8 Warm Up Games and Exercises for Your Next Dance Rehearsal

Have you noticed lately that your dancers have seemed a bit, well, bored? Perhaps they’re not as engaged during warm up time as they used to be or are simply going through the motions (literally) during rehearsals.?

To combat burnout and keep rehearsals fun and engaging, you can always add a few new elements to your routine – like games, warm-ups, and other exercises that will keep your dancers excited about coming to class. On The Stage offers some suggestions.?

8 Warm Up Games and Exercises To Try

1. The Mirror Game

A versatile, engaging, and simple game, Mirror requires two dancers to pair up. (Consider teaming up dancers who don’t typically engage with one another and avoid pairing up close-knit friends.)

First, your duo will decide who is leading the exercise. Then, the leader begins moving, and the second dancer must follow – copying precisely to appear like a mirrored image.?

Depending on the age of your dancers, you can encourage them to incorporate more complex movements, like dance steps from a routine or tough technical moves you’re working on in class. If your students are younger, you can suggest simpler movements, like pretending to be a tree moving in the wind.

Not only does this exercise encourage creative movement, but it also creates bonds between dancers and encourages collaboration and teamwork. ?

2. Improvisation?

The best way to warm up as a dancer? Well – dancing, of course! Consider putting on some music your students enjoy and allowing them to improv around the studio.?

If your students are younger, allow them all to move together. Suggest specific moves to try or a baseline inspiration for their performance. If your students are a bit older, you can break them into groups or have each student dance individually if they’re comfortable with that challenge.

To gamify the experience, have dancers improv solo or in small groups until you turn the music off. When the studio goes silent, the performing dancers must freeze, and others can take their place in the same position. When the music turns back on, the new dancers must dance themselves out of that position.

Creative, experimental , challenging, and freeing, improv is an excellent way to kick off class.

3. The Dance Card Game

Get with your dancers and get suggestions about movements to write down on cards. These can be as simple as run, skip, or jump or as complex as fouetté combinations.?

There are several ways to utilize the cards. You can have each student pick one out and perform it individually. You can have a dancer pick it out and lead the entire class in practicing that movement. You can also pick out several cards, place them in order on your mirror, and use them as combination warm-ups.?

By gamifying the experience, your students feel involved in the direction of the class – and the cards add an element of surprise that will keep them engaged .?

4. Across the Floor

Perhaps one of the most common dancer warm-ups is across the floor. You, the teacher, will show your students a particular set of movements they will need to perform from one side of the studio to the other. This can be a grand battement (big leg kick) combination, pirouettes, grand jetés, or whatever else you want to focus on in class that day.?

Typically, the across-the-floor movements are either singular – grand jetes from start to finish – or one eight-count of movements that can repeat for as long as it takes to get from one side of the studio to the other.

Across-the-floor warm-ups are beneficial for several reasons: they help dancers work on their basics, increase confidence , warm the body up, and provide a low-stress way to dance without all eyes on them.

5. Learn a Trending Dance

If your students are comfortable being on social media, consider learning a trending dance from TikTok. The beauty of these dances? They range from incredibly simple to very complex. Since you know the skill level of your dancers better than anyone, you can choose a routine that is approachable while still being challenging.

Another upside of learning and posting a trending dance is that it’s an excellent marketing move for your studio. People can appreciate the talent of your dancers but also see that your studio is a fun, current, approachable space that does more with their dancers than just drill routines or work on the fundamentals.?

6. Breathing Exercises?

If you’re looking for something a lot less complex than learning a TikTok dance, breathing exercises are never a bad idea. In fact, deep breathing can help improve blood circulation and lung capacity, all while enhancing muscle performance.

Start your class with synchronized breathing exercises to help everyone get into the same flow. Additionally, deep breathing can help shake off any nerves or jitters your students might have when they first enter a class.

If you want to take it a step further, add in a few yoga moves or arrange yourselves in a circle to enhance that feeling of group unity.?

7. Quick Combos

A good way to warm up the body is by presenting your students with quick combinations before the nitty-gritty of rehearsals begins.

This can be as short as an eight-count or as long as you want, depending on the skill level of the class and the amount of time you have allotted for warm-ups.?

Alongside warming up the body, quick combos help your dancers snap into focus, warming up the mind for more complex movements as rehearsals progress.?

Split your dancers into groups after they’ve learned the combo, and have each group dance for one another. This can boost morale while helping students get used to performing.

8. Dynamic Stretching?

Stretching before dance rehearsals is always a good idea, but sometimes students aren’t sure exactly what to do. Try leading your group in dynamic stretches that can warm them up and prevent injuries.

Suggestions include working the hamstrings, the turnout, the inner thighs, the calves, and the hip flexors. Consider adding resistance bands or other equipment like yoga balls or weights, depending on your dancers’ age and skill level. Balance-focused stretching is also an excellent idea to work the core and ensure your dancers are ready for rehearsals.

On The Stage

While many may know On The Stage (OTS) as a theatre-focused company, we also help elevate dance studios nationwide with our all-in-one ticketing software built for performing arts of all kinds.?

OTS combines a fully integrated suite of tools and resources for the performing arts with everything needed to control your own operational and financial management, letting you focus on making great art. Our all-in-one theatre software platform empowers dance studio owners to take control of their company’s future and turn dance performances into standout events .?

If you’re ready to take your studio to the next level, book a personalized demo today.