Sandy Hagen Dance: Core Programs

On this page, you'll find descriptions of Sandy's core programs: Sandy Hagen's jazz-barre-stretch(tm) and the Luigi Jazz Technique.

This page also includes brief descriptions of other courses Sandy offers: Upper Body Conditioning, Middle Management, Aqua-ditioning, Tap 1 & 2, Assisted Stretch, and additional dance courses.

jazz-barre-stretch(tm)

Sandy Hagen's jazz-barre-stretch is a total body conditioning course for men and women, offering safe exercises, properly supervised, to strengthen and stretch the major muscle groups of the body without damaging high-impact stress.

Created and developed in 1974 by Sandy Hagen, the objective of the course is to properly prepare the body for the demands of dance, athletics, or the physical stress of normal daily life. A series of Isotonic exercises increase your muscular-skeletal fitness, developing a balance of strength and stretch throughout the body. The course offers an explanation of the muscles used, and the most safe and efficient way to keep those muscles in shape and ready for use.

It is necessary for all men and women to maintain muscle mass (lean tissue) throughout their entire life times, to maintain good health, vitality, and to combat chronic health problems. Sandy Hagen's expertise in designing and teaching this course has been utilized by numerous people including professional athletes and performers, who have proven to value and benefit greatly from her Health Care Philosophy. This therapeutic approach has been recommended by numerous orthopedic doctors and physical therapists and has gained the respect and approval of sports-fitness personnel throughout New England.

For more on the value of jazz-barre-stretch, please scroll to the bottom of this page.

Luigi Jazz Technique

Luigi Jazz Technique is a therapeutic, health-oriented technique that focuses on protecting the body from injury while dancing, and provides a safe, structured way to finding your center and knowing your body. At the introductory level, body awareness and alignment is taught through a series of warm-up exercises or dance sequences.

This technique was created over 40 years ago by the renowned "Luigi" who worked his way back to a career dancing in motion pictures from the near-total paralysis caused by a motor accident. He is Sandy's mentor and good friend. Sandy is often recommended by Luigi because she takes time to explain the dance movements and philosophy of Luigi's technique so all can understand it.

Luigi Jazz Technique is a great basic foundation for all other dance forms, and has proven to greatly improve career longevity for dancers, and total health for everyone. This technique is taught around the world, and countless Broadway and film performers have been trained in the Luigi technique and are well aware of its benefits.

Additional Course Offerings

Upper Body Conditioning

In her Upper Body Conditioning class, Sandy concentrates on upper body strength fitness; not building bulging muscle bulk but stronger, toned, and firmer muscles needed to support the skeletal structure, not body building or power lifting. Strength training is for everyone.

Middle Management(tm)

Sandy's Middle Management class focuses on building a strong back, using exercises to strengthen the abdominal and lower back area. An intense 1/2 hour class concentrating on the mid-section of the body. Remember these muscles are important for the health of your back!

Sandy Hagen's Aqua-ditioning(tm) - jazz-barre-stretch in the Water

Put the fun back in fitness! Weight, injury, age, and fitness level do not affect the benefits of this terrific workout. These exercises are done IN the water, not underwater, so you don?t have to know how to swim to participate. You don?t even have to get your hair wet.

Here are some of the benefits of this water conditioning class:
-You are free of the gravity pull and the stress it puts on your body, and you recover more quickly from exertion.
-The added resistance from the water stimulates circulation and massages your muscles.
-When moving quickly, the water adds resistance in every direction of motion - your muscles work concentrically to develop a strong and flexible body with no muscle soreness.
-Jogging or running in the water provides excellent aerobic exercise with no stress to your body.
-The water keeps you cool and less fatigued by the heat.

This class is well-suited for those with muscle-skeletal problems, such as chronic knee, back, or ankle problems.

Tap 1 & 2: Broadway-Style Tap

Tap 1 & 2 is a one-hour class in Broadway-style tap, concentrating on good alignment and using the whole body, not just the feet, while performing basic to advanced tap combinations and routines. The class includes a complete explanation of tap terminology. If you have not taken tap before, or are unsure of what a flap or shuffle is, then you need to schedule a 30-minute private session with Sandy to learn Pre-Tap terminology and execution before you join the class.

