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Cross Training during Quarantine · Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast

• 0:07
  SPEAKER_00: Have you ever wondered what goes on behind the table at a dance competition?
• 0:11
  SPEAKER_00: Exactly what are the judges looking for anyway?
• 0:13
  SPEAKER_00: This is Making the Impact, a dance competition podcast.
• 0:16
  SPEAKER_00: Each week, we'll cover a different topic related to the world of competitive dance from the perspective of the judges behind the table.
• 0:23
  SPEAKER_00: As much of the country is still under stay at homework, dancers are finding ways to continue to diversify their training from home.
• 0:29
  SPEAKER_00: Cross-training is a perfect way to supplement your online dance classes, and it's ideal for small space ads.
• 0:35
  SPEAKER_00: In today's episode of Making the Impact, we are joined by IBO Judges Katie and Health People, who have both added cross-training and listening to their teaching resumes.
• 0:44
  SPEAKER_03: Hey everybody, and welcome to this week's episode of Making the Impact.
• 0:48
  SPEAKER_03: I'm your host, Courtney Ortiz, and I am here today with my co-host, Leslie Mueller.
• 0:53
  SPEAKER_03: Hello, everybody! We are super excited to be here today to talk about cross training during quarantine.
• 0:59
  SPEAKER_03: But before we jump into the episode, we want to say thank you to all of our listeners and subscribers who have been tuning in for the past few months.
• 1:06
  SPEAKER_03: We've had such a blast creating this content for you, and I know all of our IDA judges have loved joining in on the discussion throughout the season so far.
• 1:13
  SPEAKER_03: We also have officially hit 20,000 downloads since our launch in October, which is so unbelievable.
• 1:18
  SPEAKER_03: So thank you again for your support.
• 1:21
  SPEAKER_03: Be sure to follow us on social media at Impact Dance Adjudicators to stay up to date with our new episode releases, judges tips every Tuesday, and you can even check out our new virtual competition, which has registration open now.
• 1:32
  SPEAKER_03: And we even have a few sponsors for our virtual competition event.
• 1:36
  SPEAKER_03: And one of them is our podcast sponsor, Level Up Dance Supplies.
• 1:40
  SPEAKER_03: Level Up Dance Supplies is a dance mom-owned and operated small business that has the largest selection in the US of dance gear and core strength training tools.
• 1:48
  SPEAKER_03: They carry the top name brands including Glamour Gear, Rack and Roll, K Miami, and so many more.
• 1:54
  SPEAKER_03: Level Up specializes in dance bags with racks and carries up to 13 different styles and brands.
• 1:59
  SPEAKER_03: They have even designed their own line of innovative dance products, including new rolling rack travel bags, cosmetic cases, mirrors, stretching bands, and so much more.
• 2:06
  SPEAKER_03: So if you or your dancer are in need of any dance applies this season, be sure to head over to their website now at levelupdanceupplies.com.
• 2:13
  SPEAKER_00: And we also have had some fabulous reviews come in from all of our listeners on Apple Podcasts.
• 2:18
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm going to share a few with you guys.
• 2:20
  SPEAKER_00: This is from user Sukurka.
• 2:22
  SPEAKER_00: She or he says, Learning so much.
• 2:25
  SPEAKER_00: This is my daughter's first year of dance competition, and this podcast has been great at helping me understand things from a judge's perspective.
• 2:31
  SPEAKER_00: I highly suggest this podcast to anyone in the competitive dance world.
• 2:35
  SPEAKER_00: Well, thanks.
• 2:36
  SPEAKER_00: And we have another one coming from user Delaney B on Instagram.
• 2:40
  SPEAKER_00: They say, I love this podcast.
• 2:43
  SPEAKER_00: I discovered it about a month ago and haven't stopped listening.
• 2:45
  SPEAKER_00: I love the knowledge the judges and teachers have and their willingness to share.
• 2:49
  SPEAKER_00: It is truly inspiring and I've learned so much.
• 2:51
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you for opening my mind.
• 2:53
  SPEAKER_00: I'm a dancer and teacher and strive to fill my head with more knowledge.
• 2:56
  SPEAKER_00: Keep doing what you're doing because this is amazing.
• 2:59
  SPEAKER_03: Yay! Fabulous reviews.
• 3:02
  SPEAKER_03: Thanks to all you listeners that have been sending them in.
• 3:05
  SPEAKER_03: All right, let's jump into the episode.
• 3:07
  SPEAKER_03: We have two fabulous IDA judges who are joining us today to discuss cross training for dancers at home.
• 3:13
  SPEAKER_03: And let's get to know them a little bit.
• 3:14
  SPEAKER_02: So, first up, let's meet Katie.
• 3:17
  SPEAKER_02: Hello, hello, how are you?
• 3:19
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, I'm good.
• 3:20
  SPEAKER_02: Thank you guys so much for having me.
• 3:22
  SPEAKER_02: Of course.
• 3:22
  SPEAKER_02: Please feel free to share with the listeners a little bit about you, who you are, where you're from, and what you're up to now.
• 3:31
  SPEAKER_02: Well, I'm Katie McGuinness.
• 3:32
  SPEAKER_05: I'm from Chicago.
• 3:33
  SPEAKER_05: I am a professional dancer, a adjudicator, an instructor, and I'm a newly certified personal trainer.
• 3:40
  SPEAKER_05: So some of my performing credits, I've worked with Norwegian Cruise Lines, I've been on the TV show Empire, and I was on faculty at the Lu Conti Dance Studio here in Chicago.
• 3:48
  SPEAKER_05: I'm missing my dancers this season, obviously, but I'm excited to talk about cross-training from home today because that's what's been really keeping me busy during this quarantine.
• 3:58
  SPEAKER_03: Awesome.
• 3:59
  SPEAKER_03: So happy to have you here.
• 4:01
  SPEAKER_03: Thank you for joining us from Chicago.
• 4:03
  SPEAKER_03: And next up, you may remember Kelsey Nelson from our competition kindness episode that launched back in February for Valentine's Day.
• 4:12
  SPEAKER_03: And we are excited to have her back on this episode about cross training.
• 4:16
  SPEAKER_03: Hi, Kelsey.
• 4:17
  SPEAKER_04: Hi, I'm glad to be here, joining you again on this awesome episode.
• 4:21
  SPEAKER_03: Yes.
• 4:21
  SPEAKER_03: And just in case people may have missed that episode to learn about you, feel free to share with everyone a little bit about who you are and what you're up to.
• 4:31
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, so I um attended Oklahoma City University with Leslie back in the day.
• 4:36
  SPEAKER_04: Go stars.
• 4:38
  SPEAKER_04: It feels like it was not that long ago, but it definitely was a while ago.
• 4:42
  SPEAKER_04: Um and I went on to perform professionally and have transitioned into teaching over the past five years and developed kind of my own conditioning cross-training program for dancers that has led me all over North America, um, teaching in studios and connecting with so many, so many talented kids.
• 5:04
  SPEAKER_04: So I'm excited to be able to share my passion and knowledge on this podcast today.
• 5:09
  SPEAKER_01: Awesome.
• 5:10
  SPEAKER_01: Thanks so much for both of you for joining us today for this great discussion.
