stiff after the holidays

maariku · 08-29-2006, 07:08 PM

Hi all!

This posting is sort of inspired by the other "break for summer"-thread as well as my (rather failed) attempt to dance today. The problem is that I have now been taking a complete break from dancing for a couple of weeks now. Of course, I still do my shimmies in the elevator if no-one is there, and dance along to the radio every now in the kitchen :P. But no serious "I am going to practise now" action for a while.

So, I go to the studio today just to practise some of the choreographies with a friend... And, I find myself to be completely useless! Shimmies don't work as they used to and I look all funny and odd in the mirror. And my regular dance classes are resuming next week already!

The question is - in case you do have breaks (for summer, Christmas, just a few weeks) - do you also have some sort of a "rehabilitation" program yourself... Meaning you start with smaller and shorter sessions and then build up to your regular routine?

Moon · 08-29-2006, 07:39 PM

Hi Maariku,

My dance course ended half July and will begin half September, so I had to go a long way without dance classes. Also I didn't sign up for any workshops because I didn't know yet when I would be on holiday. So I only had my own "at home" practice sessions for almost three months :eek:
I didn't know if I would be able to survive that, but it turned out I had no desire to practice my dancing during the rest of June and whole July, partly because I had to finish a school assignment, but mostly because the weather was very, very hot and my room warms up very easily. Now, the weather is very crappy, almost like it's already autumn, and I've started to practice again every now and then. I too felt very stiff and I think my shimmies are less good than they were and I feel I'm using my arms too much. But on the other hand, now I have some kind of challenge to improve my dancing again. Sometimes I dance for only 10 or 15 minutes, sometimes an hour or longer. I just start dancing whenever I feel like it and I stop when I want to stop. I think I would get frustrated if I forced myself to dance for a particular period of time.
Ofcourse for me it helps I'm a beginner and when dance classes were still going on, I was almost the only student that practiced at home once or twice a week. So I don't think the other students have practiced a lot during the holidays.

Zurah · 08-30-2006, 02:25 PM

Me too - fortunately my teach called today and told me classes would start again in October - yayy! Depending on the time I get back home, I put on Jenna and Raquy's Drum Solo dvd and practice for over an hour. If I didn't do that I'd never practice on my own - too lazy and tired :o Not only I had more work than ever this summer, I've also had to make preparations for moving, all during one of the hottest summers in years... ugghh.

Miss_Winnii · 09-01-2006, 02:24 PM

Pilates!!! it really helps, you have lots of cheap books, or just download a video...

i never get stiff, we have a disco in town, wre lots of woman from turkey, maroc etc do come, everybody always dance there on arabic music...im there 3 times a week

Moon · 09-01-2006, 07:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Miss Winnii

never get stiff, we have a disco in town, wre lots of woman from turkey, maroc etc do come, everybody always dance there on arabic music...im there 3 times a week

What is it called? I'd really like to go there once.

Maria_Aya · 09-04-2006, 08:14 AM

Hey!!! wishing you a great winter

We had to meet girl in Greece, you wouldnt be stiffed lol
Well, what i do is:
Good yoga breathing, stretches, a few drills, total for 20 min, with a relaxing music, in a relaxing speed.
Helps really very much to stay on track.
Maria Aya

Shanazel · 09-05-2006, 04:44 PM

Summer is short in the American Rockies, and I usually get totally off track from dance for at least a month and a half in the summer- hiking fills my exercise time. Along about the middle of August, I start realizing I have a month before classes start, so I begin to wander our rural dirt roads at night with my canes, swirling and twirling and whacking various parts of me in an attempt to get back into a dance frame of mind and body. (No, no, I don't require flagellation to get into the mood- I'm just clumsy at first with the cane twirls behind my back.) I also start returning to the dance room at the local gym to loosen up the joints and muscles and shimmies. Seems to take longer each year I am alive, but so far I've managed to turn up at my first classes in decent shape.

Michelle · 09-06-2006, 01:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Miss_Winnii

i never get stiff, we have a disco in town, wre lots of woman from turkey, maroc etc do come, everybody always dance there on arabic music...im there 3 times a week

OOOH, I wish!

maariku · 09-06-2006, 01:50 PM

Hi all! I'm glad to report Ive overcome the stifness... If the last week of short practises in my living room didn't do it, then the very first class of this autumn definitely did! Dear teacher just did 1,5 hours of tough technics. So, the autumn has officially arrived!

Saaraelli_ · 09-07-2006, 06:27 AM

Hello ladies,
I know what you mean

I am going to start my belly dancing after few days and yesterday I tryed some shimmies and so on. Well, I can feel that it has been a summer without dancing but hopefully it all starts to go ok when the dance studing starts

At least I'm in a good physical condition thanks to gardening for the whole summer, I bet I have been digging so much I could reach to the other side of the planet.
I am so much looking forward our belly dance to start, wonderful!

