Is It Okay To Take a Break From Dance?
Is it okay to take a break from dance?
Absolutely! Taking a break is in fact beneficial. It is important to take breaks to facilitate recovery so that you can improve your performance and avoid exhaustion and burnout. It is vital that we foster a healthy brain and body because they are the basis of how we do everything: eat, walk, dance.
Taking a productive break, whether they are relaxing or social, promotes positive well-being, reduces stress and resets your mood so that you are ready to face new challenges with a restored energy.
We’ll give you everything you need to have a productive break from dance, and share some tips for a productive break.
When looking for a productive and healthy break from dancing, you can try:
1. Eliminate self critique and let go of negative thoughts and view about rest.
You may feel that you’re being lazy, unproductive and not putting in enough work. Others around you might even question your decisions. It may be hard to allow yourself to let go and rest, but it can help you find the clarity and inspiration to come back to dance with a fresh and rested mind and body.
2. Stay active and healthy.
It is key to maintain some form of exercise and healthy eating during this time. This will ensure that your fitness, strength and flexibility is maintained while you are away from dance and that your body is fuelled and ready for what lies ahead. It will also help you avoid injury upon your return to dance.
3. Food well-being
To keep up with a healthy and active lifestyle, especially for us as dancers, it is very important to fuel our bodies with the right foods. Having a good eating plan is vital to living a healthy lifestyle. Check out our ‘Nutrition - What do the professionals eat?’ blog to get you inspired for some delicious foods! It is also okay to enjoy the finer things in life such as chocolate and ice cream… but always in moderation!
4. Keep your dancing spirit up!
Remember how dancing makes you feel and why you started in the first place. Maybe you loved the hip hop dancing in the latest music video clip you watched. Maybe you watched a production of The Nutcracker by The Royal Ballet and wanted to be one of those graceful ballerinas leaping jete-ing across the stage. Maybe you wanted to dance contemporary when you watched The Next Step on TV. Whatever it was, find something dance-related that interests you!
Here are some movies and shows our teachers love:
· Centre Stage
· Dance Academy
· The Next Step
· Work It
· We Speak Dance
· Step Up
· Driven to Dance
Awesome Youtube Clips
· Don’t Let Me Down - Hip Hop Choreography
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUOnFDQcwas
· Snippets of The Royal Ballet (U.K.)
https://www.youtube.com/c/RoyalOperaHouse/playlists
· Kathryn Morgan: a good source of dance stretch and strengthening exercises
https://www.youtube.com/user/Tutugirlkem
· Strong feet, stability & a high demi pointe (Tatiana Rooney)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-nhYGYWO2Q
5. Set goals to do and practice things you may not otherwise have time for
These can be dance or not dance related, however, it is important to stay productive and keep some sort of routine whilst you are taking your break. This will make the transitions back into school/dance class/other commitments easier, when you return from your break. Examples of the types of things you can do during your break can include things such as getting your over-splits, being able to balance in retire, or learning how to make your favourite cake.
6. Time for reflection and rest
This is one of our favourites and almost the most important! Take time out to reflect and focus on your mental health, especially during these tough and testing times. Drawing or writing out your feelings and worries can help get them out of your head. It is so important to congratulate your wins so during your break reflect on all the amazing improvements and experiences you have had that have gotten you to where you are today. Practice gratitude and meditation.
Smiling Mind is a free app that’s great for meditation and reflection, give it a try! Make sure to also check in on those around you, you never really know what’s going on until you ask.
What is the right amount of time to take off from dancing?
Every individual and their situation is unique, hence there is no ‘right’ amount of time to take off. If you have set goals, think about how long these will take you to achieve, and take into account also the amount of rest you want for your body.
Keep in mind that we, as dancers, are accustomed to strengthening, conditioning and stretching our bodies, so if we take a long break it can become difficult for us to regain this. It is always a good idea to stay active, healthy and focus on exercises that will keep up your strength, flexibility and fitness to retain your hard work.
It is more than okay to take a break from dance. It is important to remember to spend the break wisely and use your time as best you can. Reset, check up on yourself and do whatever it is you need to do to be motivated and ready to come back to dance and grow your passion. Don’t forget to stay in touch with your AT Dance family… We can’t wait to see you back in the studio!