As the popularity of Pilates continues to grow, this method of conditioning is taught in several dance studios. Many competitive dancers are required to attend a Pilates class at least once a week. Unfortunately, many dancers find the classes boring or think that they are a waste of time and end up blowing them off, either by skipping the class altogether, or by failing to pay attention or not putting in their full effort. I remember that most students would goof off and chat while in Pilates class, when they should have been concentrating on executing the exercises properly. They didn’t understand benefit of Pilates exercise and the huge impact these exercises could have on their dance technique. The dancers who did recognize the value of working hard in Pilates class were rewarded with stronger and more lithe bodies, increased flexibility, balance, concentration, fewer injuries and an overall improvement in their dancing.
Strengthening
The main benefit of Pilates for anybody, not only dancers, is the added strength and muscle one gains from the exercises used in Pilates. This strength is achieved without doing grueling, tiring and boring calisthenic exercises such as push-ups and crunches. Also, the exercises help to add muscle without adding bulk. Bulky muscles is a huge fear of many body-conscious dancers who are eager to gain the muscle necessary to lift their legs up high for long periods of time, but afraid of having bulky thigh muscles.
Core Muscles
Going along with the theme of strengthening muscles, many dancers find that taking Pilates classes on a regular basis improves the strength in their core muscles above all else. The core muscles are really emphasized in Pilates, and include the abdominals and the back. These core muscles are a necessity for holding balance, nailing difficult turns and leaps, and looking good in a skimpy dance costume or even bikini. Improving the strength of your core can do more for your dance technique than any other strengthening exercises.
As the dance world grows more and more competitive, stress is becoming a huge issue among dancers. When combined with the never ending pressures of daily life, such as school, work, and relationships and so on, it’s understandable that dancers find all the pressure stressful. You’d think that dancing itself would relieve the stress, but this is often not the case, as dancers tend to compete amongst each other, even when they’re supposed to be working on ballet technique. The great thing about Pilates is that in order to do it correctly, your focus must be entirely inward, and you can’t think about how well the others are doing a certain specific stretch. Focusing on yourself and not comparing yourself constantly to other dancers may be difficult, but it is constantly emphasized in Pilates. It may be difficult to handle all the stressors life throws at you as a dancer. But Pilates, like Yoga, can help to relieve stress and reduce tension. The emphasis on breathing and breathe control provides a great technique for soothing stress relief that dancers can use to deal with stage fright, stretching, injuries, and even in daily difficulties that have little to do with dance, such as sitting in traffic.
Remember, as you work with Pilates, that it is only a tool, and cannot replace regular attendance to your dance technique classes. But if you take advantage of Pilates, you will be benefited in a variety of ways, so if you aren’t already taking a Pilates class, you should definitely consider it!
