ABSTRACT
Cooling down is integral to the success of the dancer. At this point in the class, the students are exhausted. Their muscles are tired, they are very sweaty and, frequently, their bodies are hurting from the abrasions of the harness and hardware. Additionally, post-workout is the perfect time to work on lengthening the muscles while they are warm and elastic. Usually students sit on the floor with their legs outstretched in front of them with an ice pack in between their upper thighs. Keep in mind that the height and weight of the dancers as well as their conditioning can affect the difficulty of some movements and therefore everyone may not be sore in the same places or give similar feedback in terms of pain management. Although the students' responses may vary widely in terms of which phrases or exercises are difficult or easy, many times this is attributable to their natural physical gifts or challenges.
