Ballet Training for Athletes

Ballet is well known as a beautiful art form. Dancers will attest to the physical demands of the profession. But dancers are not the only ones doing ballet. Many athletes use dance and ballet to cross-train and improve their physical skills.

Specifically, ballet will tone muscles and help the dancer develop better body awareness. Ballet improves strength, flexibility, coordination, dexterity and agility. Adding ballet to a workout will complement just about any sport.

Famous athletes have been known to do ballet to help improve their athleticism. Some of the better known athletes include football players Lynn Swann and Herschel Walker. Increasingly college athletes are being offered dance training as a supplement to their workouts.

Most ballet classes are designed for dancers, not athletes, but instructors may often times be more than willing to customize a class for a local team or group of students that are interested in basic ballet. If a special class for athletes is not offered, the athlete can approach the instructor and explain their interests in the art form and most instructors would be willing to accommodate their needs.

A typical ballet class begins with exercises at the barre. This is actually a bar that is attached to the wall or is free standing, and is about waist high. The dancer holds the bar with one hand and does a very specific series of exercises. These exercises are designed to warm-up the feet, ankles, knees, hip joints and legs. Arms and torso movements are gradually added as well. All exercises at the bar are done to the front, side and back on each leg, so muscle symmetry is emphasized. Dancers will start to become very aware of their bodies and how muscles are used during these exercise.

After the barre, the dancers move to the center of the room for steps that challenge their balance, memory, agility, dexterity and control. Some of the steps are slow and focus on positions and balance, and others focus on footwork. Beginner dancers may find that center work is the most challenging if they have not yet developed grace and poise. But attempting to execute the steps will help the body learn.