It’s not secret that stretching correctly is beneficial to anyone. Dancers on the other hand, need a bit more attention to their daily stretch routine.

NOTE: Please listen to your body, over stretching or stretching and feeling pain may be the sign of a bigger issue.

1) Shoulder Stretches
- Bringing one arm up and over behind your head, bend at the elbow and gently push toward the opposite ear to feel a stretch in the back of your arm.
- On a table, chair, ballet barre, or other strong object that is about chest or shoulder high, put both hands on with straight arms and gently push your body down leaving your head level with a flat back. Your upper body and face should be facing the floor. Hold this position for a great shoulder stretch for about 30 seconds.

2) Leg and Hip Stretches
- Start with one leg in front of the other by about 2 feet (give or take) with your front foot in parallel and back foot turned out for stability. Lean over your front leg and hug it as best you can. you can always place one hand on the floor for extra stability if you need it. Hold for 15-20 seconds. Repeat 2-3 times on each leg.
- Sit on the floor with both legs straight out in front of you. Making sure your knees are pointing up to the ceiling, lean over and touch your toes (or try to!). You can do this stretch with pointed feet or flexed feet for added stretching. Hold for 20-30 seconds and repeat 2-3 times.
- Sit on the floor with your feet touching and heels together in the butterfly position. Keeping your hands resting on your heels, use your elbows to push down on your knees and bend over your feet. This is a great stretch for your hip adductors.

3) Seal Stretch
- The seal stretch is a great option for stretching out your lumbar spine and can be soothing when sitting for long hours at a time, like behind a desk or in a classroom. Lay with your stomach on the floor with your arms propped up about shoulder width underneath you. Push up your upper body and breath through the stretch. To make the stretch deeper, let your head rest back with your face up to the ceiling. Every person’s body and level of flexibility is different so you may need to adjust the position of your hands to find the most comfortable and beneficial stretch.

4) Side Twist
- It is exactly how it sounds. Standing with the side of your body next to a counter, table, or ballet barre, turn your upper body only toward the stable object. Try looking over the shoulder you are turning toward. Hold this stretch for about 15 seconds for 3 rounds turning to each side.

5) Foot Stretches
- Lay on your back and bend on leg in holding it to your chest. Raise your other leg and point your foot as much as you can. Point for 15 seconds and then flex that foot for 15 seconds putting purpose into each movement. Repeat pointing and flexing 3-5 times on each leg switching the straight and bent legs.
- Dancers know how important their feet are so this stretch is done often, and even in class. Stand next to something sturdy and cross one foot over the other with the top foot pointing down and the top of that foot resting on the standing foot/floor. The arch of your foot should be pointing up and away from the floor. Bend and straighten both knees in 5 second pulses to increase the arch in the non-standing foot. Repeat on for both feet.

Stretching is different for everyone and there are many types of stretches that a dancer can do. With positive attitude and a lot of patience, you too can increase your flexibility!

Every day we walk into the the studio and go about our day teaching classes, taking classes, testing new choreography, and greeting students and families. The day-to-day brings us joy and comfort with a lasting smile on our faces. From time to time, we take a step back…

During the month of November, Spotlight Vermont has focused on giving back and giving thanks. Our food drive started on the 1st and runs through November 30th benefitting the South Burlington Food Shelf that opened just a month ago. Two bins have been set up and we are so inspired from the donations that have come in thus far. With just a few days left, we are hoping for just a little more.

The other addition to our November goals was a newly constructed “Gratitude Board”. Everyone who visits the studio is invited to write on a sticky note and post it on the black posters to offer up thanks for anything positive in our lives. From dance families, to new water fountains (Yes! We have a new water fountain!), we are so blessed to have such wonderful people in our lives!

So next time you are in the studio, take a moment, offer up a note of gratitude and don’t forget to give your hard working dance teacher a hug!

THANK YOU SPOTLIGHT FAMILIES!

Being a dancer means new dance costumes show after show, year after year. Now, you’ve acquired all of these amazing and beautiful dance costumes, what do you do with them all?

You’ve got several options:

1. Keep them! Every single one!

   • They are memories

   • Share for dress up with younger siblings or cousins

   • Halloween Dress up!

2. Donate

   • Check with your local schools, small theatre groups, pre-school programs, and other dance and drama groups.

3. Sell Them

   • You may be able to sell them for halloween costumes, other dance performances, dress up clothes

4. Create a Memory Quilt

   • Are you crafty? Don’t have the space to house all of the costumes? A memory quilt of the most important and identifying pieces of the costume is a fine idea!

Creativity isn’t just a gift that a chosen few possess. Every person is creative in their own unique way, and one of the greatest ways to enhance this unborn creativity is through dance. A good dance class is a safe place to free one’s body and soul; a place to express the you that is hidden inside. At Spotlight, our intention is to let every student shine.A year long class is not a venue for the teacher to show off their own prowess; that can often engender a “ I will never be able to do that feeling”. A continuing class is a place for our dancers to explore their strengths and weaknesses; creatively using their own unique body to express their own truth. And by working every week, a foundation can be formed. We are all creative , simply because we are all unique. At Spotlight we hope to inform week to week, month to month, beautiful dancers and beautiful people.

Written By: Liz Moore

We live in a world with an abundance of choices; convenience at our fingertips. And like the world we live in, all these choices can be overwhelming. So often, our choices are determined by these two common denominators: convenience and cost. We at Spotlight would like you to dig deeper.

Spotlight is an all inclusive, socially conscious, joyful studio that is based on fair business practices. Teachers are paid well, have artistic freedom, and given credit for their work. We believe dance is for everyone; our student body is diverse. Any dancer age three ( potty trained ) and up is welcome here. There is no right or wrong body type, no belief that all brains think and learn alike; toddlers through the golden years thrive here. Dancers with physical challenges can receive private instruction and still have their moment in the recital.

Our teachers don’t have a set idea of what dance is, we study our students and then tailor the class to the individuals in that class. Teachers forge relationships with both students and parents. We want to know who is celebrating a victory, or going through a tough time; and teach accordingly. Spotlight teachers know that dance can ease a tough time and will illuminate the wonderful ones.

Students at spotlight enjoy small teacher to student ratios; larger classes have student assistants ready for one on one help. Dancers at Spotlight are celebrated individuals. We love to hear about our dancers lives, because really, dance is life in its most beautiful form, and that is what Spotlight will give you.

Written By: Liz Moore