
Through the process of starting and running a club, I have learned many lessons.
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First, I know a lot more about stretching than I thought I did, and I was able to share techniques with my members that changed the way they stretched, and it helped them feel good about stretching. For some, it even drastically improve their flexibility.
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Second, though they may have the inclination, dance majors do not have the time or the energy to stretch outside of class. Admittedly, the reason I was able to start the club in my last semester was that I don't have a job, and I'm in very few concert pieces, and I'm taking just 12 credits. Arts majors are just busy because the whole major is labs, choreographing, rehearsals, and somehow we make time for homework. Stretching for two whole hours a week is definitely put on the back burner, so my most consistent members were a couple of music majors, but they're pretty busy too. During midterms, nobody showed up, which was disappointing, but understandable.
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Third, stretching takes a lot of energy and focus, and when it is done consistently, it only takes about 30 minutes to reach a maximum potential for making gains in flexibility, including a ten-minute warm-up. I've learned that the best, most time-effective stretching should be done in the middle of dance class when the dancer is already warmed up and doesn't have to sacrifice homework time to do it. As a result, I have become a huge advocate of not cutting stretching time from class.
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Lastly, waffles really are very effective for encouraging attendance from the very few dancers who weren't booked during scheduled club times. Well, at least on Tuesdays. After the guest artist piece was added to our concert they now have a rehearsal during my club time, and attendance has come to almost a complete halt.
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In conclusion, I've learned a lot about the importance and benefits of stretching. I know that the best time to do it is in the middle of a dance class, where it has traditionally been practiced for many many years, and it's not something that can just be left out. I have also learned that dance majors are very busy, and a very adaptive schedule and multiple sessions a day would be needed for many of them to stretch outside of class. I have also developed more confidence in my teaching capabilities. Even though attendance was scarce, this project gave me some great teaching experience, and I'm excited to teach other classes after I graduate.