Warm-Up with Ben Bigler

This jazz warm-up starts with cardio. Jumping jacks and running in place get the blood moving before any stretching starts.

Then comes the stretching: roll-downs, deep lunges, a straddle, a butterfly and hamstring work. The conditioning is mostly core, and it finishes with a plank and a few plié stretches.

Abs are the center of dancing, not a six-pack, so core work belongs in every warm-up. Breathe through each stretch so the muscle lengthens rather than tightens.