Warmups: Take 2
After last week’s newsletter, I received a thoughtful response from a reader who asked a very good question:
"Don’t we still need to lubricate the joints, raise body temperature, and prepare for the style of dance we’re about to practice?"
And my answer is: yes — absolutely.
I realize I may have created some confusion with my wording.
When I said that a warm-up is about changing the state of the nervous system, I was not suggesting that dancers should skip the physical parts of warming up.
We still need to:
move the joints through comfortable ranges
gradually increase circulation and body temperature
prepare the feet, hips, spine, and shoulders for the movement demands ahead
progress toward the specific style or choreography we’re about to do
Those things matter.
What I was trying to highlight is that a warm-up is not only about warming the tissues.
It is also about helping the brain gather clearer information from the systems it uses to organize movement.
That includes:
the visual system — how we use our eyes and orient to space
the vestibular system — how we sense head movement, balance, and spatial orientation
the proprioceptive system — how we sense our joints, muscles, pressure, and body position
So when we talk about the “physical” part of warm-up, much of that fits under proprioception.
Joint motion, weight shifting, foot pressure, spinal movement, turnout preparation, balance work, and style-specific movement all help the brain build a clearer map of the body before we ask it to do something more complex.
So no, I’m not suggesting we replace a physical warm-up with eye drills or vestibular drills.
I’m suggesting we expand our definition of warm-up.
An ideal warm-up prepares the whole dancer:
visually
vestibularly
proprioceptively
mentally
physically
and artistically
The nervous system and the body are not separate.
When we prepare the brain’s information systems well, the body often responds with more ease, clarity, coordination, and trust.
So the question becomes less:
Did I do enough warm-up exercises?
And more:
Does my system feel clearer, safer, warmer, and more ready to dance?
That’s the real goal.
Warmest regards,
Deborah