Keep It Up

Sapphire Ballroom News - April 2021

We’ve had a lot change over the past month, mostly for the better! People are coming out more, enjoying the dancing, and getting to see each other in our clean and spacious studio. At the beginning of April, the 10 person limit to social gatherings increased, but other requirements did not and so our limit has moved to 12. It may not seem like a big change, but we really aren’t ready for big crowds yet. 12 is a good place to be for now.

With all the progress, I think we are all getting antsy for it to just be over! But it's not, so lets make the best of where we are!

Down below, we have a bunch of small but exciting pieces of news to share in Highlights and Headlines, a great playlist full of tunes to help you keep strong. Jen, who teaches the Exercises to Improve Balance Class on the first Monday of every month, gives us 5 great ways and (one fun routine that uses them) to stay physically strong when we can’t or don’t want to make it to the gym. After all - you’re going to make it back to dancing soon. It would be a shame if you’re too floppy to enjoy it.

In this issue...

- Highlights and Headlines

- Staying Strong, Literally as well as figuratively

- Keep on keeping on Playlist

- Upcoming Dance Classes and Events, online and in-person

Lyric Quote of the Month:

Sometimes in our lives
We all have pain, we all have sorrow
But if we are wise
We know that there's always tomorrow
Lean on me, when you're not strong
And I'll be your friend, I'll help you carry on...

     -    "Lean On Me" by Bill Withers
 

Highlights and Headlines

New in-studio class maximum is 12!
Masks and 10ft distancing with those outside your bubble is still required. Keep in mind these guidelines are to keep our entire community safe and our studio open no matter what the evil virus does in the next months. So, even if you’ve had your vaccine, we need you to keep on with the COVID stuff.

Triple Time Swing featured on Mondays at 8:00pm this month.
Experienced dancers are welcome to swing by and get into the swing of things. Details available at http://www.sapphiredance.com/GroupLessons.php?d=3

Parent-Child Line Dance Party on Saturday, May 8 at 2:30pm.
Perfect for Mother's Day!
This workshop is intended for adventurous kids ages 7-68 and their parent, grandparent, or other guardian. We’ll light up the dance floor with favorite party dances as well as some other really cool line dances. Have a favorite song you want to dance to? Let us know and we’ll do our best! More details at http://sapphiredance.com/GroupLessons.php#186

Advanced Line Dance - Lisa and line dancing are coming to What’s Next Mondays.
The second Monday of each month, she will teach us a truly challenging line dance like the 96 count Cha-Cha-based dance to Havana by Camillo Cabello. Material changes every month! More details at http://www.sapphiredance.com/GroupLessons.php?d=3

Blacksburg Groups settled for Summer
We have submitted our group class schedule to the Blacksburg Community Center for the Summer. We are doing a two-week session in June, July, and August, on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Details will be posted soon at SapphireDance.com.

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Staying Strong, literally as well as figuratively

Five simple exercises to improve your dancing by building your strength and endurance
by Jen Gorce

For many of us, our dancing lives have been limited due to social distancing practices during COVID-19 times. Fortunately, as vaccine availability rises and cases fall, many dancers are looking forward to in-studio experiences and dancing with people once more. However, the question remains; how do I get myself back into dancing shape, especially if I’m still stuck at home? If you’re looking for exercises, below are the core of what I do to stay in shape while avoiding a gym.

Just to be clear, I'm not a licensed physical trainer nor have medical experience. I am, however, a dancer, dancer teacher, and exercise enthusiast with 10 years of experience.

Walking

First and foremost, walking builds cardiovascular endurance. This means that it better conditions you to sustain long periods of low to moderate exercise, which is what you are doing when you participate in an hour-long dance lesson or go to a social dance party. Start trying to walk 15-20 minutes a couple times a week, and as you get stronger, extend your time by a few minutes every week. Aim to feel comfortable walking 45-60 minutes at least 1 or 2 times per week to mimic how long you stay on your feet in class. If you are an avid walker already, you can always make it more challenging by doing hilly routes or adding a few minutes of running into your routine. Additionally, walking is an excellent time for you to think about your posture and how you propel yourself forward (are you pushing from your feet? Do you fall forward into your step, do you pitch forward? Lean back?). Ultimately, thinking about these things can help improve your body awareness and dance frame.

