Should Dancers Cross-Train?

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Hear What These Movement Experts Have to Say…

By: Brooke Lilienthal

In 2020, dance was named as the most physically demanding job in the U.S. according to data analyzed by the Occupational Information Network. To some, this may come as a surprise, especially when compared to the numerous other strenuous professions listed in the top twenty – such as athletes, roofers, miners, and firefighters.

It takes a special discipline to be able to bring balance into a dancing body, and the data from this analysis makes it clear that dancers in this day and age can’t just rely on their technique training to sustain them throughout their career. Training in movement forms other than dance, therefore, it becomes essential to becoming a well-rounded and healthy performer.

 

So, what kind of cross-training movement could be most beneficial for you?

Dancers are constantly caught in a world of contradiction. They are expected to be airy yet solid and strong – an unattainable yet universally sought-after convention. It is this very contradiction that can be detrimental to the overall health of dancers, specifically when rigorous intense physicality leads to career-threatening injuries and erodes mental health over time.

While there are myths and misconceptions that are associated with dancers’ cross-training, experts agree that the physical and mental benefits far outweigh the stigmas. To explain further, five dancers who are practitioners of popular forms of cross-training weigh in on the benefits that their specialties provide for dancers searching for the perfect addition to their technical training.

“The demands of today’s dancing pose great challenges to a dancer’s stamina, strength, concentration, and creative thought. Dance classes alone cannot provide the kind of stamina and strength often required in performances,” said Charlotte Adams, professor emerita of dance kinesiology from the University of Iowa department of dance. “A 30-minute run, ride or swim three to four times a week is really beneficial. If a dancer tends to be very flexible, a lifting regiment or Pilates can help stabilize joints for injury prevention. If a dancer is stronger and less flexible, yoga or some stretching regiment could help them.”

Adams stresses that dancers should make an investment in preventative care a priority, which includes honing the ability to listen to their bodies, pay attention to energy levels and nagging pains, get plenty of sleep and eat healthy foods to recharge.

“Dancers need to take ownership of their training and continue pursuing knowledge through a variety of training modalities,” Adams said. “They also need to keep rediscovering the joy of dancing by practicing these tactics.”

While Adams makes it clear that various forms of movement are essential for a healthy dancing body, there are myths that deter dancers from certain exercise regimens. One of the most common misconceptions, Adams said, is the fear of muscles becoming bulky if dancers lifted weights.

Anna Wetoska, who is pursuing a B.F.A. in dance at the University of Iowa and is also a certified personal trainer, argues that the truth is quite the contrary.

“Dancers want long lines and are therefore concerned about our physique,” Wetoska said. She said that a common misconception about weightlifters is that they do so only to look a certain way, which is far from the functionality that it truly provides for dancers, especially.

“Lifting weights ultimately strengthen your body so that you are able to perform your best and have your muscles function properly,” Wetoska said.

Wetoska described that dancers are usually hyper-mobile due to their technical training and that such an imbalance between mobility and stability is what can lead to injury.

“Strengthening your muscles through exercises involving weights actually protects your range of motion from overextension or strain, and the stronger dancers are, the better their stamina is and the longer they can hold positions.”

Wetoska adds that the ability to modify strength training is what can appeal to dancers – both in the gym and in the studio.

“Doing squats or resistance exercises before a dance class…these things that can easily be worked into your daily routine to take care of ourselves while avoiding overtraining with too much weight added,” Wetoska said. “There are so many things that we do as dancers in which little bit of stability and a little bit of concentration could help tremendously.”

Weight-based exercises are a great way for dancers to gain more body-awareness by delving into new movement vocabulary and training specific muscle groups. But, as Adams suggested, dancers shouldn’t just stop there on their journey to holistic health. Somatic theories of movement prove to be beneficial in very different but complementary ways.

Dance is commonly supported by somatic practices to technique, focusing specifically on the connection of the mind and body when approaching movement. These methods are centered around the ability to move efficiently and functionally through a whole-body approach and usually do so through low impact exercises so as not to induce further strain on the joints.

