Advanced
Warm-Up
Advanced Level
Full mastery — nuance, personal expression, and artistry
Light movement and mobility exercises before dancing to prepare your body for performance — the ten minutes that prevent injuries and improve your first dance.
Tips
- •Dynamic movement is better than static stretching before dancing. Save the hold-and-stretch for after you dance.
- •If you arrive at a social and can't do a full warm-up, take your first dance at low intensity. Use the first song as your warm-up instead of going full energy.
- •Hip and ankle mobility are the most important warm-up targets for bachata. Prioritize these if you're short on time.
Common mistakes
- •Skipping the warm-up because you're running late — arriving five minutes late but warm is better than arriving on time but cold
- •Static stretching as a warm-up — save static stretches for the cool-down when muscles are already warm
- •Warming up once at the start and expecting it to last through a four-hour social — your body cools down during breaks
Practice drill
Create your personal warm-up routine and time it. Include: 60 seconds of light cardio, 10 each of ankle/hip/shoulder circles, 10 torso twists, 10 leg swings each side, and 60 seconds of slow basic step with body waves. This should take about 5-7 minutes. Do it before your next three dance sessions and notice the difference in your first few dances.