Just like any other sport or physical art – dancers need rest. We at South Chicago Dance Theatre rehearse 4 or 5 days each week for 6.5 hour periods. The weekends are often rejuvenating, but our bodies need rest, care, and downtime away from our craft.

Each year, we are provided with a one-week Spring Break. Some dancers stay in the city and continue to work their outside jobs, some relax in their hometown, and some use this as vacation time. Either way, we all can agree that we take this week off as a time to take care of our bodies and rest them to get ready for our Home Season show each year. Below are our person Top 5 Essentials during spring break.

1. Nights with a FULL 8 hours of sleep! Whether it’s going to bed early or sleeping in, our bodies recover during sleep. Us dancers strive for a perfect 8 hours, but during the season it gets tough with outside gigs, jobs, and social lives. Now is our official time to rest!

2. Any sort of massage – be it an appointment, a loooong roll out session with a foam roller and/or tennis ball, or a massage from a loved one…it’s time for our muscles to relax!

3. Downtime for our hobbies! When dance gets busy, it’s hard to sit down to a good book, watch a movie, crochet, go on walks, play pickleball, or invest in our hobbies outside the studio. Now’s the perfect time to enjoy them with more time off.

4. Cross-train in our favorite workout. Yes, it’s rest time, but we also have to keep up our stamina and remain physically ready for our upcoming shows! We have Chicago Athletic Club memberships that help us stay active, I also love to go to group fitness classes, and sometimes even just a long walk hits the spot!

5. Socializing with friends and family. This extended time off allows me to see my parents, my siblings, catch up with friends I haven’t seen in ages, and just catch up with the people I love! Nothing gets us ready to be back in the studio like filling our own personal cup!