• 5:14
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, ladies, we are really appreciative.
• 5:16
  SPEAKER_00: We know that especially, you know, in this busy time right now, you know, somehow I feel like some of us are even more busy than we were previously because we're having to adapt to this online way of life.
• 5:26
  SPEAKER_00: So I just thank you for taking some time today to share with us.
• 5:29
  SPEAKER_00: So let's jump right in.
• 5:31
  SPEAKER_00: I think as dancers, there's a pretty big segment of competitive dancers and recreational dancers out there that maybe don't really know what cross-training is.
• 5:40
  SPEAKER_00: So I would love like kind of a working definition, what you guys see it as, and then what it means to you and how it can be beneficial.
• 5:47
  SPEAKER_05: Definitely.
• 5:48
  SPEAKER_05: So I'll go ahead and start.
• 5:49
  SPEAKER_05: I think, you know, cross-training for dancers is any exercise outside of dance that is going to improve their strength, balance, coordination, agility.
• 5:59
  SPEAKER_05: There's really no wrong way to cross-train as long as you're doing it safely.
• 6:04
  SPEAKER_05: I know I've worked with a lot of competitive dancers that were also, you know, traveling soccer players or things like that.
• 6:09
  SPEAKER_05: So I think there's sometimes a negative stigma out there that certain types of cross-training aren't good for dancers, but I would, you know, suggest that it's any movement that you're doing outside of dance as long as you do it safely.
• 6:22
  SPEAKER_05: It's anything that's going to strengthen those muscles that maybe don't get as much attention, those muscles and movement patterns that don't get as much attention in dance.
• 6:33
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, I I definitely agree with everything that Katie said.
• 6:36
  SPEAKER_04: I really, when I'm working with my students and anywhere that I would travel to, some things that I just really focus on when it comes to conditioning and cross-training is any type of resistance training, weight training, rehab work, really just anything that the methods and the philosophy behind it is gonna help support dancers.
• 6:58
  SPEAKER_04: And there's so much of that from yoga, Pilates, bar, hit classes, CrossFit.
• 7:04
  SPEAKER_04: Like you can use any of those things to benefit and develop what you need to be a successful dancer.
• 7:12
  SPEAKER_04: Dancers these days are athletes 100%, and they need that strength and that control and stamina and stability to be able to do what they want to do when it comes to skills and technique and movement.
• 7:25
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, absolutely.
• 7:27
  SPEAKER_00: So I think one of the coolest things about cross-training is for right now, you know, we don't all have access to a big space where we can do a tombe potabre glissage.
• 7:39
  SPEAKER_00: Like most of us just don't have that.
• 7:40
  SPEAKER_00: So there comes a more important focus on the smaller things that we can do.
• 7:46
  SPEAKER_00: So why do you think at home cross-training is so beneficial?
• 7:50
  SPEAKER_00: Like, you know, what's what are the benefits of being able to do it at home?
• 7:54
  SPEAKER_04: I think that it can help dancers really focus on themselves and focus on what their I don't want to use the word weaknesses because I don't think we have weaknesses.
• 8:05
  SPEAKER_04: I think areas of opportunity are.
• 8:07
  SPEAKER_04: And when you're in a big classroom sometimes, that those can be overlooked to the bigger, the bigger need in the class.
• 8:15
  SPEAKER_04: And so why, while we're at home, you can really focus on yourself.
• 8:19
  SPEAKER_04: And and that's whether you know that you need stability work, or maybe you need to work on your stamina, or maybe it is overall body awareness.
• 8:30
  SPEAKER_04: How can you work on that?
• 8:31
  SPEAKER_04: So it's it's really being able to refine and like look inward on a specific need rather than necessarily a big picture all of the time.
• 8:42
  SPEAKER_05: Definitely, yeah.
• 8:43
  SPEAKER_05: I agree with everything Kelsey said.
• 8:44
  SPEAKER_05: I think that's really true, especially in competitive dance.
• 8:47
  SPEAKER_05: You know, you have those powerhouse turners on your team, you have the kids that leap, you have the kids that are super flexible, and most of those kids know where they they lie within that.
• 8:57
  SPEAKER_05: But once you get to the professional world, you're gonna be asked to do it all.
• 9:01
  SPEAKER_05: So especially for these dancers, you know, that wanna continue down this path and pursue things professionally, it's a really great way to start to kind of round yourself out as a dancer.
• 9:12
  SPEAKER_05: And I love what Kelsey said, not weaknesses, but opportunities for growth.
• 9:17
  SPEAKER_05: I think it's it's really smart for dancers to be able to start to identify those things within themselves and work on them on their own time because that's what they're gonna have to do for the rest of their careers.
• 9:26
  SPEAKER_00: I think, you know, like you said, Katie, all of you know, most kids, if they do excel at something, that's what they want to work on, you know, and it makes total sense.
• 9:35
  SPEAKER_00: Like I was more of a turner.
• 9:37
  SPEAKER_00: So, you know, I wanted to practice my turns all the time because I was good at them and it felt good to like know where you stood.
• 9:42
  SPEAKER_00: But I think I love that phrase that you guys both just, you know, reiterated the places for opportunity or the opportunities for improvement instead of weaknesses, because you know, that is perfect.
• 9:55
  SPEAKER_00: That's a perfect outlook for this time where, you know, if you are able to get with somebody like you, Katie, like you, Kelsey, over Zoom or over a video chat and say, you know what, I want to work on this one thing that I feel needs improvement.
• 10:09
  SPEAKER_00: And that is what your sessions focus on because, you know, you're already a good turner.
• 10:13
  SPEAKER_00: Let's work on that flexibility, you know, without, you know, your class having to do what's better for the class at that moment, you know, and I think that's kind of one of the biggest takeaways of this time is that, you know, so often that individualized attention can't be paid because of the situation that you're in.
• 10:30
  SPEAKER_00: Well, you're working with a group and you're doing what's best for the group, and it's up to the individual to figure out how they can improve on their own when, you know, you don't have a lot of time in quote unquote normal life.
• 10:41
  SPEAKER_00: But here we are, a lot of us do have nothing but time.
• 10:45
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, I think I notice a lot with my students that they are very apprehensive to look bad in class, right?
• 10:52
  SPEAKER_04: Like we all want to look good.
• 10:54
  SPEAKER_04: And especially being at home right now and the privacy and the safeness of your space.
• 11:00
  SPEAKER_04: Like, I think now more than ever is such a great time for all of us to like dig into maybe things we've never done before.
• 11:07
  SPEAKER_04: Like, oh, I've never, maybe I've never done a yoga class.
• 11:11
  SPEAKER_04: So like I'm gonna try one because I'm in the safety of my home and I can look bad doing it and figure it out along the way.
• 11:17
  SPEAKER_04: Or, you know, maybe like I know that I'm not a good jumper, so I can work on that safely in my home and not feel like I'm necessarily being judged.
• 11:28
  SPEAKER_04: Does that make sense?
• 11:29
  SPEAKER_04: So I think I think it's really great for kids and teachers alike right now to like dig into things that maybe they haven't done before and reach out to your teachers.
