Improve Flexibility – Stretching before and after dancing is very important to getting the most out of your movements and avoiding injury. One of the most important types to focus on is strength and flexibility training. I like to start with upper body to get the energy going. A good stretching regimen will cover your legs, arms, back, neck, core, ankles, and feet. Flexibility training is arguably the most frequently neglected component of fitness among the general population, but that doesn’t mean it’s the least important. As you continue dancing you will be stretching more consistently and will notice how each stretch will become easier to complete. Supplemental strength training improves dancing while preventing injury. Dance, and in particular ballet, is characterized by beautiful body shapes and lines, much of which are due to flexibility. Being flexible allows your muscles to remain moble. But, like most things, flexibility decreases with age and it is very important to include flexibility exercises in your daily workout regimen. Flexibility is important in contemporary dance, but if you are not very flexible, that doesn’t mean that you can’t dance. Suppleness is a combination of flexibility and ability to move. For dancers to perform effectively and safely, it is important for them to receive as much training as they can get. Flexibility is required in all your day-to-day activities such as bending, walking, lifting, etc. Also, you will gain and develop your flexibility … As the words imply, this type of training incorporates workouts that will make a dancer stronger and more flexible in and out of the dance studio. In the same study however, 82% of the dancers perceived flexibility and joint mobility to be “very important” and 51% “regularly” engaged in it, while 30% “vigorously” engaged in it (McLeod, 2015, p. 65). What are the most important areas or muscle or muscle groups to stretch for increased flexibility (for legs -- arabesque, developed, split leaps, splits, etc.)? Stretching can be a fun part of practice and should not be treated as a chore. Since everything is connected -- it's good to take the time to stretch the entire body and do it in the correct order. It's important in dance as many popular steps and routines require a certain ammount of flexibility. Engaging in regular flexibility training can assist with increased joint mobility, better posture, decreased back pain and a lower risk of injury. 3. The Benefits of Flexibility It is important that dancers strive to stretch out every part of the body. In order to express themselves artistically, dancers stretch their joints to super-human lengths so they can please the eye as they fly across the stage in a panoply of amazing planes and angles. Contemporary dance is a very heterogeneous art and you never know what will be the needs of the choreographies that you will perform. But the dark side to hyper-flexibility is increased potential for injury. Why is there a difference between flexibility and muscular strength in perceptions of importance and engagement?