Assisted Stretch Plus Personal Stretch Action Plan

Sandy offers Assisted Stretch by appointment, in one-on-one sessions. Sandy will evaluate your musculature for flexibility and develop a personal stretching program specifically suited to you.

Flexibility, the ability to move your joints through their full range of motion, is one of the key elements of fitness, along with cardiovascular endurance and muscle strength. The way to maintain or improve flexibility is to stretch. But most people do not know which stretching exercises are best for them. Sandy will develop a stretching routine for you and show you how to increase youthful stretch using good alignment principles. Sandy will also provide assisted stretch - hands-on help to stretch your tight muscle groups. This therapeutic approach will lengthen your muscles, complimenting your strength with better range of motion and fluidity.

It is important to remember that stretch is a critical component in your fitness profile. Tight, short muscles can create an imbalance in the muscle groups, postural deformities, and postural pain. All adults can and should maintain reasonable flexibility and strength in their major muscles groups to maintain a healthy musculature throughout life. Flexibility helps you be at your best ? to feel good and look good.

Additional Dance Courses

Sandy teaches all levels of Luigi Jazz Technique, Tap Dance, Rock-style Jazz, Turns & Jumps, Musical Theatre Jazz, and special workshops in Ballroom Dance, Teacher Certification, Creative Movement for Children, Dance for Gymnastics and also preparation for auditions, staging, movement/choreography. Choreography and Coaching for aerobics, body-building, gymnastics and ice-skating competitions, athletic or artistic performances (professional or non-professional).

WHAT IS THE VALUE IN SANDY HAGEN'S jazz-barre-stretch CONDITIONING SYSTEM?

How to acquire the key elements of fitness: flexibility, cardiovascular endurance and muscle strength.

Sandy Hagen's jazz-barre-stretch is a unique system of therapeutic conditioning exercises, designed by Sandy, to properly prepare the body for the demands of dance, athletics or other physical stress. This carefully-designed program trains the body to gain muscle strength (control), flexibility (improved range of motion), balance, poise and coordination. This system of exercises emphasizes muscular balance and good alignment, proper body mechanics, increased efficiency and range of movement with good form and technique, correct usage of the muscle groups, which develops good muscle memory and prevents injuries caused by imbalances in the body's strength and stretch.

To reap the many benefits this program offers, it is important to first understand that jazz-barre-stretch presents not just a practical approach to conditioning but also a philosophical approach. "Keeping the body free from injury" and "taking good care of one's self" are the by-laws of Hagen's system. This takes will-power from the individual, and requires personal commitment and involvement to internalize the training. The program is set up to provide motivation and feedback, but it still remains your responsibility to be involved in your own progress and improvement.

We assume that you really do want to feel better and look better, you just don't know how all by yourself. Many factors contribute to your success and enjoyment. Here are just a few points to think of when you participate in jazz-barre-stretch to reach its full potential:

1. The only safe and effective way to build muscles (strength and stretch) is on-going training efforts. It takes time to achieve both the concept and understanding, and it also takes time for the culmination of efforts to pay off. Conditioning and training are a constant processes, on-going through our entire lifetime. You must think long term. Our first priority is to offer an uninterrupted schedule, maintaining a consistent workout program for all students. It's the cumulative effects that produce the rewards of a healthier you.

2. We concentrate on the "how to" of working your muscles properly by presenting practical applications of exercise science theory, developing sound biomechanics, good body alignment habits and kinesthetic awareness. We learn to listen to our bodies as we work strengthening and stretching, learning to recognize what one is supposed to feel to gain a healthier stretch, etc. We specialize in preventing musculo-skeletal problems from incorrect technique and maladaptive alignment, in both stance and movement; always making references to every day activities, as well as the impact of form in class. Posture on-the-job and workplace ergonomics also have a significant effect on musculoskeletal health, so we do make recommendations to help you think about the knowledge you receive from jazz-barre-stretch and apply it to daily activities. These include driving a car, waiting in line, riding an elevator, and brushing your teeth.

