Ballet dancers tend to have one track minds. Some cram an excessive amount of classes through the week in an effort to improve. In many cases, the dancer should take out a few classes and replace them with another type of physical activity.
Doing the same thing over and over again not only increases the risk of injury but can make the body weaker as well. That's why cross training is steadily gaining acceptance in the ballet world. Doing another form of exercise can enhance the dancer's performance.
That doesn't mean dance all day and swing by the gym on the way home. Dancing a little less and using this freed up time to cross train is what I really mean.
It's still necessary to consistently practice ballet and remain dedicated to it. I only want dancers to realize that dancing too much can actually hinder, rather than progress, their abilities. It's important to find a balance.
Choose your physical activity wisely. Make sure it will benefit your dancing. Stay away from anything that could be too hard on a ballet dancer's body.
My next post will list a few exercises that ballet dancer's should consider incorporating in their conditioning.
No comments:
Post a Comment