At BJP Physie, we believe that girls should be able to dance for their whole life.  And so our choreography is tailored to the physical needs of their bodies, as they grow and mature – from a 3 year old in the preschooler class, right through childhood, adolescence and into adulthood.  Physie is a life-long passion, with moves that will challenge you – your strength, your core control, your expression, your musicality and, yes your flexibility – but in a safe way.

There is a dangerous trend among young dancers to oversplit which is causing serious injury, especially for young teenagers. Oversplits are DANGEROUS and are not recommended for girls. The medical profession warns against oversplits, particularly physiotherapists who regularly see the damage caused. Here’s why oversplits are harmful…
Ligaments are not elastic like muscles. Once they are stretched to 104% of their original laxity, they can never return to the same length. Ever.
Girls aged 10-15 years old experience growth spurts. Damage to their bone growth plates from oversplits during these years can affect how bones develop into adulthood, with possible bone deformity resulting. In the oversplits there is excess anterior compression of the hip which can lead to instability of the joint, torn ligaments and damage to cartilage.

Oversplits might seem really cool but the are not necessary for Physie. In Physie routines, the most you will ever need to split, either on the floor or standing in a long line balance is 180 degrees. We do not do split leaps requiring the legs to fly up past 180 degrees.  If fact, if you go over 180 degrees in a split you will be marked down for breaking the line. There is no benefit to overstretching your hips and risking injury and long-term problems. Stay safe – stay at 180 degrees.

Signs of over stretching

• Feeling a burning sensation while you are stretching
• Feeling the muscle tearing/pulling strongly while you are stretching rather than a slight pull
• Overbearing or shooting pain occurs while stretching
• Swelling in the muscle after you have stretched it
• A sudden decrease in your dance performance

Tips to avoid over stretching:

1. Always warm up before you stretch.
2. When holding a stretch, make sure that you do it for no more than 60 seconds.
3. Avoid bouncing while stretching (especially with hamstring muscles).
4. Stretch within your comfort zone.
5. Take slow and deep breaths while you are stretching and relax your body.

 SAFE                                                                              UNSAFE