Runner's stretch: stand with one leg forward and one back (about 2 1/2 feet apart). Bend your front leg, and keep your back leg straight. Lean forward, putting weight into front leg, so you feel the stretch in your calf. Hold for about 30 seconds, then switch legs and do again.

Quad Stretch: Standing, take one leg and pull it back behind you. Keep your knees together, and hold for 30 seconds. Pull back further to get more of a stretch. Switch legs and repeat.

Stretching your hamstrings: This is a good stretch to increase your flexibility so you can get your legs up higher in one-two-threes, or anything! sit on the floor with your legs stretched out in front of you and slowly bend over and touch your toes, keeping your knees on the ground. hold for awhile then come up slowly.

I've also heard that doing hop-two-threes to music until you break a light sweat warms you up, too I know this because I do every dance class tee he.

TREATMENT 

Sprained or twisted ankle: Very common, probably due to slippery floors, accidents in dancing, (you know...when your feet just DON'T want to do what you tell them to!!!) etc. If you feel you can keep dancing, go for it, but don't push yourself, or it'll make it worse!! If you can't keep dancing, immediately get off the stage and sit down!!!! You don't want to hurt yourself anymore! Put some ice on your ankle, and leave for about fifteen minutes. When you get home, alternate heat and ice, about fifteen minutes each. When you have to walk, or use your ankle somehow, keep it wrapped up with a sports wrap (available at any grocery store!)

Blisters: A fact of life, we all know! They're terrible little things, but you know, what's a dancer to do? :o) To prevent them, put band aids or moleskin on your blister-prone spots. Band-Aid has just recently come out with some "Blister Prevention" band aids, which are all gel, and have a "cooling gel" in the place of the pad of cotton (that goes over your ouch!!) They're rather expensive, but they work!!

New Skin (just to let you know!) is this goop that you put on your problem area and when it dries, acts like a second skin over the spot....it smells really bad, but it works as well as a band aid but doesn't take up as much room!

Ok, If you've already gotten a blister, don't worry. What I do, is trim away extra skin around the blister. (make sure everything's STERILIZED!!!) Put some peroxide etc. on the raw spot. Then dab a bit of Neosporin Cream or some kind of First Aid Ointment on it, to keep it from getting infected. Then, put a sappy looking band-aid on it!!!

Repeat this every night for a couple of days, then stop putting the band-aid on, so the skin will have a chance to get tough and heal. If you still have a blister by the time you have to dance, use your New Skin or band aid.