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Arts and culture
Grade 4
Creating, interpreting and performing
Module 23
Dance: warming-up
Warming up
Before you can attempt any of the activities you must warm up your body. The warm-up reduces the risk of injury and will make the dances easier to do.
Activity 1
To warm up and develop skill [lo 1.1]
- It will be easier and more fun if you do the warm-up with music. Choose music that is not too fast.
Preparation - stand with feet a hip-width apart, feet facing forward, arms down.
- It is important to keep your body alignment in order to isolate the specific muscles that are being warmed up.
- Correct body alignment will prevent injuries.
- Only move the prescribed body parts and muscles.
Breathing exercise
- Breathe through the nose for four counts and gradually lift the arms sideways.
- Stretch your spine.
- Breathe out through your mouth for four counts while gradually lowering your arms.
- Repeat breathing exercise.
- Stand with feet hip-width apart – knees slightly bent – arms down at the sides
Head- and neck isolations
- Stand with feet hip-width apart, feet pointing forward, arms down at sides
- Head: drop down, up, side to side (repeat eight times).
- Make half circles with your head from right to left, then left to right (repeat eight times).
- Do not move any other part of your body.
- Keep feet firmly on the floor.
- Do not lock your knees.
Shoulder isolations
- Raise right shoulder, then left shoulder alternately (repeat eight times).
- Rotate right shoulder, then left shoulder alternately (repeat eight times).
- Combine head and shoulder movements:
- head up, down, right, left, rotate
- shoulders up, down, rotate
- repeat eight times
- Keep the rest of the body still.
- Try to lift the shoulders as high as possible in order for the stretch to be effective.
- Do not move your head; keep your head facing forward.
Arm warm-up
- Preparation: stand with feet hip-width apart – arms down at the side – do not lock your knees – shoulders square – pull abdominal muscles in – pull buttocks in.
- We will only warm up the arms – do not move any other part of your body.
- Control the movement of your arms.
- Raise straight arms to the side – shoulder height – and drop arms down – repeat eight times.
- Raise straight arms to the front – shoulder height – drop arms down – repeat eight times.
- Combine arm raises – repeat eight times.
- Bend arms at the elbow – forward - and drop – repeat eight times.
- Lift arms up forward – bend arms at the elbow and straighten arms – repeat eight times.
- Combine arm movements.
Upper body warm-up
- Preparation: stand up straight – arms to the side – knees slightly bent – abdominal muscles in – buttocks in
- Make sure your hips are facing forward.
- Do not move your legs and hips.
- Keep feet firmly on the floor.
- Bend your upper body to the right side – facing forward – repeat eight times.
- Bend your upper body to the left side – facing forward – repeat eight times.
- Swing your upper body from the right to the left – starting upright and moving downwards in a semi-circle and ending left upright – repeat eight times.
- Control your swings.
- Keep your balance.
Read also:
OpenStax, Arts and culture grade 4. OpenStax CNX. Sep 17, 2009 Download for free at http://cnx.org/content/col11087/1.1
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