One of these somatic methods is Pilates, a strengthening exercise method that improves flexibility, concentration, and mind-body awareness without requiring any impact on the joints.

“I like to say it works from the inside-out,” said Bethany Sullivan, an M.F.A. candidate in dance at the University of Iowa who is a certified STOTT Pilates instructor. “You could call it a “go-to” system of cross-training for dancers. Pilates focuses on deep stabilizer muscle strength and encourages connection between the awareness of the mind and the movement of the body.”

Sullivan also said that “For dancers, core strength must be a priority as it supports the spine, pelvis and rib cage in correct alignment.” These core stabilizer muscles are often the foundation of executing traditional forms of dance movement correctly, and it’s for this reason that Pilates is continually recommended by dancers for dancers.

Sullivan goes on to praise the versatility of Pilates, including the many variations and modifications that can be made for all types of bodies, physical limitations, injuries and rehabilitation processes. For Sullivan, Pilates is an integral part of her cross-training regimen, although she too encourages the inclusion of many exercise methods to target different health objectives.

“I think it is also important to rotate cross-training objectives such as high and low-intensity workouts, cardio stamina and strengthening,” Sullivan said. “It’s important to maintain balance so that you are not focusing on one objective at a time.”

In addition to Pilates, yoga is another very popular somatic form that is taking the dance community, as well as the general public, by storm.

Amy Simonson, visiting assistant professor who teaches yoga classes to both dancers and non-dancers at the University of Iowa, tells how yoga has emphatically supplemented her dance career.

“Yoga helps dancers to be more mindful about the way we use our bodies,” Simonson said. “I believe that I’ve had fewer dance-related injuries since practicing yoga because of a greater awareness of my body and its limits.”

Simonson argued that one of the main causes of injury for dancers is fatigue. “If you get to know your body better with yoga, you can protect yourself from pushing beyond your limits.”

Simonson also said that practicing yoga can help dancers learn new movement patterns while gaining strength and mobility in places they might not get from dance class.

Yoga is beneficial to dancers even more so when it comes to mindfulness and the preservation of mental health in an increasingly competitive industry in which dancers must break out of their comfort zone in order to stand out.

“Yoga can be great for dancers’ mental health because you don’t have to strive to be your very best or compare yourself to others,” Simonson said. “You can focus on what your body needs at that moment and rest is welcome when needed.”

Simonson is not the only one who agrees that what’s going on in a dancer’s mind is important.

“Dance and ballet, specifically, have a culture of working hard and quickly, but that’s not how bodies really work,” said Kristin Marrs, a lecturer in ballet in the University of Iowa department of dance and certified Alexander Technique teacher.

Marrs believes that Alexander Technique, another somatic movement form that targets energy use in physicality as well as fine-tuning body awareness, can assist in the “re-wiring” of the dancing brain and body. Instead of performing specific strengthening exercises, Alexander Technique asks: How can I do what I want to do using my energy efficiently?

Contemporary forms in this age demand that dancers be versatile which requires them to train in many different styles – cross-training, in theory. Marrs believes, therefore, that it’s not enough anymore to train solely in ballet. The slow, meditative nature of Alexander Technique, she said, can serve as a back-door approach to movement and injury prevention.

“When it comes to injury prevention, dancers don’t usually pay attention to their health until it becomes a problem,” Marrs said. She, too, promotes a personal journey that each individual dancer must take in order to build up their holistic health care treatment plan.

An essential step in this, of course, is determining which form of cross-training will complement a dancer’s immediate needs and future goals.

“Find a movement language or form that resonates with you and helps you best. There is no one answer for everyone,” Marrs stresses. “Doing so helps to make your dancing your own…it allows you to get a clear sense of who you are both inside and out.”

Marrs recommends that dancers reach out to their dance community for assistance in discovering what kind of cross-training and injury prevention techniques are accessible to them and to choose one that they can integrate into their life for years to come.

 The advice from these seasoned and knowledgeable dancers is clear: find what works for you! No two dancers are the same, but every dancer should know how to care for their body and their mind. Reach out to your community, try something new and take control of your health today!

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