Al
though the award-winning movie Black Swan revealed the darker side of a professional ballet dancer’s life, the image that seems to have persisted in most people’s minds is that of t
he lean, toned muscles, ramrod straight posture and light footed grace of the dancers.
Since the film, women (and some men) around the world have been venturing back into the dance studio to take part in adult ballet classes – not because they have suddenly decided they want a career in dance, but because it makes them feel good.
Ballet for Adults
“There is no pressure to be a prima ballerina in the adult class,” says Anita Gough who teaches one adult ballet class each week, in addition to classes for two to 15 year olds at her Centre Pointe Dance Studio in Alissta Towers, explaining why older dance enthusiasts find the classes appealing. The ladies who attend her adult class, she says, all practiced some ballet in their youth, and are now enjoying something of a trip down memory lane. The steps and exercises are the same, and the muscle memory is still there. “It’s something familiar they can return to,” she says. “It’s their stress reliever and it’s a good way to keep fit and toned”.
Long and lean
The benefits of practicing ballet, or indeed, any form of dance, go far beyond merely keeping fit, however. “It is great for strengthening – for abdominal and leg strength and for toning muscles,” explains Anita. Dancers’
petite physiques belie their strength because ballet builds long, lean muscles rather than bulk. It also increases range of motion, flexibility and improves alignment and carriage. “A lot of the children here have lordosis [an exaggerated curve of the lower spine that causes a barrel belly in front and pushes the bottom out behind] and you can’t do ballet like that. So you’ve got to pull it all up and back, get a neutral pelvis,” says Anita. Lordosis is more prevalent among people of African and Caribbean descent and although ballet will not cure it,
it can train a person out of bad habits and poor alignment.
T
he perfect posture of dancers is perhaps what most distinguishes them from the rest of the population. By practicing that tall, long-necked posture in class it gradually becomes a habit, even outside the class. It is all tied up with core strength, says Jackie Balls of Miss Jackie’s School of Dance, explaining that while anyone can pull their shoulders back, stand tall and pull their belly in, without a strong core it will collapse after a few minutes.
Core muscles are the superficial and deep abdominals, obliques, middle and lower back muscles which surround the lower torso. When these muscles are strengthened the abs tighten, pulling in the belly and giving the waist more definition; the spine is better supported, movement is more controlled and the possibility of back injury is greatly reduced.
Discipline and Conduct
Traditionally, little girls enrol in ballet classes, often drawn by the idea of pink tutus, satin ribbons and the whole ballerina image. The reality however is not all fairy tales. Miss Jackie teaches ballet for children aged three and over. At that age they are not pirouetting their way across the studio, of course, but she says “They learn to sit still, to listen, follow instructions and to stand correctly,” and these are all lessons that will carry over into later life, translating into grace and poise. “Ballet can be very boring for a child. It’s very repetitious,” says Miss Jackie. What they may not realise though is that “It’s not that they are learning the same thing over and over. They are learning to perfect the same thing.”
Discipline, attitude and etiquette are all part of the ballet training. At Centre Pointe Dance Studio Anita has a code of conduct that outlines
the behaviour expected of young dancers, including correct grooming and attire, punctuality, courtesy and rules regarding running, eating, cell phones and more.
Brain benefits
Taking up dance classes, of any kind and at any age, is as good for the mind as it is for the body. The classical music and the focus required has a relaxing effect for many. At the same time, it’s a brain workout
: Miss Jackie says the mental capacity that is required to remember the steps for a dance several minutes long is huge. Miss Jackie believes this may be why many of her best dancers are also A grade students. Indeed, a medical study in the US showed dancing could reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s and dementia by over 60 percent – possibly because it engages mind and body at once.
Realistically, only the tiniest fraction of those who go to dance classes are actually gifted dancers. But all children can benefit from the discipline, etiquette and conduct that is learned through ballet, regardless of their talents and all adults can work to lengthen, strengthen and tone muscles and keep their minds sharp and focused. At an amateur, recreational level, commitment will get you further than talent.
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