It may be very exciting to get out on the dance floor and start dancing, even at a practice, but it is important to take a little bit of time to warm up first. Otherwise, a serious injury could occur. This could put an end to the dancing for some time, so it is worth it to have spent a bit of time holding back the enthusiasm of the dance and getting ready to go. A person should first put on their dancewear and then begin to warm up after they are ready. This will get them prepared for the dance in the way that they are going to be dressed when they actually take to the floor so that the whole process feels natural.

With the dancewear on -- whether this means a leotard or one of the more trendy hip hop dance costumes -- a person should begin with stretching. This can be done on the floor simply by sitting with the legs apart and reaching for the toes. This stretch should be followed by a standing stretch with the same goal. This, in turn, should be followed by drawing the legs up behind the body and pulling to stretch the quads. A good array of stretches should be used so that the legs are warm and limber. This should take about 15 minutes; anything less will not get the job done.

After stretching, a person should run through a few simple moves at a slow pace. These will get the blood flowing and will also warm up the legs in the same way that the stretching has. Furthermore, they will prepare both the mind and body for the act of dancing. Especially if this is not something that is done on a regular basis, the body has to shift into the right mode to dance at a high level. Going right out and trying the moves at full speed will give it no time to adjust and the moves will come off poorly. Run through the simple ones before the dance truly begins.

The last step in the process should be a number of full-speed dance moves. This is to get the heart pounding and the lungs straining. A dancer does not want to be worn out by this, but just wants to wake the body up to the idea of strenuous exercise. Often, the first few minutes of exercise are the worst. This is because the body is not ready. Getting it through these first minutes means that it will perform much better.