Tag: exercise

Exercises to Help You Dance Through a Growth Spurt

If your sense of gravity and balance seem “off” during dance class—and all your pants are suddenly too short—there’s a good chance you’re going through a growth spurt. It can be frustrating, especially as a dance student, for your own body to feel unfamiliar. But growth spurts also present opportunities to strengthen your changing muscles, […]

4 Strengthening Exercises for Flawless Pirouettes

If there’s one thing every dancer is always working on, it’s her pirouette. It’s no secret that this skill takes years of honing and practice. But in addition to solid technique, perfect pirouettes require a lot of strength. We turned to Roman Zhurbin, soloist with American Ballet Theatre and owner of Roman Empire Fitness, for […]

Where's the Line Between Cross-Training and Exercise Addiction?

Tackling an exercise regimen with focus and dedication can really pay off in your dance career, and there’s a definite thrill associated with seeing your technique, strength, and stamina improve. But what happens when your drive morphs into something that’s driving you? That’s what exercise addiction feels like: a sense that you have to do […]

Have You Been Doing These Essential Exercises All Wrong?

Chances are, you’ve done planks, push-ups, squats, and crunches for so long, you could whip them out in your sleep. But there’s a fine—and critical—line between executing these moves and executing them properly. Dance Spirit turned to Anna Acciarino, PT, DPT, ATC, from Manhattan Physio Group in NYC, for a breakdown of the subtle yet […]

The Best BOSU Ball Exercises for Dancers

We’ve all seen the videos on Instagram: a professional ballerina, casually perched atop a BOSU ball, développé-ing like it’s no big deal. When done properly, BOSU ball exercises are both insanely impressive and incredibly effective for strengthening your core, ankles, and overall stability. Dance Spirit turned to Joel Prouty, a NYC-based personal trainer and injury […]

This Ballerina's Mind-Boggling Workout Is Serious #Goals

Yes, we all know dancers are strong. But sometimes it takes a truly epic workout video to remind us JUST HOW INSANELY STRONG they actually are. Behold, National Ballet of Canada principal Svetlana Lunkina‘s oh-so-casual pre-class exercise: Svetlana Lunkina on Instagram: “My new exercise ~ 😊: “Strength and flexibility” #love #new #exercise #strenght #flexibility #map […]

Finally: Zumba by Dancers, for Dancers!

Have you ever hit up a cardio-dance or “dance fitness” class like Zumba, thinking it’d be some fun, dancey cross-training—only to be disappointed by the sheer repetitiveness of the choreography? Millennium Dance Complex feels you. That’s why they’re teaming up with Zumba to bring us deliciously dancetastic Zumba choreo throughout the month of September by […]