For our series Ask A Dance Teacher, we asked ballet teacher Johanna Hadley some common questions about ballet training.
Our question was, “What other exercises should a ballet dancer do?”
Johanna says:
Many year ago, it was thought that dancers should only train in ballet. Research into injuries has discovered that this is not the case, however. Dancers are now encouraged to cross train to build overall strength.
I think that most dancers are scared of over-building muscles – however, strength and injury prevention must be the priority. If only ballet is practised, then only the ballet muscles are continuously used, which normally results in overuse injuries. By strengthening all muscle groups – not just ballet-specific ones – the muscles become balanced and support each other.
Major ballet schools and companies now all work closely with physiotherapists for strength programmes, which has reduced injury rates. The Australian Ballet introduced single-leg calf rises at the end of barre in place of stretching and saw a drastic drop in calf and ankle injuries.
Often, the exercises that most benefit dancers and reduce injury rates look more like those you might see in a gym: squats, mountain climber, lunges etc. Dancers need to consider well-rounded training, which includes strength training, cardio and general conditioning.
What other forms of exercise are best for ballet dancers?
Many dancers use exercise programmes such as Pilates, yoga and plyometrics to help with their strength. There are also more dance-based exercise strength programmes such as Progressing Ballet Technique.
Many professional dancers also take additional time to work on cardio to help with endurance in classes and performances.