Focus Warm-up 6: Coordination & Musicality, Sub-Junior Level, led by Melissa McCabe, offers a well-rounded warm-up that develops spinal mobility, turnout awareness, arm coordination, and rhythmic precision in younger dancers.

The class begins with Side & Forward Roll, which takes the spine through flexion, extension, and rotation, building mobility and body awareness from the very start. Turnout Pulses – Extension then activates the external rotators with the mini loop band, developing the muscular awareness needed for consistent and safe turnout. Enhancing Arm Shapes develops port de bras coordination and expressiveness, exploring how the arms and head work together in different positions. The class closes with Jump to the Beat, coordinating movement set to music — developing foot articulation, lower leg strength, and rhythmic precision while connecting physical work with musical responsiveness.

Tips

Encourage students to feel the spinal movement as a wave in Side & Forward Roll — each section of the spine should move in sequence, not all at once.

In Turnout Pulses – Extension, cue the rotation from the hip joint — the legs should open from the top, not from pushing through the feet or ankles.

In Jump to the Beat, remind students to articulate through the foot on every rise and landing — the coordination with the music should never come at the expense of technique.