Flexible hamstrings allow you to kick higher and hold your leg high above your head. Start with a slow stretch. Spread your feet shoulder-width apart with your knees and toes pointed forward. Slowly bend at the waist and try to put your palms on the floor. Hold the stretch for a few breaths before slowly returning to a standing position. If this feels too easy, try lying flat on your back and extending one leg up to the ceiling. Wrap your hand around your thigh, calf or ankle and gently pull your leg toward you until you feel your hamstring stretching.
Calf muscles work hard to support the weight of your body as you dance. To release tight calf muscles, place two hands on a wall or ballet barre. Lunge toward the wall or barre, placing your right foot behind your left. Make sure your toes are pointed toward the wall and try to press your right heel into the floor as you bend your left knee. Hold for at least 20 seconds and repeat with the other leg. You can also stretch both calves at once by leaning all the way into the wall or barre at a 45-degree angle and pressing your heels toward the floor.
Your hip and gluteal muscles work together to help you dance in turned-out positions -- a skill especially important for ballet dancers. Stretch these muscles by sitting on the floor with your feet pressed together and your legs bent in a "butterfly" position. Gently bend forward at the waist as far as you can. Get a deeper stretch by stacking one bent leg on top of the other. Hold your top leg in a cradle position and gently pull it toward your body. Hold the position for several breaths. Repeat the stretch with your other leg.
A more flexible back allows you to bend your body and move your arms more freely. To stretch your upper back, sit tall on the floor with your legs crossed. Interlace your fingers and stretch them high above your head, lengthening your whole torso. Bend slightly to the right and then left to increase the stretch. To stretch your lower back, lie on your stomach with your forehead on the floor. Press your palms into the floor and push your body up, arching your back as far as you can. Try to keep your hip bones on the floor for the deepest stretch.
Warm up the sides of your body through lateral stretches. Stand with your feet hip-width apart, toes facing straight forward. Reach your left arm up to the ceiling and bend to the right, feeling a stretch along the left side of your body. Return to the starting position and repeat with the other side. Practice this stretch while sitting in a straddle position, with your legs spread in a "V" shape, to stretch your hamstrings at the same time. You can also practice lateral stretches in a "butterfly" position to stretch your hips and gluteal muscles along with your laterals.