Back to School, Back to Dance – How to Come Back Strong

Each year in September we welcome the eager faces of our returning Carmel Valley dancers home after a month of rest and relaxation.  It doesn’t matter if the dancer is four years old, a teen or mature adult; it doesn’t matter if the dancer is a beginner, a seasoned competitor or recreational dancer, it is always the same.  The memory of the most recent annual dance showcase and that exhilarating feeling of being on the stage in front of hundreds of people doing what they like to do best is still fresh in their minds.  Many times in those first days I’m always hit with the question, “So, what are we going to do this year for our year end performance?” as though I have that all carefully planned out at the start.  The other issue that is always present as well is the ‘welcome back’ injuries.

Don’t get me wrong.  This exhilaration, and desire to work harder than the year before and with the fact that hopefully, the dancer has rested in the month off, can have great results.  We often see dancers seemingly ‘improve’ with the time off, to show talents that may have not been present or at least evident as the prior dance year was coming to an end and the anticipation of a perfect performance was in the air.   That is just one of the bonuses of time off to allow muscles to relax and repair.  It’s the ‘welcome back’ injuries are the ones that are the most worrisome and sometimes the worst and can keep a dancer at the sidelines for months after classes begin.

The ‘welcome back’ injuries are those that occur the first weeks of the new dance season when dancers are so pumped to get going, learn new things and most of all, show me that they are worthy of a special solo, duo or some other advancement or distinction.  So, what do they do?  They overdo causing injury.  It’s important for all dancers, no matter if your time off is four weeks or its four years to take it slowly and safely.

The first few weeks back, really relish the basic warm up exercises whether at the barre, center or in progressions.  Really work slowly to feel each muscle warm and stretch with each move.  Concentrate on correct body positioning within the core of your body.  In progressions, start with small jumps, easy battements, being careful not to throw the body into a fast paced series of delirious movements.  It’s those movements like over forcing a battement that can lead to big muscle tears.  And expect to be sore; it’s a process.  Most of all don’t be impatient.  If you’ve been off for four weeks, it will take just about that amount of time to get back to being ‘yourself’; if you’ve been off eight months, it could take eight months to feel like ‘yourself’.  Adding some cross training such as yoga, pilates, light weight training or a basic barre class with weights and pilates combined (Barre Worx ) will also help to speed the strengthening process.

In the end, it comes down to Patience with yourself and your progress.  Use those first days of enthusiasm to encourage your gentle re-entry into the dance world.  You will love the final result.
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Louis McKay is President of North County DanceArts, Inc. located in Carmel Valley and currently trains 400 students from ages 3 to 93 years of age.  Louis has performed and taught Master dance and musical theater classes in 42 of our 50 states and Europe and South Africa. In 1980, Louis McKay opened Louis McKay Dance Studio, later to become North County DanceArts, Inc., which is a teaching facility that is best known for its professional teaching staff and quality dance training. Dancers from beginning level to professional are taught technique, terminology, and discipline in a nurturing and fun environment. Louis currently lives in Carmel Valley San Diego with his wife Tanya and is the proud father of four grown children and two grandchildren. Louis and Tanya McKay also own DanceHearts, a 501 (c) (3) Public Charity called Bells of Freedom Program, serves military men, women and their families by providing emergency care and support, back to school backpack program, vehicle donations and the annual “The Big Thank You” Military Holiday Event.