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According to most ballet teachers, an integral part of a ballet class is stretching. There is usually less chance of injuries when your body is prepared, both physically and mentally for the dance movements. Stretching can also help to increase strength and agility in the body, which is critical for dancers.

A first time dancer should also understand that incorrect stretching can do more harm than good. So be sure that your instructor helps you with these exercises at first.

For total body stretching four basic stretches are used, which each should be performed consecutively with a few seconds pause in between. It is also important to be sure to wear clothing that is comfortable, like leotards and if you want, some leg warmers. These leg warmers can prevent your leg muscles from getting cold before your muscles become warm.

Stretching for the lower back is done when you lie on your back on a hard flat surface with one leg straight and the other bent. You will move your bent leg up to your chest and retain the position for 10 seconds, then move the same leg across your body and touch the floor with it. It is important to keep your shoulders and back on the floor. You can then repeat with your other leg.

Your inner thigh and groin can be stretched in the following way. Sit upright on the floor with your legs bent and the sole of the foot on the floor. Move to a crouching position with your knees close to the floor and your feet nearly touching your groin.

The buttocks stretch is done by lying on your back with your feet on the floor and your knees bent. Raise one foot up and hold it with your opposite hand. Retain this position for 15 seconds and then repeat with the other leg.

The last but most important for your leg muscles is the lying V stretch. You will lie on your back with your legs pointing straight up in the air. Part your legs and point your toes to the floor until your legs are in a V position. Continue this movement as far as you can, then hold for a couple of seconds. Take a rest then repeat the stretch exercise.

Your leg muscles should start feeling warm when you complete these stretches. You will then be more prepared to commence dance movements and barre exercises.

Svetlana Marintcheva of Adagio Ballet oversees the ballet curriculum for both adults and children at our dance studios in Arlington and Fairfax VA. Visit us at our website or call us today.

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To create rap beats with today’s latest innovations in technology has been made less difficult and far more easily accessible for today’s aspiring beat makers, those who have little to no experience in audio production, and people who merely have the flair and interest in making music.

It used to just be about the juxtaposition of a multitude of sounds from various different musical instruments, thus entailing a huge chunk of your time and an investment of your hard-earned money. But now there are a lot of tools on the market that top hip hop producers use on their tracks and there are a ton of software products available online for making rap beats for those who are just starting out and making their way towards a career in the music industry.

Most of today’s songs are not boxed into one musical genre alone. The continuous evolution of music make it easier to create a diverse palette of sounds to mix and match with a variety of other genres from hip hop to pop to funk to metal. Nowadays, you can hear Dirty South elements fused with jazz or Crunk combined with soul and R&B in a wide range of music hybrid compositions. All you need to achieve this is a good ear for music and the right kind of equipment to create hip hop beats. Your creative imagination supported by your unique style will help in setting you apart from the crowd in defining your original sound and potentially innovative producing techniques.

The following are a few of the best tools and software that most producers are using these days for creating some of the music industries chart topping hits:

Korg Triton

One of the leading innovators in hip hop, this is a favorite among top producers like Neptunes.

Roland Fantom X6 Workstation

Color LCD screen and 16 drum pads make the Roland Fantom a great investment. This was used in the track “Ether” by Nas.

Cakewalk SONAR Home Studio 7 XL Standard

Among its features are unlimited MIDI tracks, multi-input audio interfaces, 2GB of loop content, 64 audio tracks, a vast selection of applications, synths, recording and mixing tools, and effects.

Fruity Loops

Create Rap Beats easily with this software, which was used by rap producer 9th Wonder to make the track entitled “Threat” by Jay-Z. This is a program that is fairly inexpensive and user-friendly.

Today’s technology allows anyone with a computer to produce beats on their own, provided they have the right kind of software to help them do so. But it’s more than just combining pre-programmed sounds. It takes skill to turn simple beats, samples and loops into a fantastically superb song that moves listeners to inspiration and motivates them to want to spend their money to buy it. So get crackin’ and start practicing now on learning the skills to make great music and to hone your talents to create hip hop beats that can compete in the modern world of music producing and song writing. You just might be the next Jay-Z or Dr. Dre.

Bruce Parker is a professional recording artist, world performer and pro audio engineer. His online company GForce Beats specializes in online music production as well as downloadable beats packages and other audio For in depth tutorials, audio production advice or more great information to Create Rap Beats visit GForce Beats today.Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/art-and-entertainment-articles/create-rap-beats-the-jayz-way-1761878.html