• 11:38
  SPEAKER_04: Like, I've had kids be like, What do you think I need to work on?
• 11:41
  SPEAKER_04: Or how can I do this?
• 11:43
  SPEAKER_04: A kid that assists me, she's like, My ankles feel really weak.
• 11:46
  SPEAKER_04: What are some exercises I can do?
• 11:48
  SPEAKER_04: Like, your teachers want to be helping you.
• 11:51
  SPEAKER_04: Like, we are hungry and we miss y'all.
• 11:53
  SPEAKER_04: So, like reaching out to your teacher, they will absolutely 100% want to like help you and guide you to find those resources if they don't have them.
• 12:01
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, and all of this is is wonderful.
• 12:04
  SPEAKER_03: And I think that something that you briefly touched on, Kelsey, that we talked about in our virtual class episode that we did a few weeks ago.
• 12:13
  SPEAKER_03: We just discussed, you know, the the safe place of being in your home sometimes.
• 12:19
  SPEAKER_03: And some dancers may feel that they aren't comfortable in their house because they're the studio is their getaway.
• 12:26
  SPEAKER_03: But other dancers might enjoy this safe place that where it's just them in their room, where they can even turn the camera off if they want and just take in the class, however.
• 12:36
  SPEAKER_03: And us as dancers being perfectionists, that makes so much sense because you know, sometimes you don't want to lies on you, and sometimes you just want to figure it out on your own, and however long it takes you to figure it out and whatever method you need to do, you know.
• 12:49
  SPEAKER_03: So this is a nice time of discovery to figure out your strengths, not weaknesses, and there's no weaknesses, but you know, what works for you and what doesn't and what you need to keep working on.
• 12:59
  SPEAKER_03: So I really love all of these suggestions so far as far as cross-training.
• 13:03
  SPEAKER_03: And and speaking of just cross-training in general, I I've just been kind of like sitting here and listening in and I started kind of letting my mind wander back to when I was a competitive dancer.
• 13:14
  SPEAKER_03: And I don't really feel like I cross-trained back then.
• 13:17
  SPEAKER_03: And it's interesting that, you know, this is it's a very big thing now.
• 13:22
  SPEAKER_03: And I love that our training has evolved to need this because it's nothing but good.
• 13:28
  SPEAKER_03: No one ever told me, hey, you should go take Pilates class when you're not at dance class.
• 13:33
  SPEAKER_03: And I wish someone did because my core would be so much stronger right now, and I wouldn't have as many injuries right now if I did.
• 13:41
  SPEAKER_03: And we spent a lot of time doing strength and conditioning in class.
• 13:46
  SPEAKER_03: I was never told, hey, do this on your own time outside of class.
• 13:50
  SPEAKER_03: So I think that because of our current state of the world and how we are at home and we have access to so many virtual and online resources, I think that a lot of dancers are being able to participate in that.
• 14:02
  SPEAKER_03: But I do hope that dancers understand that cross-training even after this is over is really important to maintain our longevity with our body as a dancer for many, many years, because that's something that I always say.
• 14:15
  SPEAKER_03: You only get one body.
• 14:16
  SPEAKER_03: We want to make sure we take care of it.
• 14:18
  SPEAKER_03: And by cross training, it'll allow us to stay strong and dance forever, hopefully.
• 14:24
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah, I think that's great, Courtney, that you mentioned continuing cross-training after this.
• 14:29
  SPEAKER_05: And I was in the same boat.
• 14:30
  SPEAKER_05: I didn't really cross-train growing up.
• 14:33
  SPEAKER_05: You know, sometimes my teachers would say, Hey, it's nice outside.
• 14:36
  SPEAKER_05: Go run a lap around the studio before you come in at competition rehearsals and things like that.
• 14:40
  SPEAKER_05: So we would do a little bit of cardio, you know, run our routines back to back.
• 14:44
  SPEAKER_05: We would do that endurance training.
• 14:45
  SPEAKER_05: But as far as resistance training, yoga, Pilates, I remember taking my first Pilates class and I was like, Why is this so hard?
• 14:52
  SPEAKER_05: This is the hardest thing I've ever done.
• 14:53
  SPEAKER_05: Right.
• 14:54
  SPEAKER_05: Like, and they were like, Stop pointing your toes.
• 14:57
  SPEAKER_05: And I was like, I don't understand.
• 14:58
  SPEAKER_05: What do you mean by stop pointing my toes?
• 15:00
  SPEAKER_05: Like it's the same thing with yoga, like having to move in that parallel track, especially for our dancers that are more ballet and contemporary and jazz focused artrinas, especially those ballerinas that really just work in that turned out position all the time.
• 15:15
  SPEAKER_05: I find that a lot of them can have some real muscle imbalances where they're so, so strong in certain areas and then just don't have the strength in in certain areas.
• 15:24
  SPEAKER_05: And when you're young, that doesn't really affect you.
• 15:27
  SPEAKER_05: But as you get older, you start to feel that that becomes overuse injuries, things are harder than they used to be.
• 15:33
  SPEAKER_05: So starting to implement even just one or two cross-training classes a week, just exercises you can do at home, just little things to kind of become more aware of different movement patterns, I think is so smart, like you said, for the longevity of our dancers' careers, because you have to be your biggest advocate as a dancer.
• 15:50
  SPEAKER_05: No one else is gonna everyone's here for you, they're gonna help you, but you're the only one that can do it.
• 15:56
  SPEAKER_00: Mm-hmm.
• 15:57
  SPEAKER_00: It's so interesting that you talk about, you know, the muscle imbalances in certain dancers because I remember, you know, in college and slightly after college, having an injury, and I went to Harkness here in New York, which is like the dance clinic, and they did like, they did a test where they were testing the strength of my hamstrings.
• 16:16
  SPEAKER_00: And of course, I walk in thinking, I'm I'm strong, I'm a dancer, I'm a professional dancer, this is what I do, I'm gonna be fine.
• 16:22
  SPEAKER_00: It was the worst.
• 16:23
  SPEAKER_00: I had no hamstring strength because my quads do all my work, because that's the way that my muscles are imbalanced.
• 16:30
  SPEAKER_00: And it floored me because I thought as a 20-something, early 20s dancer, that I was, you know, as we all kind of think sometimes, invincible.
• 16:38
  SPEAKER_00: And of course I'm strong because I couldn't do this if I wasn't.
• 16:41
  SPEAKER_00: But, you know, we are all strong in some ways because of what our training has taught us.
• 16:47
  SPEAKER_00: And then there's other ways, just like, oh, Pilates, this is a totally different way of moving, you know, that we wouldn't have even known about had you not even tried it.
• 16:55
  unknown: Right.
• 16:55
  SPEAKER_00: So I think that's important to note that, like, you know, when you are starting maybe a new cross-training regimen or exercises that you've never done before, you're gonna be a little surprised that some of this is hard.
• 17:07
  SPEAKER_00: And that's so humbling.
• 17:10
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 17:11
  SPEAKER_03: I'm so glad you share that story, Leslie, because I have the exact same story and it was at Harkness, and I felt the exact same way for probably a very different injury, but it's very mind-blowing when you actually like you said, we think as dancers, we are the strongest, we're athletes, like you said, like we are athletes.
