Center Warmup:
C-Curve Roll Downs: Standing in parallel first, body in alignment. Leading with the top of the head. Roll down halfway for four counts. Extend into flatback for four counts with arms extended in front. Slowly plie (arms press open to second) then straighten legs for four counts (arms return to front of body.) Continue to roll down for four counts. Slowly plie and straighten legs for four counts. Starting at the base of the spine, plie and slowly roll up. Repeat three times. Walk out to plank on last one. Hold 30 seconds. Push back to downward dog. Hold stretch 30 seconds-one minute. Add a right leg 180 extension. Hold. Repeat left side. Come to seated neutral position with legs folded in front of you.
Seated C-Curve Roll Downs and Seated Contractions: Repeat same roll-down stretch extending into a flat back stretch for 8 counts; with same arms. Reverse back through to the top of the spine. Repeat three times. Once in sitting up, lengthened neutral, transition into 4, two count contractions using just pelvis and center. Arms move from second to a nice rounded first position port de bras. Make sure to incorporate the breath and exhale with each contraction. Repeat four times.
Seated Spirals: Transition your contractions into four seated spirals going right and left with arms lengthened out on the diagonal. Ensuring that dancer “lifts before the twist,” with palms extended. Take four counts in each direction. Repeat each side four times.
Floor Stretch: Finish the last spiral and take it to a roll down to lay on the floor in a “lateral T” position. Slowly developpe the right leg into four slow floor battements with pointed feet. Repeat with flexed feet. Incorporate two sets of rond de jambs for a full eight count each. Stretch the working right leg over the left and twist gently to stretch out the back. Hold one minute. Repeat other side.
Plies: Beginning in parallel. Add a center swing with a demi plie and lift/suspend when legs straighten. Repeat to lateral swing right, lateral swing left and back to center. Four sets in total. Change position to turned out first, second, fifth or third. Continue with gentle plie- relevés in parallel into chasse swings right and left eight times. End with balance with arms in 5th.
Tendus: Begin with pedals of the feet to stretch out. Two slow counts of eight. Repeat double time. Started in parallel with arms extended in 2nd, palms facing audience. Three quick tendus (counts 1-5,) on count 6 lift leg to 45 degrees and hold, tendu again on 7, close 8. Repeat front, side, back and side. Then reverse, back, side, front side. Plie and lateral stretch right into pile chaine to transition to other side between sides. Repeat left. Repeat same exercise with degagés. Stretch and hold balance in parallel passé or extended leg to front arabesque. Transition into a turned out position while holding the balance. Alternate pointed and flexed feet in the extension.
Across the Floor:
Prances: Begin across the floor, keeping the prances small and underneath one self. Thinking of accenting the “down beat” or the plie. Progress to making them a little bigger until they are Taylor runs in plie. Progress to changing facings to go backwards, change in quarter turns every four. Change halfway, etc.
Variation: Add four prances into four stationary sautes alternating from parallel to turned out first.
Table tops into Side tilts: Have dancers slowly build strength by starting with table top position of the legs traveling slowly across the floor. Legs come into parallel attitude second and arms reach around to press down and lengthen towards the leg in the air. Step and repeat across the floor. When dancers are advanced, have them transition the tabletop slowly into a side tilt, ensuring they are in proper alignment in the hips, spine, pelvis and ribs.
Triplets: Basic triplet across the floor from “high to low,” brushing the floor, using breath in the rise and fall.
Progress to perform two forward traveling and then change direction traveling backwards. Repeat forward motion then add a turn such as a plie into chaine or multiple chaines or a roll to the floor.
Chasse Swings: Arms circle over the head in the direction you are going with a deep plie chasse in second position. For progression: Add a low leg extending off the floor, turned out and stretched. Repeat left side.
Tuck Jumps: Add three pedestrian runs into a contracted tuck jump with bottom leg straight and the other leg tucked into a passe position. Let arms swing in the direction of the body; front to back. Add one traveling forward and one that switches direction going backwards
Rolls into shoulder rolls: Have dancer try stepping into the roll to the floor. Swing legs ectended to the front. Perform a shoulder roll to standing or to knees. If to knees, progress into a jazz slide through to roll to get up or a florr jete to spring off the floor. Try adding multiple turns preceding the roll to the floor.
“X” Jumps into hitchkicks: Have dancer start facing the mirror. Travel laterally into a chasse into an x jump (arms echo legs), land in plie, cross back. Chasse and hitchkick to the back. Repeat.
Center Combo: Combine elements from the lesson and build into a center combo…i.e. triplet right, triplet left, chainé, roll into shoulder rolls. Chasse swing. Chaine. Triplet right, trip left, chasse, "x jump.
Closing Improv Score: Give dancers a basic directive that echoes a concept covered in class and have them use it to create an improv score the last few minutes of class as a closing or cool-down. (i.e. Levels, breath, dynamic variations, contraction, etc.)
