By JILL SHANER
Observer contributor
April 23, 2008

Dancers are turning toward more athletic workouts, as body conditioning aspects of the art form gain more attention, experts say. For dancers to have an “increased likelihood of improved performances and to remain injury free,” they need to take their workouts outside of the studio, said Angel Stone, personal trainer, dance instructor and founder of Eshe Body Center in Washington, D.C.

“Dancers need to also train outside of the dance studio for optimal fitness,” Stone said. “They should strength train” as a form of cross-training, she said. Taking a jazz or ballet class in place of their usual style of class or rehearsal is not “the end all, be all,” and considering such to be the only good conditioning is the “biggest myth” Stone “would like to expel.”

Photo courtesy of ESHE BODY CENTER
Angel Stone encourages dancers to train more aggressively.

Strength and resistance training gives dancers more control over their bodies and increases their effectiveness on stage, Stone said.

“Dance is anaerobic,” Stone said, so dancers should not solely work out in the rehearsal capacity. She stressed the importance of Plyometrics, exercises that use bursts of movement in order to increase muscular power, and ultimately improve leaps and other traditional dance movements.
In her training programs, Stone challenges her clients with lateral jumps, jumping-squats and other forms of Plyometrics that “build up power and speed,” she said.

Until recently, dancers haven’t gotten much good advice on strengthening and conditioning tips or medical attention.
“Science and medicine have helped us understand the dancer’s body, the unique demands the art form places on it, and helped us learn how to better care for and protect that instrument,” said Jane Baas, professor and dance academic advisor at Western Michigan University.

Sarah Malzone, Pilates instructor at Excel Movement Studios in Washington, D.C. said the “exercise fad” is still in a stage of flux.

Malzone works with many retired dancers, she said.

Those women “really need strength,” she said. “Then there are people who are all strength and no flexibility. They really need the balance. Pilates is really good in terms of balance.”

She said people are most prone to injury where they are most flexible.

Mike Walker, certified athletic trainer at St. John’s College High School in Washington, D.C. said movements can be extreme, testing the body’s limits.

“If dancers are on their toes a lot, they will want to do a lot of stretching of the calves and other posterior muscles to balance out that activity,” Walker said. “Their posterior muscles will be in a shortened state, so they lose a lot of flexibility.”

Walker’s training regimen follows that of other area teachers.

“In ballet, dancers strength train the opposing muscle,” which is a great benefit, Stone said. Because many movements come from a dancer’s hips, the dancer must stay flexible as possible.

Walker’s advice to young dancers is to stay flexible, exercise daily and eat well.

Pilates

With ballerinas, “Pilates is very good in helping to loosen up their spines,” said Malzone. She said Pilates has helped her become “strong and really well connected and integrated.” She said “the overall body awareness,” and lessons about “how I can be more efficient in my movements” are the largest benefits of long term dedication.

Pilates originated in the 20th century and it is still evolving. “I have mainly ex-dancers,” as students, said Malzone, and “I think a lot of them hear about Pilates through dance.” It is a “rest from the pounding effects of dance,” said hip-hop dancer Morgan Pleasant, who also talked up the importance of running, yoga and both strength and resistance training. “Pilates helps in so many different modalities” and “really works it all,” Malzone said.

Back to the Basics

Pilates is not enough to be a great dancer, however, as it “isn’t resistance training,” Stone said. In terms of the dance community’s general outlook on fitness, Stone “does not necessarily see it changing” towards a greater effort to improve full body awareness and muscle potential. She continues to spread her message that to be a great performance dancer, proper strength training, cardio and nutrition are required.

“I always make sure that the foods I eat are good sources of energy,” said Pleasant. In discussing nutrition and the prevalence of eating disorders in the world of dance, especially during adolescence, Stone stressed that “the right nutrients, vitamins and iron levels are needed for strength.”

Whether it is the food dancers eat for energy, or the weights and resistance they work with to improve muscular ability, the common theme is strength. Young dancers striving to give their best performance every time would greatly benefit from combining proper strength building with their regularly scheduled rehearsal.