Standing on one leg

Standing on one leg is a simple way to improve your balance. As dancers we typically commit our weight to one side or the other, so it is important to work on our stability when only one foot is on the ground. I would start by building up to being able to stand on each leg for 30 seconds. Personally, I enjoy doing different variations on this exercise because it challenges different muscles and keeps the exercise interesting. For example, if you stand on a soft surface like a pillow or towel, it will force the small muscles in your ankles, calves, and hips to work harder to correct your balance.

Another option is to do something with your arms while you hold your balance, like arm circles or working with some light weights. You can also swing your free leg. This is a good way to train your body to correct for perturbations in your axis, which is constantly happening when we dance and interact with a partner. My absolute favorite balance exercise is something I call a tipping bird. To start, stand on one leg, letting your free leg hang behind you. Bending at the waist and keeping your standing leg straight, reach down to touch the floor and then slowly straighten back up, keeping your back flat. This exercise has the added benefit that it strengthens your hamstring and butt muscles, which are very important for propelling yourself across the floor when you dance.

Squats (or climbing stairs)

Building strength in your upper legs serves multiple purposes. In my experience, it trains your body to engage the big muscles in your legs, such as your quads, hamstrings, and glutes, more readily, which spares smaller, more injury-prone muscles from getting overworked as well as helping to protect your knees. Second, the more power you have in these muscles, the easier it is to move faster for longer periods of time (for those that want to do multiple Viennese Waltzes in a row!). Like walking, doing squats does not require extra equipment, and it can be integrated into your daily routine. For example, commit yourself to doing 5-10 squats the next time you wait for something to heat up in the microwave. Aim to do enough repetitions so that you feel like you have to struggle to get the last two finished. Below are some resources for how to do a squat properly.

https://www.realsimple.com/health/fitness-exercise/workouts/squat-form
https://www.self.com/story/5-ways-youre-probably-doing-squats-wrong

Planks

Planks are an extremely efficient way to strengthen your core, which is integral to improving your balance. Furthermore, every student dancer has heard at least one instructor tell them to use their core more in a class. Therefore, the muscle memory you build from engaging your core in a plank, will help you learn how to activate those muscles when you work on improving your leading and following skills.

Planks also have the added benefit that they strengthen your shoulders, back, and chest because you have to engage those areas to stay in the correct position. I will be the first to admit that planks are difficult, but the results are worth it! Below are some resources for good plank posture, as well as alternatives if you need to work up to a full plank.

https://8fit.com/fitness/how-to-plank-exercises-that-will-have-you-planking-for-longer/
https://www.openfit.com/planks-for-beginners

Stretching

The obvious consequence of stretching is an increase in flexibility, which improves your range and ease of motion. While it is absolutely fine to build a stretching routine with that goal in mind, stretching can serve other purposes as well. For example, stretching after a class or a workout helps keep your muscles loose and from tightening up later. This means that you’ll reduce the amount of soreness you experience in the following days. (I absolutely attest to this!) Furthermore, tighter muscles have a higher likelihood of getting injured, so regularly stretching is actually a part of active injury prevention as well. For me personally, I find that motivating myself to stretch with these goals (i.e., reduction in pain and injury) in mind helps me stay more accountable, and over time, I inevitably see an increase in flexibility. For example, when I started doing more upper body workouts my shoulders were pretty inflexible, now I can pull my elbow past my head because I always stretch after those workouts - otherwise EVERYTHING hurts the next day!

Good stretches for dancers:
Toe touches: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/how-to-touch-your-toes#foam-roller-exercises
Back twists: https://www.verywellfit.com/supine-spinal-twist-supta-matsyendrasana-3567125
Hip stretches: https://www.self.com/gallery/hip-stretches-your-body-really-needs-slideshow
Quad stretches: https://www.gloveworx.com/blog/quad-stretches-help-become-unstoppable/
Calf stretches: https://www.self.com/gallery/essential-calf-stretches

An easy way to get started!

If you’re looking for a fun way to get motivated, here’s a simple routine to do to an upbeat summer tune!