• 17:29
  SPEAKER_03: We absolutely are.
• 17:30
  SPEAKER_03: We are a full-body workout every time we dance.
• 17:34
  SPEAKER_03: How in the world is there a muscle that is imbalanced and not doing what its job?
• 17:39
  SPEAKER_03: You know, it's very crazy to believe.
• 17:41
  SPEAKER_03: But like, and I think that is, you know, injury prevention is very relatable to this discussion.
• 17:47
  SPEAKER_03: That's also why we cross-train.
• 17:49
  SPEAKER_03: Safe dancing is important.
• 17:51
  SPEAKER_03: I think that's an episode that we need to do in the future is injury prevention.
• 17:54
  SPEAKER_03: But, you know, I just think that a lot of young dancers, it makes me a little bit nervous because I feel like a lot of dancers are really focusing on this flexibility aspect of their training and not backing it up with the strength.
• 18:05
  SPEAKER_03: And we have to make sure that we have a nice balance and complementing the stretch with the strength at the same time.
• 18:11
  SPEAKER_03: So if you are practicing flexibility at home, which, you know, is great.
• 18:15
  SPEAKER_03: I support that.
• 18:16
  SPEAKER_03: I want you to do that in your individualized attention and space, but we have to make sure that you're also figuring out a way to also maintain that strength, whether it's doing push-ups or doing planks and working on your core, doing some Pilates at home, doing yoga for your flexibility.
• 18:33
  SPEAKER_03: It's just a different way of movement, like you said, Katie.
• 18:35
  SPEAKER_03: And it's just, it's really nice to introduce that to dancers, especially during this time.
• 18:39
  SPEAKER_03: I think it's a perfect opportunity.
• 18:41
  SPEAKER_03: I also think that for teachers, you know, I like we've mentioned previously, we're restricted with our space at home.
• 18:48
  SPEAKER_03: We don't have the studio space.
• 18:49
  SPEAKER_03: So if teachers are struggling on figuring out how I can keep uh dancers invested in class and keep them enjoying class, maybe, you know, change up class this week on instead of contemporary, we're gonna do a Kelsey Nelson-inspired core strength workout for the class today and pull up one of Kelsey's videos and actually do it because you can do that at home and you don't need a lot of equipment to be able to do some of your stuff.
• 19:17
  SPEAKER_03: And Kelsey, feel free to kind of elaborate on what some of your conditioning classes entail and how you can do them at home for listeners.
• 19:26
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, absolutely.
• 19:27
  SPEAKER_04: So I um started creating conditioning for my dancers based on their need.
• 19:35
  SPEAKER_04: So teaching them and seeing where those imbalances were, seeing where their opportunities lied, and it has evolved into this thing that I never imagined in my wildest dreams would ever, ever become something.
• 19:47
  SPEAKER_04: But a lot of my conditioning, cross-training, injury prevention is all gonna be designed and inspired by what how dancers move and how we use our entire bodies to dance.
• 20:02
  SPEAKER_04: And so I really challenge students to take on that concept as they're conditioning their muscles and their bodies and their brains.
• 20:11
  SPEAKER_04: Dance is very mental, and so a lot of what I do stems from the mental part and the connecting your brain to your body and what muscles you need to be using to do what.
• 20:23
  SPEAKER_04: And that is where the challenge really lies.
• 20:26
  SPEAKER_04: It's very core focused and also stems into legs, arms, back, the whole nine.
• 20:33
  SPEAKER_04: But I believe that your core and your stability is really gonna help you expand in all areas.
• 20:40
  SPEAKER_04: And so a lot of what I do really starts there and then expands out from that.
• 20:46
  unknown: Awesome.
• 20:46
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, Kelsey, I was watching one of your Instagram stories and you were working with a little girl, and I kind of want to speak to what people have at home that they can use in lieu of.
• 20:56
  SPEAKER_00: So a lot of your stuff I've seen like uses your resistance bands or your therapy or your um, what you call them, the yoga blocks and things like that.
• 21:03
  SPEAKER_00: So, like, let's say you have a student who wants to do some of your exercises that require props.
• 21:08
  SPEAKER_00: What are you suggesting that they can use in lieu of your traditional yoga or Pilates prop that you would have to purchase?
• 21:15
  SPEAKER_04: Oh, absolutely.
• 21:16
  SPEAKER_04: So, what I've been suggesting, I've been teaching some classes for the bridge training program, and we've had great enrollment, and not all of those dancers have all the props.
• 21:27
  SPEAKER_04: So, anytime that I'm teaching class, an example would be instead of using a yoga block, using a book or a tissue box.
• 21:36
  SPEAKER_04: If they don't have a thair band, using an old pair of tights or a pair of really stretchy leggings, if they don't have like those gliding discs that would slide on the floor, they could use a paper plate or a towel.
• 21:48
  SPEAKER_04: So just kind of if they don't have a small Pilates ball using a pillow and folding it in half, so just kind of trying to find things that they can use that they have in their house.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_04: House accessible to them and also offering modifications if they don't have any of those things available.
• 22:06
  SPEAKER_04: So there's always a range of execution, whether you have have a prop or you don't, you can always do the exercise.
• 22:15
  SPEAKER_04: It's just going to be scaled to what you have around you to be able to execute it.
• 22:21
  SPEAKER_00: I love the idea of tights as resistance bands.
• 22:23
  SPEAKER_00: That's amazing.
• 22:25
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 22:26
  SPEAKER_00: I think that's really smart.
• 22:27
  SPEAKER_00: I would have never thought.
• 22:28
  SPEAKER_00: You got to get creative up in here.
• 22:30
  SPEAKER_00: Katie, Katie, along the same lines, I want to know like what your at-home training looks like right now.
• 22:36
  SPEAKER_00: Like, are you training for specific studios?
• 22:38
  SPEAKER_00: Do you have anything available for just any individuals?
• 22:41
  SPEAKER_00: Like, what's going on with you?
• 22:42
  SPEAKER_05: Definitely.
• 22:43
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
• 22:43
  SPEAKER_05: So I have been in the fitness side of you know this crazy world for about five years, and I'm a newly NASM certified personal trainer.
• 22:53
  SPEAKER_05: So I had just sort of started taking on clients before we went into quarantine.
• 22:58
  SPEAKER_05: So I am still taking clients from home.
• 23:00
  SPEAKER_05: I'm doing Zoom and Skype sessions.
• 23:02
  SPEAKER_05: And then I'm also teaching HIT classes with a gym I work with.
• 23:07
  SPEAKER_05: So high-intensity interval training classes.
• 23:09
  SPEAKER_05: And we're getting really creative as well.
• 23:11
  SPEAKER_05: So I love the suggestions that Kelsey mentioned.
• 23:14
  SPEAKER_05: We do more weight training and resistance training at the gym I work at.
• 23:18
  SPEAKER_05: So, you know, soup cans or those big Gatorade bottles we've been using as weight.
• 23:25
  SPEAKER_05: My clients that want to lift something a little bit heavier, detergent is great.
• 23:29
  SPEAKER_05: Laundry detergent, like a full thing is almost 10 pounds.
