1. Warm Up First
Dance-related injuries are more common than most dancers realize. Dance is a sport, and dancers must take their sport seriously to prevent injuries. Hip hop involves extreme movements, so it's important to warm up and stretch the spine, the legs, thighs, calves, ankles, feet, arms, shoulders, neck and wrists--hip hop involves the entire body, so do a thorough warm up. If it's cold outside or in the studio, warm up becomes even more important. If the muscles are cold and tense, there's a greater risk of injury while dancing. Dance studios are typically warm for this reason and use fans to circulate the air.
2. There's Nothing Good About Bad Dance Technique
Learn hip hop dance movements correctly. The way a dancer connects from one movement to another must be done technically correct so as not to twist the body incorrectly, damaging a knee, pulling a muscle or spraining something. Prevent dance injuries by video taping your dancing, to see and correct bad dance technique before it becomes a habit. Dancing, done incorrectly, after a time will lead to injuries and may end your ability to dance.
3. Hip Hop Aerobics Classes
Hip hop aerobics classes combine the hip hop dance style with an aerobic workout. Concentrate on what you are doing, as there's usually dozens of people in one area "not" doing the same thing, making it too easy to fall over each other leading to injuries. Arrive early and plan where you'll stand during the class so you'll have the most workout area possible.
4. Rock Hard Surfaces Lead to Dance Injuries
Where you do hip hop dancing is a major factor in preventing a dance injury. Dance floors are designed to absorb some of the impact for a dancer's body and joints. Your risk of injury goes way up when you are doing hip hop on the street or tile floor. If you are planning a street performance, go prepared with dance mats that can be rolled out for the hip hop dancers to perform on.
5. Hip Hop Dancers Can't Have Enough Protection
Hip hop dancers have to take some extra precautions while learning their movements to prevent injuries. Wear knee pads, elbow pads and cover the legs with dance attire or some sort of protection. Until you learn to do the movements technically correct, the body protection will help avoid an injury. Also, wear the right type of shoes to do hip hop. A well-fit dance sneaker is the top choice for hip hop as it light enough, flexible, but still provides protection and support for the feet. A jazz shoe or regular street sneaker can work as well.
