1. Muscles and Ballerinas, They're One and the Same
Taking ballet for the first time may come as a surprise when the new student discovers how strong female ballerinas really are. In fact, a ballerina must not only be strong in the technically abilities to perform ballet, she must also have a strong body core, strong and flexible legs as well as strong-toned arms to perform the dance movements and hold poses. In addition, the female ballet dancer should do some light strength training to develop the muscles of the legs, the calves, ankles, feet, back and shoulders. A female ballerina with properly developed muscles for ballet dancing will have a much longer dancing career.
2. Pilates and Yoga Build Muscles in the Body's Core
Pilates and yoga are excellent ways for a female ballerina to build the proper muscles for dancing ballet. Both Pilates and yoga focus on slow controlled movements to build and develop muscles in the body as you go through the class. There is much focus on the core area in Pilates and yoga. A strong muscular core is essential for a female ballerina as the ballerina lifts herself from this area to perform many of the dance movements and jumps. The focus on the muscle development of the center core helps to keep the female ballerina's body in alignment, which is much the same focus as ballet training. As Pilates and yoga are controlled exercises that build and strengthen to body, there is less risk of injury than with more aggressive type of muscle building.
3. Ballerinas Take a Dip to Build Muscle
Swimming is an excellent form of muscle building for a female ballerina. Swimming is an aerobic type exercise, with a reduced risk of injury because of the buoyancy of the body in the water. Swimming works all areas of the body including the legs, feet, knees, ankles, back, stomach, arms, shoulders and neck without building large bulky muscles.
4. Walking to Become a Strong Ballerina
Ballerinas should walk to help with their muscle building and exercise program. Walking with correct posture, holding the stomach in, shoulders back and taking long strides with each step, helps to strengthen the muscles of the body's core, while stretching the legs, and firming the stomach and hip areas. Proper stretching should be done prior to starting the walk to avoid a muscle pull or cramps, just like a ballerina would for any other dance exercises.
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