• 23:33
  SPEAKER_05: I would suggest if you don't do weight training on a regular basis, start really light, obviously, and work your way up from there and do it with the help and guidance of a personal trainer or fitness instructor.
• 23:43
  SPEAKER_05: But that has been great.
• 23:45
  SPEAKER_05: Doing workouts on your couch using a chair for tricep dips, using your couch to prep pistol squats or just a seated squat, come back up.
• 23:54
  SPEAKER_05: There's really simple, simple functional exercises you can do with things that everybody has in their home.
• 24:01
  SPEAKER_05: So I've been getting really creative with that as well, and it's been fun.
• 24:06
  SPEAKER_01: Hey listeners, even though the dance season may have ended a bit early for us this year, it shouldn't stop us from continuing our training at home.
• 24:13
  SPEAKER_03: Level Up Dance Applies is the perfect place for you to go if you are looking to amp up your home training gear.
• 24:18
  SPEAKER_03: They have a variety of dance floors that you can purchase to create your at home studio.
• 24:22
  SPEAKER_03: They even have portable ballet bars, stretching bands, turning discs, and so much more.
• 24:26
  SPEAKER_03: If you're in need of any new dance gear to complete your home studio experience, head to their website now at levelupdanceaplies.com.
• 24:33
  SPEAKER_03: And don't forget, use the special promo code Impact at checkout to receive ten dollars off your very first order.
• 24:39
  SPEAKER_03: And now back to the show.
• 24:42
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 24:42
  SPEAKER_03: I feel like that being in New York, and that's been one of my struggles in this entire quarantine, is just lack of space.
• 24:50
  SPEAKER_03: And, you know, I said it previously, I think on last week's episode, the QA, me and Sam were talking and answering a question, and I've said it, I just want to take class so bad in all these online classes, and I just do not have the room to do it.
• 25:04
  SPEAKER_03: And then I start looking at my apartment and I'm like, okay, well, maybe I can, you know, do Pilates or yoga.
• 25:09
  SPEAKER_03: And I still don't even really have a lot of space to like lay a yoga mat down where I can have like the full space and width that I need.
• 25:18
  SPEAKER_03: But I think that at this time with all of the online resources, there's so many options like that you guys both just described, where people are figuring out ways to make it work at home.
• 25:31
  SPEAKER_03: And I love that so much.
• 25:32
  SPEAKER_03: I, for some reason, when Katie, when you were just talking about all the different like things you can use for weights, something that I can't pick up that I think would be helpful is like kitty litter.
• 25:42
  SPEAKER_03: I have two cats.
• 25:43
  SPEAKER_03: So like kitty litter is so heavy.
• 25:54
  SPEAKER_03: I mean, I think we could create such a huge list of so many things that we could utilize in our house for weight training or resistance training or props to support us and stuff, but it's really, really awesome.
• 26:07
  SPEAKER_03: And I I've been looking up a lot of different free, there's a lot of free, there's a lot of low cost, a lot of donation-based resources online.
• 26:14
  SPEAKER_03: Something that I am going to hopefully uh squeeze some, make some room in my apartment and do is Core Power Yoga.
• 26:20
  SPEAKER_03: They're doing free classes online right now, which I love because it's like a nice blend of strength and yoga.
• 26:28
  SPEAKER_03: So I am gonna, I'm personally gonna check that out.
• 26:31
  SPEAKER_03: And I'm sure there's a lot, I think we actually created a nice COVID resource list, Leslie, from the blog that have a lot of options as well.
• 26:39
  SPEAKER_03: And things that our IDA judges are hosting online too.
• 26:43
  SPEAKER_03: So definitely, listeners, go check out these amazing resources that are at your fingertips to you know, jump into one of these new styles of class that you maybe have never done.
• 26:53
  SPEAKER_03: Even to the parents who are also hanging out at home stuck with their kids all day.
• 26:58
  SPEAKER_03: Like everybody can be working out together.
• 27:01
  SPEAKER_00: It would be that would be nice.
• 27:02
  SPEAKER_00: Well, speaking of being at home and having no space, in terms of safety, I'd like you guys to kind of chime in on how we can do all of this safely, because like we've been saying, some, you know, some cross-training is very new to people.
• 27:15
  SPEAKER_00: And, you know, even if you do have an instructor sort of right here on Zoom or on a video chat, there's still some safety measures that we need to think about.
• 27:23
  SPEAKER_00: So if there's anything you guys can think of in terms of what we need to do to keep everybody safe, uh speak up.
• 27:29
  SPEAKER_05: Definitely.
• 27:30
  SPEAKER_05: Um, so I think there's a lot of things we can do.
• 27:32
  SPEAKER_05: If you are, you know, just watching a Instagram IGTV class or something like that.
• 27:39
  SPEAKER_05: If you are tuning into a Zoom class and you don't have your camera on, if you're not in a position to get feedback, I think it's really important to be even more proactive about making sure that you are, you know, in the right class for you.
• 27:56
  SPEAKER_05: I think if it's if you've never taken a yoga class before, it's okay to start with a really mild, gentle yoga class and just get comfortable with each pose and position and see how those feel in your body.
• 28:09
  SPEAKER_05: It's okay to go back and be a beginner at something because you can be a professional dancer, but if you've never taken a yoga class, you've never taken a yoga class.
• 28:17
  SPEAKER_05: It has no reflection on who you are as a person.
• 28:19
  SPEAKER_05: So I think whatever you're doing, if you're starting with something new, start from square one and really just, you know, keep track of how you're feeling as you go.
• 28:27
  SPEAKER_05: Because I think as dancers, we have a tendency to, especially using yoga as an example, maybe look at something and say, Oh, that that looks easy.
• 28:34
  SPEAKER_05: I could do that.
• 28:35
  SPEAKER_05: I just, you know, but it's about understanding what is the, what is the function of this movement?
• 28:40
  SPEAKER_05: What is this supposed to help me with?
• 28:42
  SPEAKER_05: And and making sure that you're not, because again, when I first started taking yoga, I was, I would be in a downward dog and they would say, put your leg up.
• 28:50
  SPEAKER_05: And I would put my leg up and I would turn it out as far as I possibly could.
• 28:54
  SPEAKER_05: And I'd try to like touch my toe and my head, and they were like, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
• 28:57
  SPEAKER_05: And when they stared off my hips, my leg fell down to like 45 degrees, right?
• 29:02
  SPEAKER_05: And that was humbling for me.
• 29:03
  SPEAKER_05: And I was like, oh, like, I guess my leg only really goes high if I turn it out.
• 29:08
  SPEAKER_05: Interesting.
• 29:08
  SPEAKER_05: And and then you can start to, you know, tap into some of those opportunities for growth that we've been talking about.
• 29:15
  SPEAKER_05: So I think if you're working on your own and you don't have the opportunity for real-time feedback, it's really important that you start from square one, whatever you're working on, and work your way up and ask for help along the way.
• 29:27
  SPEAKER_05: And then, you know, if you are working with a personal trainer online or you're taking a fitness class where somebody can see you and um give feedback, make sure that, you know, the person that you're taking a class from is an experienced fitness instructor or a certified personal trainer, make sure that they can see you fully, even if you are in a really small space, so that they can properly correct what you're doing and just ask questions.
