,3,4 An example of this effect is when you have been sitting too long in one place and your back feels stiff, but you feel relief once you get up and move around for a few secs.¹

Photo via watchmojo.com

There is no clear evidence that stretching causes a reduction in muscle stiffness.¹ Many studies have been done to determine the acute effects of stretching on the passive stiffness of the muscle tissue, and most have observed no change following multiple bouts of stretching.¹

Warm-up activities which increase muscle temperature, however, HAVE been shown to reduce muscle stiffness, as well as increasing the maximum strain and stress the muscle can endure before injury.^5,6

According to studies in humans that have examined both stretching and active warm-up in combination, the decrease in muscle stiffness is mainly a result of increased temperature from warm-up and not the effects of stretching.^7,8 One study found that continuous passive motion significantly reduced the stiffness of the plantar flexors while stretching did not.⁹

Interesting, huh? Next time, we’ll talk about how ready the stretched muscle is to perform.

Thanks for reading! If you haven’t already subscribed to the BU Newsletter, add your e-mail to the list and follow me while we discuss the final topic and the conclusion.

Sources:

1. The Biomechanics of Stretching by Duane Knudson, California State University, Chico, Department of Kinesiology, First and Normal St., Chico, CA 95929-0330, USA
2. Warm-up stretches reduce sensations of stiffness and soreness after eccentric exercise. Reisman, S., Walsh, L.D. and Proske, U. 2005. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 37: 929-936.
3. Neuromuscular basis of stretching exercise. In: Strength and power in sports. Hutton, R.S. 1993. Ed: Komi, P. Oxford: Blackwell Scientific Publications. 29-38.
4. Visocoelastic response to repeated static stretching in human skeletal muscle. Magnusson, S.P., Simonsen, E.B., Aagaard, P., Gleim, G.W., McHugh, M.P. and Kjaer, M. 1995. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sport, 5: 342-347.
5. Warm-up and muscular injury prevention: an update. Safran, M.R., Seaber, A. and Garrett, W.E. 1989. Sports Medicine, 8: 239-249.
6. Identification of a threshold for skeletal muscle injury. Noonan, T.J., Best, T.M., Seaber, A.V. and Garrett, W.E. 1994. American Journal of Sports Medicine, 22: 257-261.
7. The influence of stretching and warm-up exercises on Achilles tendon reflex activity. Rosenbaum, D. and Hennig, E. 1995. Journal of Sports Sciences, 13: 481-490.
8. Effect of passive stretching and jogging on the series elastic muscle stiffness and range of motion of the ankle joint. McNair, P.J. and Stanley, S.N. 1996. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 30: 313-317.
9. Stretching at the ankle joint: viscoelastic responses to holds and continuous passive motion. McNair, P.J., Dombroski, E.W., Hewson, D.J and Stanley, S.N. 2000. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 33: 354-358.

If you are just joining us, we are on a mission to find out whether or not static stretches are an appropriate way to warm-up prior to a lesson or a performance. And don’t forget to follow me daily this week while I uncover what current research says on the matter, piece by piece!

Last time, we talked about whether or not static stretching just prior to a lesson or a performance will reduce injuries. The topic for today is:

Does static stretching increase range of motion (ROM)?

Photo by Rachel Papo

Yes, the acute (short-term) effect of static stretching clearly increases ROM, which lasts for about 60-90 mins.^1,5 According to the research, this increase in ROM may be largely due to an increase in stretch tolerance.^1,5 To quote an interesting paper on The Biomechanics of Stretching by Duane Knudson,

“In other words, the increased range of motion may be related to an analgesic effect that allows the person to tolerate higher levels of passive tension required to stretch the muscle farther than it was before.²“

Interestingly, stretch tolerance has been shown to be greater in persons who are more flexible to begin with.³

Another factor that causes an acute increase in ROM is called stress relaxation.

Stress Relaxation ["stres ree-lak-sey-shuhn"]:

Relaxation of a muscle which has been subjected to prolonged constant strain (usually occurs in the first 20 secs in passive stretches.^4,5,6,7)

You have probably felt this tension releasing affect when you are able to go deeper into a stretch after holding it for 20-30 secs. Unfortunately, stress relaxation only lasts for up to about 1 hour.³

Note, however, that this tension release, or stress relaxation, is not to be confused with the stiffness or elasticity of the muscle itself.² More about that next time…

If you haven’t already subscribed to the BU Newsletter, add your e-mail to the list and follow me for the next 3 days while I do some more digging…

