Care Guide: Showcase Performers

We are excited to announce that our next studio showcase will be at the beginning of August! 

Dates: Time TBD but most likely afternoon/evening.

Pole Showcase Saturday August 3rd

Aerial Showcase Sunday, August 4th 

We’ve whipped up a little Care Guide for anyone who is interested in performing. There is a LOT that goes into performing, but these are a few of the nuggets that we think are at the top of the list. Additionally- you are welcome to perform in the studio showcase even if you just finished up a six week series. If you are interested but hesitant please reach out! 701-203-3448

Injury Prevention:

Before working on your routine, make sure to include a warmup that will target major muscle groups and prepare you for physical activity. Start with cardio of your choice for at least 5-10 minutes to get your blood flowing: jumping jacks, walking squats/lunges, a short jog/brisk walk  around the neighborhood. 

If you are particularly sore, foam roll any grumpy areas that need additional attention or use a peanut/lacrosse ball etc. Dynamic stretches are better for the beginning of practice versus static stretches. Static stretches should be reserved for the *end* of practice. Especially static splits stretches.

Take breaks! Rest is important and where muscles have a chance to repair themselves so that we can continue to get stronger. Especially when creating  a routine for showcase you will be developing endurance as you piece together tricks without taking a break, like we would normally do during class.  We recommend taking a day off between classes/ training and supplementing with cross training like yoga, the stretch class on Sundays, or swimming.

Additionally, since you are creating a routine, chances are that you will be using the same side and potentially overuse your dominant side. We recommend scheduling in time at the end of your practice to practice skills that are in your routine on your “other” side. This is to make sure that you don’t develop muscle imbalances!

Hydration and Nutrition:

Make sure to drink plenty of water! Especially as we enter summer months, we recommend electrolyte supplements that come in the form of tablets, or drink mixes to ensure you are staying hydrated. These are especially helpful if you find it difficult to drink flavorless water.

Try to eat at least 1-2 hours before training, and perhaps bring a snack to the studio! 

Community Support + Enjoyment

Take advantage of open training sessions like open pole and open aerial. If there is a time that doesn’t work with your schedule please let us know. We want to make sure you feel as supported as possible! We have limited availability, but we’ll work with what we’ve got!

A few tips that may help especially if you are a new student or if you need a reminder:

Creating choreography for your routine will be THE most time consuming. It generally will take much longer than you anticipate, especially if you are creating it solo. With help, through private lessons, we can usually get a 2-3 min routine done in one session. The hardest part of creating a routine is getting out of your own head! 

2-3 minutes is PLENTY for a lyra or pole routine, and around 3-4.5 min for a silks routine. If your song is longer we can fade out or start the song at a certain point. Choose your song very early on, and don’t change it! Indecisiveness is one of the biggest challenges people face when creating a routine. 

Order your costume early so that you have time to practice a full run through at least once to make sure that there are no malfunctions. We also have costumes available for rent at the studio for the aerial side, but we require you to have your own tights if needed (can be bought locally at Applause in Moorhead).

If you order a costume that is sleeveless or backless (for aerial) we recommend buying a unitard or leotard with full sleeves in a nude color. Additionally, stay away from cotton because sweat will show through. Try to buy synthetic material like spandex, nylon, etc. 

Lastly,

We want you to feel confident in your routine and be able to invite friends and family without being nervous that you haven’t practiced enough, etc. hence why we wrote this lil post but are also happy to chat with you more in depth at the studio too :) We want you to be a part!