• 29:51
  SPEAKER_05: If something feels funky, if you're like, hey, we're we're doing this squat, but like I just feel my quads burning, going back to that quad thing.
• 29:58
  SPEAKER_05: It's a it's a recurring thing for dancers, you know, that ask about that.
• 30:02
  SPEAKER_05: If something doesn't feel like it should, I think as dancers too, we tend to be very like aesthetic focused and we're just like, well, I look exactly right.
• 30:10
  SPEAKER_05: I'm doing what they're telling me to do.
• 30:12
  SPEAKER_05: So sometimes we we don't tune into okay, how should it feel?
• 30:16
  SPEAKER_05: Maybe it's okay to not look exactly like them.
• 30:18
  SPEAKER_05: Maybe you don't go as low in your squat, but let's find those hamstrings and find those glutes.
• 30:24
  SPEAKER_05: What does your body need to do to find those things?
• 30:26
  SPEAKER_05: So I think the most important thing people can do is just ask questions to really, you know, kind of fill in these gaps and and start to, like I said, be their own advocates.
• 30:36
  SPEAKER_05: So then you have this whole arsenal of of tools you can go back to later on if you start to feel like, oh, like my quads have been feeling really overactive.
• 30:44
  SPEAKER_05: Well, what did I do in cross-training?
• 30:46
  SPEAKER_05: Okay, let's incorporate some of those exercises back into my regimen, back into my warm-up, whatever that may be.
• 30:52
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, I agree with everything Katie said, and half of it I had written down.
• 30:55
  SPEAKER_04: That's like, oh, she's touching all the things I was gonna say.
• 30:59
  SPEAKER_04: Um something, something to add into what she said is I would take everything slow.
• 31:07
  SPEAKER_04: There's no need to rush through a class, there's no need to like see how many of something you can do, especially if it's like um a live class where you don't have access to the teacher, like on Instagram or Facebook or YouTube.
• 31:21
  SPEAKER_04: If it's a pre-recorded class, like pause, rewind, like really listen to what they're saying so that you can get the most out of the class in a safe way.
• 31:31
  SPEAKER_04: So there's no shame in taking it slow whatsoever.
• 31:34
  SPEAKER_04: And I would also just think about how you're executing what you're doing.
• 31:39
  SPEAKER_04: So if you have never done something before, like say you've never taken a hit class or you've never done a Pilates class, um, really listening to instructor and how they're explaining it to you, this time in our world is so interesting because a lot of us as educators and coaches and trainers are so hands-on that we're having to learn how to use our words to get somebody to get a result.
• 32:07
  SPEAKER_04: And as students and as participants, we are having to learn how to open our ears and our eyes and really listen and comprehend what is being said to us.
• 32:18
  SPEAKER_04: So, really just like taking the time and thinking about the technical execution, the why, the how as you're taking these classes.
• 32:27
  SPEAKER_04: There's nothing to prove to anybody if you can get your hips all the way down in a squat, or if you have to take it nice and slow, and like Katie said, do a squat onto your couch and then stand it up.
• 32:39
  SPEAKER_04: Like take it at your pace and um really just focus on the technique of it.
• 32:46
  SPEAKER_04: That's two things that I think, in addition to what Katie said, will really be beneficial and help it be safe when you're taking classes at home.
• 32:55
  SPEAKER_05: I love that.
• 32:57
  SPEAKER_05: Just continuing that a little bit further, I love that Kelsey mentioned, you know, how we can use this time to really refine our listening skills and our cueing skills as instructors.
• 33:08
  SPEAKER_05: I think I became a much better dance instructor when I started teaching fitness because I was all of a sudden in a position where I was working with adults who, you know, maybe have they've never been athletes.
• 33:22
  SPEAKER_05: They've always, you know, worked out for fun, or you know, they're just we're so kind of spoiled, I think, as teachers working with our dancers, especially those of us that work with competitive dancers, we're used to just showing something and saying, okay, go.
• 33:36
  SPEAKER_05: And we'll give corrections, we'll give feedback to our dancers.
• 33:40
  SPEAKER_05: Of course, we do that, but I think the missing piece quite often, because a lot of us teachers didn't grow up with it or don't have that experience, is telling our dancers, when you prep for this turn, I want you to pull your belly button to your spine, drop your tailbone, roll your shoulders down your back, feel, feel your lats pressing down your back.
• 34:00
  SPEAKER_05: Do your dancers know where their lats are?
• 34:02
  SPEAKER_05: Like these anatomical things.
• 34:03
  SPEAKER_05: Because when I first started teaching, I didn't use cueing like that.
• 34:07
  SPEAKER_05: I didn't educate my dancers on where certain muscles were and what they did because quite frankly, I didn't know, you know, because that's that wasn't how I'd grown up.
• 34:16
  SPEAKER_05: And I feel like, again, the more we can like really be specific with the cueing, because even the young dancers, they they understand it, getting them to feel their body.
• 34:25
  SPEAKER_05: Don't just wind up for your turn and go.
• 34:28
  SPEAKER_05: Let's think about how we're prepping each each body part.
• 34:32
  SPEAKER_05: It's gonna make them so much more aware, it's gonna make them smarter dancers, it's gonna, you know, really prepare them for, again, taking care of their bodies down the road.
• 34:42
  SPEAKER_05: And I so I think that's a great opportunity for us teachers, you know, take fitness classes online or wherever, you know, you're taking class, really pay attention to how those instructors are cueing.
• 34:52
  SPEAKER_05: And if certain things resonate with you, make a mental note.
• 34:55
  SPEAKER_05: Like, let me incorporate that in my classes.
• 34:58
  SPEAKER_05: Let me be more specific and vocal about, hey, engage here, do this, do that.
• 35:02
  SPEAKER_05: You know, so I think it's a great opportunity for for instructors as well.
• 35:06
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah, absolutely.
• 35:08
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, I think, Katie, you you bring up a really interesting and important point that a lot of us who are teaching now did not grow up with that anatomical perspective of how our bodies are moving through space.
• 35:21
  SPEAKER_00: I think a lot of us in at least our age bracket, you know, we didn't encounter that till maybe college or later when you did start taking a yoga class or a Pilates class.
• 35:29
  SPEAKER_00: And I even find myself now like feeling very much like a yoga instructor in how I teach because that is so beneficial when I'm taking yoga, being a person who like, I know how my body works, like we were saying, like I'm gonna go into yoga and this makes sense.
• 35:44
  SPEAKER_00: And but, you know, my leg is upturned out because that's where legs go in dance.
• 35:49
  SPEAKER_00: You know, why in the world would I turn it in and be parallel?
• 35:51
  SPEAKER_00: And that feels terrible.
• 35:52
  SPEAKER_00: But the explanation behind it and everything else just makes so much more sense.
• 35:58
  SPEAKER_00: And so, you know, I do think that right now, like you just said, working as instructors on how we're cuing, how much more descriptive can I be?
• 36:07
  SPEAKER_00: And when in the series of what we're doing, should I say that one thing?
• 36:11
  SPEAKER_00: I took a just a very kind of chill sip and stretch class the other night, and you had your little drink and you're gonna do a stretch, and it was cute.
