3.1 Dance: warming up the body

Squats:

• Stay on spot – open legs wide – bend knees slightly.
• Bend knees further down – keeping body straight – head up – hands on hips – hold for two counts.
• Straighten legs for two counts.
• Bend and straighten legs – one count alternatively.
• Repeat eight times.
• Bring right foot forward – bend knees.
• Bring right foot back.
• Bring left foot forward – bend knees.
• Bring left leg back.
• Repeat eight times.

• Make sure when executing squats that your knee does not go over your foot.
• Keep knee in line with your heel when bending.
• Keep body straight with hands on your hips.
• The key to executing this exercise safely is ‘control’ and balance.

Lunges:

• Open your legs wide and lunge to the sides (right and left alternatively) – eight times.
• Slowly bring the body forward – hands on your knees while lunging – eight times.
• Bring the body further down until your hands touch the floor while lunging from right to left – eight times.
• Reverse the exercise until you are lunging with your body upright again.
• Repeat exercise eight times.

Side warm-up:

• Keep your legs open and slightly bent.
• Place your hands on your hips.
• Turn your upper body to the right (as if you want to look at something behind you).
• Return to face the front.
• Turn your upper body to the left.
• Return to front.
• Extend straight arms to the sides – shoulder height.
• Repeat side stretches eight times with arms out.

Recovery:

• Bring feet together.
• Shake all moveable body parts.

You are now warmed up and ready to proceed with the next activity.

Activity 2:

To improvise, compose and combine movement: jazz

[lo 1.2]

Your educator will provide you with a short background on Jazz dance. Remember, you do not have to be a dancer to enjoy this next activity – all you have to do is explore the movements and discover what your body is capable of. You will be surprised! Try it! You will love it!

First of all you have to become acquainted with the music.

The music

Any music from the jazz genre is appropriate for this activity.

• Examples:

• “Brazilia” by John Klemmer
• “Tropico” by Gato Barbieri
• “Sanborn” by David Sanborn
• “The Shuffle” by Kenny G
• “Rise” by Herb Alpert
• “All that Jazz” from the soundtrack of “Chicago”

• 

  Listen attentively to different jazz music.
• Take note of the definitive -beat and distinctive phrasing.
• Choose music from the selection you would like to dance to.

Costumes

• You can do this class barefoot or in sports shoes.
• Wear comfortable t-shirts and track suit pants.
• For the performance, discuss and select the costumes to suit the dance – be creative.

The dance: improvisation

Notes on improvisation:

• It is your subconscious and the quickness of your reactions that you depend on most in improvisation.
• It is fatal to try and ‘think out’ what movement you will make or to guess what the music will do next.
• You have to train yourself gradually so that you can sense these things.
• Never move until you feel you must.
• Don’t be afraid of standing still to listen to the music and to let it tell you what to do.
• Do not be afraid that what you do will look stupid - it probably will at first, but it does not matter – you are training your mind and body to respond in an unfamiliar way – why should you expect astonishing results immediately?
• Try to be sincere and simple in your movements.
• When working in a group, always remember that you are part of a whole, get into harmony with the group, and while being yourself, feel the oneness of purpose in all you do.