08-29-2006, 07:08 PM	#1 (permalink)
maariku Moderator Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Estonia Posts: 1,146	stiff after the holidays Hi all! This posting is sort of inspired by the other "break for summer"-thread as well as my (rather failed) attempt to dance today. The problem is that I have now been taking a complete break from dancing for a couple of weeks now. Of course, I still do my shimmies in the elevator if no-one is there, and dance along to the radio every now in the kitchen :P. But no serious "I am going to practise now" action for a while. So, I go to the studio today just to practise some of the choreographies with a friend... And, I find myself to be completely useless! Shimmies don't work as they used to and I look all funny and odd in the mirror. And my regular dance classes are resuming next week already! The question is - in case you do have breaks (for summer, Christmas, just a few weeks) - do you also have some sort of a "rehabilitation" program yourself... Meaning you start with smaller and shorter sessions and then build up to your regular routine?

08-29-2006, 07:39 PM	#2 (permalink)
Moon V.I.P. Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: the Netherlands Posts: 3,627	Hi Maariku, My dance course ended half July and will begin half September, so I had to go a long way without dance classes. Also I didn't sign up for any workshops because I didn't know yet when I would be on holiday. So I only had my own "at home" practice sessions for almost three months :eek: I didn't know if I would be able to survive that, but it turned out I had no desire to practice my dancing during the rest of June and whole July, partly because I had to finish a school assignment, but mostly because the weather was very, very hot and my room warms up very easily. Now, the weather is very crappy, almost like it's already autumn, and I've started to practice again every now and then. I too felt very stiff and I think my shimmies are less good than they were and I feel I'm using my arms too much. But on the other hand, now I have some kind of challenge to improve my dancing again. Sometimes I dance for only 10 or 15 minutes, sometimes an hour or longer. I just start dancing whenever I feel like it and I stop when I want to stop. I think I would get frustrated if I forced myself to dance for a particular period of time. Ofcourse for me it helps I'm a beginner and when dance classes were still going on, I was almost the only student that practiced at home once or twice a week. So I don't think the other students have practiced a lot during the holidays.

08-30-2006, 02:25 PM	#3 (permalink)
Zurah Moderator Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Spain Posts: 647	Me too - fortunately my teach called today and told me classes would start again in October - yayy! Depending on the time I get back home, I put on Jenna and Raquy's Drum Solo dvd and practice for over an hour. If I didn't do that I'd never practice on my own - too lazy and tired :o Not only I had more work than ever this summer, I've also had to make preparations for moving, all during one of the hottest summers in years... ugghh.

09-01-2006, 02:24 PM	#4 (permalink)
Miss_Winnii Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Nijmegen Posts: 69	Pilates!!! it really helps, you have lots of cheap books, or just download a video... i never get stiff, we have a disco in town, wre lots of woman from turkey, maroc etc do come, everybody always dance there on arabic music...im there 3 times a week

09-04-2006, 08:14 AM	#6 (permalink)
Maria_Aya Moderator Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Athens, Greece Posts: 2,221	Hey!!! wishing you a great winter We had to meet girl in Greece, you wouldnt be stiffed lol Well, what i do is: Good yoga breathing, stretches, a few drills, total for 20 min, with a relaxing music, in a relaxing speed. Helps really very much to stay on track. Maria Aya

09-05-2006, 04:44 PM	#7 (permalink)
Shanazel Moderator Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Rocky Mountains USA Posts: 4,566	Summer is short in the American Rockies, and I usually get totally off track from dance for at least a month and a half in the summer- hiking fills my exercise time. Along about the middle of August, I start realizing I have a month before classes start, so I begin to wander our rural dirt roads at night with my canes, swirling and twirling and whacking various parts of me in an attempt to get back into a dance frame of mind and body. (No, no, I don't require flagellation to get into the mood- I'm just clumsy at first with the cane twirls behind my back.) I also start returning to the dance room at the local gym to loosen up the joints and muscles and shimmies. Seems to take longer each year I am alive, but so far I've managed to turn up at my first classes in decent shape.

09-06-2006, 01:50 PM	#9 (permalink)
maariku Moderator Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Estonia Posts: 1,146	Hi all! I'm glad to report Ive overcome the stifness... If the last week of short practises in my living room didn't do it, then the very first class of this autumn definitely did! Dear teacher just did 1,5 hours of tough technics. So, the autumn has officially arrived!

09-07-2006, 06:27 AM	#10 (permalink)
Saaraelli_ Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Finland Posts: 6	Hello ladies, I know what you mean I am going to start my belly dancing after few days and yesterday I tryed some shimmies and so on. Well, I can feel that it has been a summer without dancing but hopefully it all starts to go ok when the dance studing starts At least I'm in a good physical condition thanks to gardening for the whole summer, I bet I have been digging so much I could reach to the other side of the planet. I am so much looking forward our belly dance to start, wonderful!