• 36:18
  SPEAKER_00: But I, you know, I've never taken this person's class before.
• 36:21
  SPEAKER_00: And I found it, I found it a little difficult because I was looking at a tiny screen on my phone and he was doing the movement, but the cueing wasn't precise enough for me to know, having been a very first timer with what he does.
• 36:34
  SPEAKER_00: So I do think that's fascinating for instructors to remember that, you know, we're obviously, and everybody knows because they're doing it, like having to really adjust how we're teaching and what a cool moment in time to kind of be forced to do that.
• 36:47
  SPEAKER_00: You know, if we weren't gonna take initiative to do it previously, like, well, here we all are having to do it.
• 36:52
  SPEAKER_00: So yeah.
• 36:54
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 36:55
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 36:55
  SPEAKER_03: I mean, it's I agree with you all, like always.
• 36:59
  SPEAKER_03: And I really like how where this discussion has gone as far as you know, how we are now teaching.
• 37:06
  SPEAKER_03: And I think what you mentioned, Katie, about just kind of understanding our body and what you just mentioned, Leslie, it's true.
• 37:14
  SPEAKER_03: We probably didn't really learn the anatomy of our body and how the mechanics work until we really maybe, I mean, maybe it was introduced towards the end of my training at the studio, but if not, you definitely learn it in college.
• 37:28
  SPEAKER_03: And it would be really awesome, especially now.
• 37:31
  SPEAKER_03: I'm sure there are courses and classes online that dancers can be introduced to body mechanics and things for dancers that they can watch and learn, but it will change how you dance.
• 37:42
  SPEAKER_03: It will change your mindset going into ballet class.
• 37:45
  SPEAKER_03: And if, you know, I'm not saying that eight-year-olds need to be watching this class because they'll probably be bored, but you know, maybe teen and older, if, and especially if you love dance and you want to pursue dance, and especially if you've already experienced an injury as a dancer, it is so important to understand why and how that happened and you know what muscles are you're using when you dance through the moves.
• 38:08
  SPEAKER_03: You know, it's very, very helpful.
• 38:10
  SPEAKER_03: So I think that that could be something that teachers could also utilize now during this time and introduce into their classes.
• 38:16
  SPEAKER_03: I know there's a lot of like fun coloring books and things that dancers have for like ballet positions, but there's also a coloring book for anatomy of your body and the different muscles and stuff like that that dancers could look into.
• 38:28
  SPEAKER_03: So that's just another helpful suggestion.
• 38:31
  SPEAKER_03: But overall, I think that this, you know, it really has helped how we teach.
• 38:35
  SPEAKER_03: And you know what?
• 38:35
  SPEAKER_03: I'm thinking off the top of my head, Richard from Dance Teacher Network, who posts all of I forget his last name.
• 38:44
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, Elzy.
• 38:45
  SPEAKER_04: L how do you say it?
• 38:46
  SPEAKER_04: Else, I think.
• 38:48
  SPEAKER_03: Elzy.
• 38:49
  SPEAKER_03: Okay, so Richard Elsey from Dance Teacher Network, who we all love.
• 38:53
  SPEAKER_03: And if you don't know who he is, go check out his stuff.
• 38:56
  SPEAKER_03: But I think that what you mentioned, Katie, about kind of teaching and cueing properly and giving imagery, I think that he does that and translates that so well to younger dancers.
• 39:07
  SPEAKER_03: The sooner that we as teachers can translate that kind of language and understanding of how to properly place your body for the positions, then the dancers will continue to use that as they grow throughout the years.
• 39:21
  SPEAKER_03: But something that I've admired from him was just seeing some of his videos that he posts and seeing the imagery that he uses to get the dancers to understand.
• 39:29
  SPEAKER_03: And he has really, really fun, relatable terms for the young dancers that they can relate to.
• 39:34
  SPEAKER_03: So I think as teachers, we can all strive to kind of figure out the best approach to introduce that to our younger dancers.
• 39:41
  SPEAKER_03: And, you know, it'll stay with them.
• 39:43
  SPEAKER_03: So I just wanted to give him a shout-out because I immediately thought of him when you started talking about that, Katie.
• 39:47
  SPEAKER_03: I was like, yes, Richard's killing it with all of this.
• 39:51
  SPEAKER_00: Guys, I think to round out, I would like to know some.
• 39:57
  SPEAKER_00: If you could pick right now for, you know, let's say I think most of us are going to be under stay-at-home orders for a little while longer.
• 40:03
  SPEAKER_00: And certainly, you know, the hopes for going back to regularly scheduled dance classes are still to be, you know, decided.
• 40:10
  SPEAKER_00: But I do think that it'll be a while.
• 40:12
  SPEAKER_00: So what are if you could pick one reasonable and achievable like strengthening goal or stamina goal or something that dancers can achieve in a month of doing something, some sort of exercise from the sort of world of conditioning and cross-training, what would that be?
• 40:28
  SPEAKER_00: And can you give us like a little explanation of how to achieve it?
• 40:31
  SPEAKER_04: Something that I have my students do is jump rope.
• 40:36
  SPEAKER_04: They have to be able to jump rope for their entire competition song from beginning to end without stopping.
• 40:44
  SPEAKER_04: It's a huge stamina builder, and it really opens their eyes.
• 40:50
  SPEAKER_04: We do it every year starting in January.
• 40:52
  SPEAKER_04: We start jumping rope, and a lot of them continue to do it all year long.
• 40:55
  SPEAKER_04: But I had students go from 30 seconds to five minutes.
• 40:59
  SPEAKER_04: Like, and for them to be able to continually move for that long is just building so much stamina, which in turn is gonna help them be able to fully execute all choreography, all technical skills to their max effort from the moment they step on stage to the moment they come off stage.
• 41:19
  SPEAKER_04: And that's something that you can do at home 100%.
• 41:23
  SPEAKER_04: It's beautiful outside.
• 41:24
  SPEAKER_04: At least, at least we have that in the majority of the country right now.
• 41:28
  SPEAKER_04: Nice weather.
• 41:29
  SPEAKER_04: Go outside and turn on, blast your music and jump some rope.
• 41:33
  SPEAKER_04: Like it's easy.
• 41:35
  SPEAKER_04: You can get a jump rope off Amazon if you don't have one for not a lot of money.
• 41:39
  SPEAKER_04: And like you can even like zoom with your friends and like let's all like a jump rope together.
• 41:45
  SPEAKER_04: So that's something that I have my kids do, and it's it's definitely changed their overall stamina just when it comes to performing in general.
• 41:55
  SPEAKER_05: Cool.
• 41:55
  SPEAKER_05: I love that.
• 41:56
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah, I think that's great.
• 41:58
  SPEAKER_05: I was gonna suggest something like cardiovascular base too.
• 42:01
  SPEAKER_05: You know, I think jumping rope is perfect because you don't need a lot of space for it.
• 42:05
  SPEAKER_05: It gets your heart rate up and you don't have to physically travel anywhere.
• 42:09
  SPEAKER_05: But I've been running a lot and I really encourage that for dancers.
