Yoga & Ballroom

9dncr

9dncr

Member
So I have been looking into taking Yoga / Pilates to strengthen my "core" for dancing / training... Does anyone have any recommendations as to if this is a good tool for training and if so are there any recommendations for tapes to purchase? I need to not only strengthen but also STRETCH! I am starting to use more extensions in my dancing and finding out how I am not as limber as I used to be back in the day :) How often do you train outside of the ballroom? I know it is important but I am such a slacker at getting to the gym.. Honestly what is a good motivator, is anyone in the same boat as I am? I would appreciate anything! Thanks...
 
i know yoga instructors who have tried to learn dancing. they seem to be able to pick up on skills pretty fast... eg - spinning seems only too easy to them...
 
I use the Firm Yoga DVD, and Pilates on the Ball at home (I have limited "gym" time and tend to spend it on machines and dance practice). I like 'em both quite a bit. I also have a stretching tape by Tammi Lee Webb that's pretty good. It all helps!
 
I like many of the yoga DVDs produced by Gaiam. Rodney Yee is a good instructor to look for on the DVD if you like to build strength, and Judith Lassiter is pretty much the queen of "relax and restore." Needless to say, you will be building flexibility regardless of approach. Personally, I like to let my yoga practice focus most on mental centering and breathing into flexibility, although I occasionally like to include a dynamic flow series.
 
I use the MTV yoga, power yoga, and pilates. They have nothing to do with MTV except for that MTV paid to produce them. You can get these in a pack at buy.com or maybe even amazon.com

9dncr- yoga and pilates are great for ballroom and lots of top competitors do it to supplement their dancing.
 
dancesportgirl21 said:
I use the MTV yoga, power yoga, and pilates. They have nothing to do with MTV except for that MTV paid to produce them. You can get these in a pack at buy.com or maybe even amazon.com

9dncr- yoga and pilates are great for ballroom and lots of top competitors do it to supplement their dancing.
Click to expand...

so is gyrotonics and a lot of competitors go to gyrotonic studios in cities that have them
 
I swear by Pilates Allegro. It is the best core strengthening exercise machine ever. Allegro is slightly different from Pilates Mat but based on the same principals. Many ballet dancers use Pilates Allegro to develop core strength, and targeted muscle areas such as calves, back, arms, etc. Pilates Allegro has spring weights so you can really use this versatile machine to train any part of your body. I actually prefer more to the Mat exercises. Anyway, it has been a great complementary training exercise to my dance practices and I highly recommend it.
 
I do hatha yoga and have assisted in a number of classes. I prefer yoga without the equipment, except for assistants like blocks and straps. If you have never taken yoga before, I would recommend taking a class first, so you can learn how to keep from injuring yourself. You need to learn things like how yoga affects the body, how to prevent yoga headaches, how some moves compress your spine and how you counter those moves to keep your body in balance. These are things that you may or may not find right away in books or on videos. Once you learn the basics, then you can pretty much do it on your own and anywhere with our without books or videos for guidance.

I love doing yoga and highly recommend it to anyone!
 
gingerbread said:
so is gyrotonics and a lot of competitors go to gyrotonic studios in cities that have them
Click to expand...


So many good recommendations from all! Thank you! I know it is worth my time to release some extra energy in yoga or some form of that. I am hoping it will really push me and help ballroom, It seems like you all agree on that so I just have to get off my but and do it! :)

What exactly is gyrotonic?
 
Yoga and pilates are both brilliant to promote strength, balance and flexibility. We have a pilates class every 2nd week before our latin sweat sessions. The instructor showed us some foot and ankle exercises about 2 months ago. I'm amazed at how it's improved my dancing in all 3 styles I dance. I include it as part of my warm up every day before dancing.

I always prefer guidance by an instructor rather than "self-help". A good instructor can see where you need correction in technique. I find Ashtanga yoga the best cross-training. I also do Body Balance.
 
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