Sources

1. Influences of strength, stretching and circulatory exercises on flexibility parameters of the human hamstrings. Wiemann, K. and Hahn, K. 1997. International Journal of Sports Medicine, 18: 340-346.
2. The Biomechanics of Stretching by Duane Knudson, California State University, Chico, Department of Kinesiology, First and Normal St., Chico, CA 95929-0330, USA
3. Magnusson, S.P, Aagaard, P., Simonsen, E.B. and Bojsen-Moeller, F. 2000a. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports, 10: 351-359.
4. Viscoelastic stress relaxation in human skeletal muscle. McHugh, M.P., Magnusson, S.P., Gleim, G.W. and Nicolas, J.A. 1992. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 24: 1375-1382.
5. Passive properties of human skeletal muscle during stretch maneuvers: a review. Magnusson, S.P. 1998. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports, 8: 65-77.
6. Stretching at the ankle joint: viscoelastic responses to holds and continuous passive motion. McNair, P.J., Dombroski, E.W., Hewson, D.J and Stanley, S.N. 2000. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 33: 354-358.
7. Time course of stress relaxation and recovery in human ankles. Duong, B., Low, M., Mosley, A.M., Lee, R. and Herbert, R.D. 2001 Clinical Biomechanics, 16: 601-607.

Today’s topic is:

Does static stretching prevent injuries?

First of all, let’s define static stretching…

Static Stretch ["stat-ik stretch"]:

A stretch in which you move a limb to the end of its range of motion and then hold it in the stretched position (e.g. side splits).

Warming up before exercise has been widely accepted as a good practice, and the research supports this too. In golf, research by Andrea Fradkin, an assistant professor of exercise science at Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania, suggests that those who warm up are nine times less likely to be injured¹. It is very common for warm-ups used by athletes to include static stretches, however, recent studies suggest that passive (relaxed), static stretches do NOT prevent lower limb injuries. These findings have caused many athletic coaches and others to re-evaluate their warm-up routines.

Why don’t static stretches prevent injuries very well? Well, a good warm up raises the body’s temperature prior to the activity¹. For example, a good temperature increasing activity is aerobic exercise, which works by increasing your heart-rate and getting more oxygenated blood to the muscle tissues. Static stretching, which is usually passive and keeps you still, doesn’t increase your blood flow or your heart-rate very much, so this is one possible reason.

Static stretching doesn’t prevent lower-limb injuries, but dynamic stretching does

In a large study on military recruits, results showed that an almost equal number of subjects developed lower-limb injuries (shin splints, stress fractures, etc.), regardless of whether they had performed static stretches before training sessions¹. On the other hand, a warm-up program which included both dynamic stretching and static stretching was found to cut knee injuries nearly in half among female collegiate soccer players¹.

Dynamic Stretch ["dahy-nam-ik stretch"]:

A stretch involving controlled movements which take the muscles through their complete range of motion (e.g. plie, tendu, grande battement… in fact, all exercises at the barre are dynamic stretches).

A study by the Japan Self-Defense Force Beppu Hospital in 2003 showed that static stretching decreased the incidence of muscle-related injuries but did not prevent bone or joint injuries². So it appears that dynamic warm-ups may reduce bone, joint and muscle injuries, while static stretching only prevents muscle injuries, at the very best. The largest, prospective studies of stretching, however, show NO effect of static stretching on injury rates^3,4,5.

Conclusion

While more studies need to be done to clear up the controversy (the technology to do studies showing the exact biomechanics of stretching has only recently been developed³), it at least seems clear so far that a warm-up which includes temperature increasing exercises and/or dynamic stretches is more effective for injury prevention than static stretches alone.

That’s it for now! Follow me for the next 4 days while I dig deeper…

Sources

1. Stretching: The Truth, by Gretchen Reynolds, Published: October 31, 2008
2. Effect of static stretching on prevention of injuries for military recruits. Amako M, Oda T, Masuoka K, Yokoi H, Campisi P. Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Japan Self-Defense Force Beppu Hospital, 874-0828 Oita, Japan. Mil Med. 2003 Jun;168(6):442-6.
3. The Biomechanics of Stretching by Duane Knudson, California State University, Chico, Department of Kinesiology, First and Normal St., Chico, CA 95929-0330, USA.
4. Effects of flexibility and stretching on injury risk in army recruits. Pope, R.P., Herbert, R.D. and Kirwan, J.D. 1998. Australian Journal of Physiotherapy, 44: 165-172.
A randomized trial of preexercise stretching for prevention of lower-limb injury. Pope, R.P., Herbert, R.D., Kirwan, J.D. and Graham, B.J. 2000. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 32: 271-277.
5. Effect of static stretching on prevention of injuries for military recruits. Amako, M., Oda, T., Masuoka, K., Yokoi, H. and Campisi, P. 2003. Military Medicine, 168: 442-446.

Photo via About.com

Each day for the next 5 days, follow me as I blog about the question of whether or not it is a good idea to stretch as a warm-up prior to a lesson or a performance!

Here’s a quick overview of what we’ll covering:

In A Nutshell…

• Do static stretches prevent injuries?
• Is range of motion increased in both the short-term and long-term?
• How is muscle elasticity affected?
• How ready will your muscles be after stretching as a warm-up?