• 42:13
  SPEAKER_05: Again, like everything else we've been talking about, I would say start slow.
• 42:17
  SPEAKER_05: I don't really know where it came from, but growing up, I was under the impression someone told me at some point, you know, running is bad for dancers.
• 42:25
  SPEAKER_05: Dancers, they're, you know, I was told that it builds your calves in two different ways.
• 42:30
  SPEAKER_05: But knowing everything I know now, we don't want to just build our calves in one way.
• 42:35
  SPEAKER_05: So, yes, if you've been a ballet dancer your whole life, should you then try and go run five miles just to see if you can do it?
• 42:43
  SPEAKER_05: No, that's a recipe for shin splints.
• 42:46
  SPEAKER_05: I don't recommend that.
• 42:46
  SPEAKER_05: But, you know, if you do have access to a place to safely walk outside with your mask on, you know, work your way up to that.
• 42:54
  SPEAKER_05: You go for a mile walk, go for a jog, but build it up.
• 42:58
  SPEAKER_05: I have started running distances and I ran seven miles the other day, and I don't know when I've ever done that in my life.
• 43:05
  SPEAKER_05: So that's been pretty exciting.
• 43:07
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
• 43:08
  SPEAKER_05: And so I think that's fantastic for our dancers.
• 43:11
  SPEAKER_05: And I think, you know, we really need to get outside during this time too, as much as we can and get that vitamin D.
• 43:18
  SPEAKER_05: It's good for our mental health and all that jazz.
• 43:20
  SPEAKER_05: But the other thing I would really recommend doing is upper body training.
• 43:26
  SPEAKER_05: So push-ups, push-ups.
• 43:28
  SPEAKER_05: We have dancers and we, you know, experience all work with dancers all year long, and then it comes time to set those competition routines, and I'm like, let's put a lift in here.
• 43:39
  SPEAKER_05: And nobody can lift anyone.
• 43:42
  SPEAKER_05: You know, especially if I go, you know, set a set a guest piece at a studio or something like that, and it's not dancers I've been working with, I'm like, oh wow, we haven't we haven't been training upper body strength.
• 43:53
  SPEAKER_05: And it's it's unfortunately it's a recipe for injuries, but more and more I think just the nature of where our industry is going.
• 44:00
  SPEAKER_05: We have these incredible companies, like we've got Royal Flux, and you know, these companies that do these amazing lifts.
• 44:08
  SPEAKER_05: And I think choreographers see that and they're like, Oh, well, they can figure it out.
• 44:12
  SPEAKER_05: No, they can't.
• 44:13
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah, there's a lot of let's figure it out.
• 44:15
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah, there's there's so as a choreographer, I think this is a good thing too.
• 44:20
  SPEAKER_05: If you're thinking this next season you want to pull out some of these really athletic, dynamic moves, you want to do these lifts, start getting your dancers to train their upper bodies now and make sure you know how to safely guide them through that.
• 44:35
  SPEAKER_05: I trying to keep it positive, but I hope you guys have seen the documentary Cheer.
• 44:41
  SPEAKER_05: Yes.
• 44:41
  SPEAKER_05: Okay.
• 44:44
  SPEAKER_05: Kelsey, have you seen that?
• 44:45
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
• 44:46
  SPEAKER_05: Okay.
• 44:47
  SPEAKER_05: Can did you notice their push-up form?
• 44:51
  SPEAKER_05: Was awful.
• 44:52
  SPEAKER_05: Oh, awful.
• 44:53
  SPEAKER_05: And I mean, trying to keep it positive, but these kids they do the most amazing pyramids.
• 44:59
  SPEAKER_05: Like they do things that I could never do in my wildest dreams, but their push-ups really scared me.
• 45:06
  SPEAKER_05: Like watching this show, like heads down, shoulders scrunched up.
• 45:09
  SPEAKER_05: I was like, wow, wow, wow.
• 45:10
  SPEAKER_05: And these are elite college athletes.
• 45:13
  SPEAKER_05: So there's, you know, and and I'm sure they were exhausted and we just caught some bad push-ups on TV.
• 45:20
  SPEAKER_05: But I think it's so important that these are elite college athletes, cheerleaders.
• 45:24
  SPEAKER_05: How do we expect our dancers to know how to perform a proper push-up?
• 45:28
  SPEAKER_05: I'm still refining things in, you know, my push-up form.
• 45:33
  SPEAKER_05: If I'm not really cognizant of it, I'll drop my head or I'll, you know, start to pinch between my shoulder blades or something like that.
• 45:39
  SPEAKER_05: So just starting to get your dancers to understand the importance of upper body training.
• 45:43
  SPEAKER_05: Why do we do it?
• 45:44
  SPEAKER_05: And then getting them to focus on like everything else.
• 45:48
  SPEAKER_05: We've been talking about form first.
• 45:50
  SPEAKER_05: So have your dancers just do five solid, awesome push-ups on their knees, 90 degrees, chest to the floor, make sure their core is engaged, and work their way up from there.
• 46:00
  SPEAKER_05: And it's not about seams, it's not about how many can you do in a minute.
• 46:03
  SPEAKER_05: That doesn't do anything.
• 46:04
  SPEAKER_05: We want to really build that muscle and build that, you know, just the upper body endurance.
• 46:10
  SPEAKER_05: So if you're asked to lift a girl 10 times back to back in rehearsal, you know how to do that safely.
• 46:16
  SPEAKER_00: Yep.
• 46:17
  unknown: Yeah.
• 46:18
  SPEAKER_00: I wish I wish we could apply that same philosophy to turns.
• 46:22
  SPEAKER_00: For form over how many you're doing.
• 46:24
  SPEAKER_00: Like, can we please?
• 46:26
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, yes, yes.
• 46:27
  SPEAKER_04: Yes, please.
• 46:27
  SPEAKER_04: I mean, I was gonna jump on that same exact bandwagon.
• 46:31
  SPEAKER_04: Like, it's it's so important for our dancers, and this is why cross-training is so vital, I think, for them to start understanding and recognizing when the feeling in their body is not correct.
• 46:45
  SPEAKER_04: So being able to be like, I feel my shoulders rolling forward, I feel my pelvis tilting, I feel the backs of my legs not stretching.
• 46:54
  SPEAKER_04: So the more that they can do different things and start to recognize what those muscles feel like when they're dancing and when they're executing a technical skill, they are going to mentally be able to recognize the parts of their body that they are not using correctly.
• 47:11
  SPEAKER_04: So that's when I'm doing all of my conditioning.
• 47:14
  SPEAKER_04: I'm huge on cueing, which is what Katie was saying, about what muscles they're using, why they're using them, to just be aware so that then when they are dancing, they can connect the pieces much quicker and the corrections are can be more detailed and the skills can be more advanced because they have that awareness, and that is all happening because they're cross training.
• 47:40
  SPEAKER_01: We hope you enjoyed this week's episode about cross training at home.
• 47:44
  SPEAKER_03: If you'd like to follow our guests, you can find Kelsey at KJN Dance and Katie at Katie underscore McGinnis.
• 47:52
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• 47:57
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• 48:11
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• 48:19
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• 48:22
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• 48:51
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• 48:54
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• 49:06
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