Words of wisdom: As a morning mental warm-up, Stephanie Rae Williams, of Dance Theatre of Harlem, recites an affirmation, like "Today is a great day" or "You can and you will." After she suffered an injury onstage, she also started saying a mantra in the wings, such as "I am strong. I am healthy. I am capable." It helps quell her nerves backstage.
DTH's Stephanie Rae Williams shares her smart conditioning tips. Photo by Rachel Neville, Courtesy Dance Theatre of Harlem.
Everyone wants more air-time. Whether you're going for explosive jetés or crisp battu (or both!) there are specific ways to train. We break it down below:
- First, read Amy's extensive breakdown on how to improve your petit allégro. Some of her tips, like adding plyometrics to your cross-training regime, apply to big and small jumps. Her key points are: Use your plié, feel your whole leg, connect to your center and anticipate your landing.
- You may think that because you're on your feet all day in class and rehearsal you don't need to cross-train the large muscles in your legs and hips. Wrong! Those muscles need to be activated in a parallel position to generate propulsion for jumps and to control your landings. Here are two exercises.
- Here's everything you need to know about plyometrics for dancers. These kinds of exercises are utilized by hurdlers and high jumpers. Enough said.
- If possible, use men's class as an opportunity to work on your timing. The slower music will force you to hang in the air, and you might just learn a few new steps.
New York City Ballet principal Ashley Bouder, known for her buoyant jump (photo by Paul Kolnik)
For more news on all things ballet, don’t miss a single issue.
National Ballet of Canada's Emma Hawes swims to strengthen her loose shoulder joints (photo by Daniel Neuhaus)
Every dancer has their own cross-training regime, tailored to their workload, injury prevention, rehab or particular roles. It's up to you to talk to a physical therapist about what exercises you should be doing to meet your own technical goals. But in the meantime, here are some of our best tips for effective cross-training:
- Do it in the morning. There are lots of reasons why AM workouts can be more beneficial, but we're most compelled by evidence that morning workouts might be easier to stick with.
- Scale your approach up or down depending on what you're training for. When it's summer intensive time, gradually work your way up to peak intensity.
- Try something new to keep yourself inspired. Ever heard of aerial yoga? What about TRX suspension training?
- Pools are an amazing training resource for everything from cardio workouts to fine-tuning your alignment.
And if that's not enough #fitspo for you, dig into our Workout archive to find out how the pros keep their bodies in peak condition.
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Need some inspiration for staying in shape this summer? These four dancers know how to balance rest, cross-training and fun to start off their next season right.
Photo by Charlie McCullers, Courtesy Atlanta Ballet.
Jackie Nash
Atlanta Ballet
Typical summer break: mid-May–August
On rest: I need to take one solid week, at least, to let all those last bits of the season go. After Nutcracker we push straight through until May, so a lot of little things in my body need to heal, and I want to have some mental space to go over how the season went.
We all know this feeling. Photo via Scot Dir.
Symptoms: Your morning cup of coffee, or other stimulant of choice, feels like a distant memory, as does your New Year’s resolution to cross-train. (Guilty.)
Diagnosis: A serious case of the Mondays.
Complications: The lure of Netflix and the thought of 30 mind-numbing minutes on the elliptical.
Treatment: You’re one workout away from a good mood and serious health benefits. Actually motivating yourself to get into the gym before or after a long day of rehearsal? Easier said than done. So we asked Boston Ballet corps member Sarah Wroth to give us the inside scoop on her favorite workout pump-up jams.
The 13-year company veteran looks for songs with “rhythms that make me want to move and lyrics that make me want to sing out as loudly as possible.” That being said, if you can sing during cardio without being out of breath, you should probably up the intensity. “I know I’m working hard if I can only belt out a few words,” Wroth says.
See her 13-track playlist for your musical Monday motivation, and get to work!
Sarah Wroth leaping in Balanchine's Concerto Barocco. Photo by Rutt via Digital Grin.