Song: Cruisin’ for a Bruisin’ - https://youtu.be/6vzsXJ0D2bM

• Verse 1(You better run, run, run): Warm-up by walking in place
• Chorus (Don't stop, stop the music!): Speed up by running in place
• Verse 2 (Bubblegum cherry pop): Do some squats!
• Chorus (Don't stop, stop the music!): Shake out your legs and walk briskly in place
• Verse 3 (Goes 1, 2, 1, 2, 3!): Drop to the floor and hold a plank (It’s only 10-15 secs!)
• Instrumental interlude: See how long you can hold that plank! If you get tired, stand up and jump to the music
• Chorus (Don't stop, stop the music!): Another round of squats
• Chorus repeat: (Don't stop, stop the music!): Finish on a high and run to the end!

While doing this for 3 minutes will obviously not get the same results as a 20-40 minute workout, it's still something. Sometimes you have to do what you can. A pretty reasonable and fun way to slip these exercises into your life is one song at a time. Do this every day, either in addition to your regular workout to start a new movement habit. If you do it more often - a couple or even several times a day - you'll be getting a real workout, while listening to fun music! Have a favorite song you want to use instead? Go for it, and let us know how it goes.

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Keep On Keeping On Playlist

I thought we could all use an infusion of strength this month. So here's a list of songs about getting on, even when it's tough. I think you'll find it inspiring - I sure do.

So, keep your head up (it's good posture), lean on me (not literally) and we'll get a little bit stronger every day (especially if we follow Jen's advice). We just gotta get thru this and rise from the ashes until we can all say "I will survive" and "I'm all right" again.

To see the Keep On Keeping On Playlist, visit us on YouTube at
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGEmFFdzKkkY6-2H4jlznzQ3hSxW2zI1S

See all of our YouTube Playlists at https://www.youtube.com/user/SapphireBallroom/playlists
These playlists are always changing, so come back frequently. If you have a suggestion, I’d love to hear it! Send me a link at info@sapphiredance.com.

	I Will Survive by Gloria Gaynor https://youtu.be/FHhZPp08s74 Dance Style: Hustle
	Keep Your Head Up by Andy Grammer https://youtu.be/3LMVJ2xd1g8 Dance Style: West Coast Swing
	Eye of the Tiger by Paul Anka https://youtu.be/9iUydTevOwg Dance Style: Fox Trot or, if you’d rather…
	Eye of the Tiger by Survivor https://youtu.be/btPJPFnesV4 Dance Style: Hustle
	Good as You by Kane Brown https://youtu.be/mS3TeZEp_PE Dance Style: West Coast Swing
	A Little Bit Stronger by Sara Evans https://youtu.be/22zB6Soc2Gk Dance Style: Nightclub 2-Step
	Stand by Me by Ben E. King https://youtu.be/eJ4i-QbXG54 Dance Style: Rumba
	Gotta Get Thru This by Daniel Bedingfield https://youtu.be/aeCnEY_AemU Dance Style: Cha Cha or Hustle
	9 to 5 by Dolly Parton https://youtu.be/UbxUSsFXYo4 Dance Style: Quickstep
	Try by P!nk https://youtu.be/pPtlSF4TlJE Dance Styles: Rumba or West Coast Swing
	You’ll Never Walk Alone by Gerry & the Pacemakers https://youtu.be/OV5_LQArLa0 Dance Styles: Nightclub 2-Step (Base 3)
	I'm All Right by Madeleine Peyroux https://youtu.be/jdrfRUOrcCs Dance Style: Fox Trot
	Ashes (from Deadpool 2) by Celine Dion https://youtu.be/jsX9388AAOk Dance Styles: Nightclub 2-Step

What songs do you think should have made this list? What would you like to see in next month’s playlist? Let us know - we’d love to hear from you on Facebook or by email.

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Upcoming Dance Classes: online and in-person

Events are hosted by Sapphire Ballroom & Dance Center: online, at our studio in Christiansburg, or at the Blacksburg Community Center. Please check locations before traveling!

Taking online classes is affordable and easy, once you try it. You do not need a partner; you do not need a fancy space. You do not have to share your picture or video. Online events require a Zoom link (included below), but not a Zoom account.

All Group Lessons have a maximum of 12 people in-studio. To prevent being turned away from a full class, please register by or before noon the day of the class by emailing us at info@SapphireDance.com or contacting the Blacksburg Community Center (for Blacksburg classes).

All group events and lessons cost $6-$15/person/hour. Visit our Square Store to pay online for classes and private lessons.

More information available on our webpage or Facebook page.

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Thanks for reading; we hope you found something you liked.
Until we see you again, happy dancing!

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