3. Sandy views the conditioning process as an important part of improving self image. "Working on conditioning has a positive affect on the way we see ourselves and in turn, the way others see us. And this process of self improvement is never finished. There's always something new to work on, a new goal to reach for." The value of a regular training program versus sporadic exercising is that it is cumulative and growth oriented. What you worked on last week you can continue to work on this week until you've mastered it. A regular training and conditioning program which is health-oriented has positive physical and mental rewards. That?s great because you are not only improving the body and making it healthier, but also achieving success.

4. This program helps you assess your body's strengths and weaknesses. We help you to know how to work on your own individual needs and encourage growth at your own pace. The students benefit from the information they gain about themselves, as well as the value of the workout system itself. Repetition builds "muscle memory" or kinesthetic awareness. Habits (good and bad) are only learned by repetition. For everyone, the muscle development grows to support the bone and joints. Gaining stability through this workout is an important health benefit.

5. What muscles do for your body, or Why is muscular conditioning so important?
a) muscles serve as the engine of our bodies. Power is produced and movement originates in our muscles.
b) muscles serve as shock absorbers. Muscles dissipate stress and impact forces, thus preventing injury to bones and connective tissue.
c) muscles provide our body's basic build and physical framework (or our "packaging"). Our appearance largely depends on the condition of our muscles.
d) jazz-barre-stretch (resistance training) increases the ratio of muscle to fat. Muscle tissue is always active and burning calories. Every pound of muscle you have requires 75 calories a day to keep it supplied with blood for nutrition and oxygen. Each pound of fat requires only 2 calories a day to keep it alive.

In addition, Sandy evaluates students for things like poor flexibility, muscular imbalances and preventing injury. Sandy is keenly aware of structural imperfections, and gives advice such as referrals to doctors, orthopedics and sports medicine specialists.

A Brief History

Dancers and athletes from the likes of Broadway performers, professional football players and athletes from the Norwegian Alpine Ski Team to marathon and triathlon participants, have used jazz-barre-stretch to heal and to prevent injuries since Sandy developed the program in 1974. The positive results of this basic body maintenance system can be observed in a remarkably short time, with regular participation and commitment. This system of exercise builds the body up and does not tear it down. jazz-barre-stretch is highly recommended by many orthopedics, physical therapists, and massage therapists in the Boston area. jazz-barre-stretch was first developed because Sandy, a professional dancer, choreographer, and teacher with BFA and MFA degrees in Dance, saw that so many dancers were dancing "beyond their capabilities," which Sandy describes as "when your skill level and your conditioning level do not match." When they don't match, a person is more prone to injuries. Muscle imbalances can cause the dancer and athlete to over-compensate by using incorrect muscle groups and placing undue stress on weight-bearing joints and the skeletal structure. Individual sports (including dance) require the use of only certain muscle groups; the parts of the body not involved may become weak, resulting in a muscle imbalance. The therapeutic value of jazz-barre-stretch is that it develops a balance between strength and flexibility in all the major muscles of the body, and benefits the cardiovascular system as well.

In 1982, students in the jazz-barre-stretch course were part of a scientific study at the Sports Conditioning Center, Inc. in Chestnut Hill, MA, with physical therapist Don Labourr (former trainer for University of Washington in Seattle). The test participants displayed significant increase in strength and balancing of asymetrical muscles in the muscle groups tested (knee and ankle). Mr. Labourr said "Every dance studio in the country should add a conditioning course like jazz-barre-stretch to their usual courses."

To lend support to her theory about the need for total body conditioning, Sandy developed jazz-barre-stretch to serve as a foundation and muscle maintenance program to offer in conjunction with her dance classes. Of course, this system of therapeutic exercises has proven to be beneficial for everyone who wants to have healthy musculature.

Conclusion

We all know "you can't buy years of experience, you have to earn them" and "to be fit is not who you are, its what you do." Muscle tone is not a gift at birth, but rather the result of work. We can truthfully say there has never been a single injury in a jazz-barre-stretch class, even when taught by substitutes. We hope you value this program and enjoy a fit and vital life, without musculo-skeletal problems to interfere with your health and well-being. We hope this information will be beneficial to you. You should approach your personal health and fitness program with as much information, and therefore as much positive attitude, as possible.

Because this program complements your dance progress, health and safety, all dance students at Sandy Hagen-s Dance Center are expected to also enroll in jazz-barre-stretch.

All materials copyright 2002-2009