Interested to learn more? Follow me this week and we’ll break apart the truth about warming up with stretching (the right way and the wrong way), piece by piece!

Sources

1. How to Teach Classical Ballet, 1st Year – Book 1, by Peggy Willis-Aarnio
2. How to Teach the First Half of the Elementary Work for the Study of Classical Ballet, a course taught by leading authority on the Russian Teaching Method, founded by Agrippina Vaganova, Professor Emeritus, Peggy Willis-Aarnio

On February 15th at 3:00 AM we were hacked by brute force and infected with a trojan horse. We worked hard all day yesterday to find and remove all traces from the site. The good news is, balletuni.com is now verified clean and safe to visit once again! (Click here to view Sucuri SiteCheck scan results.)

We have found where we were vulnerable to the attack, and have taken more aggressive security measures to prevent any future attacks. Additionally, we are performing regular scans and backups to quickly catch any problems that might occur, and to ensure a speedy recovery.

I am so sorry that this happened, and please know that we are doing everything possible to make sure that we do not have a breach in our security again!

If you visited us in the past 5 days…

If you visited us between the 15th and the 20th (3 days after my last blog post), and you use Internet Explorer or Firefox, you may have unknowingly downloaded a fake anti-virus software, which is what this trojan horse does. Basically, it finds the vulnerabilities in your system to download an application called “Internet Security 2012″ without your knowing it, which will display false scan results in order to trick you into thinking that your computer is infected so that you will then purchase their program.

If you think you may have this rogue antivirus software, please do not purchase the Internet Security 2012 program (if you already have, please contact your credit card company and state that the program is a computer infection and a scam and that you would like to dispute the charge).

How to remove

I tried to find some good instructions for removal, but most sites are trying to get you to purchase their virus removal software. This site was the best that I could find, and it seems to be the most helpful and neutral:

Dedicated 2 Viruses: Internet Security 2012 – how to remove

One thing to be aware of: From what I read about this trojan, if you use Internet Explorer or Firefox it may be able to block websites, like the one above, by giving you a fake warning so that you will not be able to read the instructions to remove it. If this happens to you, I suggest that you try looking up the instructions on another computer, or temporarily use a different browser, like Google Chrome (Chrome is free; I use Chrome on my computer and have not been infected).

Again, I am profoundly sorry for any inconvenience this has caused. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at: mary@balletuni.com

Sincerely,

Mary Fernandez

The big reasons I am no longer doing daily, static stretches on my living room floor:

• Static stretches are not the most efficient use of your time. Let me re-phrase that: I am not saying that static stretches don’t make you flexible–they do–however, the best way for a ballet dancer to get into shape is by developing flexibility and STRENGTH at the SAME TIME. A different kind of stretch, called “dynamic” stretches, kills both of these birds with one stone.
• Dynamic stretches are also safer than static stretches. Although static stretches make you flexible, it may not be the exact kind of flexibility you want as a ballet dancer. In ballet, we need certain structures in our body to be flexible, while other structures need to be strong. For example, the tendons must be protected against over-stretching in order to retain our ability to jump (once stretched out, these structures lose their elasticity forever, and there goes your buoyant jumps). Besides potentially losing the quality of your jumps, static stretching may also put you at greater risk for injury by numbing your brain’s natural stretch inhibitory response (that is, you no longer feel the pain.) Another danger is that doing static stretches in certain ways, such as bouncing in and out of the stretch, causes micro tears in your muscle tissue which will make you stiffer until they heal.

Each of these and other reasons will be explained in detail in future posts, under the series titled, The Truth About Stretching.

Am I against stretching now? No. I am just stretching in certain ways and at certain times now. I feel the need to talk about this, not only because I have had a huge change in my own understanding, but because I know that dancers are very concerned with being competitive in today’s world. I know that they are worried about having high extensions, gorgeous feet, etc. I understand that need, but I also feel that too many dancers are worrying themselves so much with how to get high extensions that they are completely missing the point of what it means to be a dancer:

Rudolf Nureyev and Dame Margot Fonteyn

The purpose of dancing ballet is to give to your audience that emotion that no other dance form can give.

Yes, you do need a high extension to get a good job; that is what choreographers want today. However, a flexible dancer with no strength and no skill cannot have artistry. That is what is really important; more important, I feel, than showing off your gorgeous lines. As one dance critic said, the reason you go to the ballet is not to oogle over the dancers legs and feet (at least, I HOPE not!)

When you decide to become a ballet dancer, I believe it is your responsibility to help to continue, and to further, the art by joining the ranks of those true artists before you (again, what do you need to become an artist? High extensions and gorgeous feet? No, you need SKILL!). Because if you do not, and if no one will, the art will die.