- “Firework” by Katy Perry. Appropriate for your pre-barbeque Fourth of July workout!
- “Viva la Vida” by Coldplay
- “Mr. Brightside” by The Killers
- “Nothing’s Going to Stop Us Now” by Starship. “Think Drake’s ‘Started From the Bottom,’” Wroth says, but a less explicit 80s/90s version.
- “We are Young” by Fun
- “Old Haunts” by The Gaslight Anthem. With lines like “Your blood was mixed with wine and robbery,” how can you not feel an extra surge of energy?
- “One Day More” from the Les Misérables soundtrack
- “Single Ladies” by Beyoncé. A shameless hit, even for the non-single.
- “I Will Survive” by Gloria Gaynor
- “So What” by Pink. I am (hopefully, when two thirds of the way through a workout) still a rock star.
- “Kill Your Heroes” by AWOLNATION. Wroth’s hubbie discovered this one. “He always picks the next popular song before it’s famous. He picked me, maybe I’ll be famous one day!”
- “Sk8ter Boi” by Avril Lavigne. “The ‘Call Me Maybe’ of its day!” Wroth says. Plus, what bunhead dancing in the 90s didn’t thrill in the “She did ballet” lyric?
- “Fight Song” by Rachel Platten
Have a favorite pump-up song? Tell us in the comments!
For more news on all things ballet, don’t miss a single issue.
Jackie Nash (Photo by Charlie McCullers, courtesy Atlanta Ballet)
Jackie Nash: Atlanta Ballet
Typical summer break: mid-May–August
On rest: I need to take one solid week, at least, to let all those last bits of the season go. After Nutcracker we push straight through until May, so a lot of little things in my body need to heal, and I want to have some mental space to go over how the season went.
Summer gig: For the past five or six years, I’ve danced with Atlanta Ballet’s 12-member, dancer-run summer company, Wabi Sabi. We start rehearsing three to six hours a day one or two weeks after the season ends, with performances in July and August. I don’t need to do maintenance beyond that because the shows finish close to the beginning of our season.
Taking class: When we’re not working on Wabi Sabi, I either teach or take class during the Atlanta Ballet Centre for Dance Education summer intensives to stay in shape.
Nutrition: Because I have more time, I look for new recipes. I love grilling fish outside and having people over for kebabs, getting to be more social.
Branching out: I own a house in East Atlanta with my husband, fellow AB dancer Heath Gill. We like to catch up on gardening, painting and house maintenance things.
Figgins in Jorma Elo's 1st Flash (photo by Rosalie O'Connor, courtesy Aspen Santa Fe Ballet)
Jenelle Figgins: Aspen Santa Fe Ballet
Typical summer break: Six weeks total, usually in May and September
On rest: Working 7,900 feet above sea level means that the demand on our bodies is very high. I try to take a couple weeks to rest. My routine is to spend time at a spa here, getting massages and physical therapy, and going to the hot springs and mineral baths in the area.
Cross-training: Later on during the break I start getting physical. Aspen is really special because a lot of social activities are active and outside. A lot of us go hiking in the summer. We also have access to great yoga classes. I need to lengthen and stretch, and I avoid exercise that will make me too tight.
Taking class: We are the only dance studio out here, so it is difficult. We tend to get out of town because Aspen is so small. If I travel on my break, I take classes at home.
Nutrition: I love to cook. On layoff, I have more time to focus on my diet and research how I can turn my food into medicine. Turmeric is good for my mood and is also an anti-inflammatory—right now I am into turmeric-and-blood-orange lemonade.
Branching out: I’m Buddhist, so I like to chant and meditate. I try to “shed” all the stuff in my mind and alternate in self-questioning about how my thoughts and energies are serving dance and my life. It’s a great time for me to let my mind go beyond my job. I’m also continuing to learn with online college courses.
