The Yoga Booty Ballet program combines meditation, dance and strength training with yoga for an exciting workout, according to yoga.lovetoknow.com. The program was created in 1998 by fitness instructor Gillian Marloth and dancer-trainer Teigh McDonough. The Yoga Booty Ballet program was originally only taught at Swerve, a gym in Los Angeles -- but as popularity grew, a teacher training program was developed and DVDs soon followed. No prior dance or yoga knowledge or ability is needed to participate in the Yoga Booty Ballet program.
Ballet
The first segment in the Yoga Booty Ballet program is ballet. The exercises used during this portion of the program are efficient at warming up your legs and body for the sections that will follow. In this exercise, videofitness.com instructs you to stand straight and extend your left foot 12 inches in front of you, with your toes pointed. Engage your abdominals and try to move the leg from your core. Tap the floor with your big toe several times and then lift the leg off the floor a few inches. Next, take the same leg behind you and repeat the movement to work your glutes. Repeat on the other side. When your leg is in front of you, your arms should be in a classic ballet position in front of your torso. To do this, hold your arms in a rounded position with your hands in front of your naval, the tips of your fingers should be about an inch away from each other so they are close but not quite touching. It should feel as if you are holding a large beach ball in your arms. When your leg is behind you, hold your arms in the same rounded position above your head, again as if you are holding a large beach ball and with the tips of your fingers not quite touching.
Strength
In the strength session you combine squats with lateral raises, according to videofitness.com. You need dumbbells for this exercise. Start with two pounds and increase as you feel comfortable. Start in a turned-out squat position, where your feet are wider than hip-width apart and your legs are turned out in approximately a 30 degree angle. Your hips should be directly over your knees and your knees should be directly over your ankles. If any of these do not line up correctly, reduce the turnout until they do. Engage your abdominals and lower your buttocks to the floor until your thighs are parallel to the floor. While returning to starting position, lift your right foot and leg straight out to the side, up to hip-height or as far as is comfortable. Lower the leg and on the next squat laterally raise your left leg. Keep alternating back and forth for a total of 12 repetitions.
Yoga
The yoga section incorporates the use of Sun Salutations, according to videofitness.com. Begin in downward dog, in which your body looks like an inverted V. From here, move your body forward into plank pose, making sure that your shoulders are over your wrists, your abdominals are engaged and your heels are pushing back. Lower down half-way, flip your feet over so that the tops of your feet are on the floor, and push your upper body up into upward facing dog position. Reverse the motion and move back through plank to return to downward dog.
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