Skylar Campbell (photo by Christopher Wahl, courtesy NBoC)
Skylar Campbell: National Ballet of Canada
Typical summer break: Four weeks, dates vary
On rest: Balance is my favorite word and key for any athlete. At the end of the season you are most likely in top dancing shape. Rest is good, but I don’t like to throw it all away, because our layoffs are short.
Cross-training: During the season it can be difficult for me to cross-train. I love to change up my routine during off weeks, because it’s important to keep moving. I do resistance training at the gym and take advantage of swimming. If I have a principal role coming up, focusing on long-term cardio can help. If I go home to California, I am lucky to be able to train at the Pilates studio my parents own in Orange County.
Taking class: For every week I take off, I need just as much time to get back.
Nutrition: The first week, I do a cold-pressed-juice cleanse because I don’t need as much fuel and replenishment. After that I ease back into my regular diet.
Branching out: I try to let my mind out of the ballet bubble. I exert my energy on playing the drums. It is a great outlet when I’m not dancing.
Porterfield and Paul Michael Bloodgood in Balanchine's Agon (photo by Tony Spielberg, courtesy Ballet Austin)
Oren Porterfield: Ballet Austin
Typical summer break: mid-May–August
On rest: I definitely need a week of seeing music shows, drinking beer, eating pizza—real people fun. Austin is a great city for music and my husband is a gigging musician. I have to take a little time away to get perspective before going back to demi, demi, grand.
Cross-training: I can’t do the same thing every day. We’re lucky to have access to a Pilates studio, so we can take group apparatus class and use reformers. I take yoga around town and do it at home with “Yoga with Adriene,” a YouTube channel. I have a gym membership, too.
Taking class: I usually don’t take off of class for more than two weeks.
Nutrition: I am definitely more forgiving of my body standards during layoff. I appreciate being curvier in the summer, which is something I don’t appreciate as much in season. I try not to ever go on a diet—moderation is the best thing. I eat real food, and if I eat food that isn’t so good, I make sure I move more.
Branching out: I have an apothecary line I started a few years ago (ritual-goods.com), and I make essential-oil perfumes and sprays. I do pop-ups. In the summer I have more opportunities to learn more about herbalism and experiment.
Candice Thompson, a former dancer, is a freelance writer based in Atlanta.
Abdominal strength is essential for any ballerina. A connected core can turn an otherwise wobbly dancer with arms and legs askew into one with supported extensions and smooth movement. But ab work is about more than just standard crunches and planks. The internal and external obliques, which wrap around the sides of the abdomen, are often neglected, though they’re some of the most valuable muscles dancers can develop. Leigh Heflin Ponniah, MA, MS, from the Harkness Center for Dance Injuries at New York University’s Langone Medical Center, suggests these three exercises. Try the whole series three days a week on alternating days.
You’ll need:
l a 5–8-pound medicine ball or free weight
l a physio ball
(Via Thinkstock)
Seated Twist
1. Sit on the floor with knees bent and feet on the ground. Hold the medicine ball or weight in both hands, slightly in front of the body at belly-button height. Lean back a bit with the torso, so your abs feel engaged.
2. Twist side to side, allowing the weight to drop toward the floor as you reach left and right. Move slowly, exhaling each time you return to the starting position.
Repetitions: 10–20 sets
(Via Thinkstock)
Oblique Ball Crunch
1. Lie sideways on a physio ball, with your feet against a wall. Your hips should be stacked on the ball and your hands by your ears.
2. Drape your upper body over the ball. Then, exhale as you curve your upper body up and away from the ball.
3. Inhale as you slowly lower back over the ball.
Repetitions: 8–15 times on each side
(Via Thinkstock)
Side Plank Dip
1. Start in a side plank with your body propped up on your elbow closest to the floor and the other hand on your hip.
2. Slowly lower your hips toward the floor. Exhale as you lift your hips back up until your body is in a straight diagonal again.
Repetitions: 8–15 times on each side
