Adult Ballet Dancers are able to do ANYTHING they want to in Ballet, BUT we do need to talk about a few realities:
Most youth dancers, which most student-training curriculum (Vaganova, Royal, NYCB, ABT, etc.) are geared to, don't have the wear and tear that adult bodies walk in the studio with. Youth dancers also have all kinds of things through PLAY that support and strengthen their muscles for ballet training that most adults do not have enough of in their daily lives (running, crawling, skipping, fast changes of direction, bending, climbing, etc.);
Many adult dancers not only do not have daily lives that include the kind of play that kids do, they also have jobs that require LOTS of time at desks, in front of computers and are seated, weakening musculature most of the time; and
Adult Bodies come in to the studio with motor patterns that have a lifetime of habit, unlike youth dancers, whose motor patterns are still being developed and whose neural pathways are still coming online.
Given all of this, how do we help Adult Ballet Dancers as teachers - and how do Adult Ballet Dancers help themselves - even this playing field, so that a curriculum designed for youth dancers becomes a curriculum accessible for Adult Dancers?
We STRENGTHEN Adult Dancers' bodies.
And - we make accomodations in the syllabus (but that's a different post for a different time).
Over the past 7-8 years of working with Adult Dancers, I've noticed the areas listed in the graphic above, are areas where youth dancers come in to the studio with these areas ready to dance, but where adults really struggle with the curriculum to keep up, not due to lack of effort, but to lack of strength.
*Note: You'll notice I didn't list glutes. Glutes are an obvious yes for me as well, as an area to strengthen for adults, but I feel if we are doing quads and hamstrings correctly - and even core - the glutes will be strenghthened as well, whereas if we are strengthening glutes, quads and hamstrings aren't always getting stronger unfortunately.
Take a look at the list in the graphic. What area do you feel is a hinder to the progress you want to make in ballet? What area is an area you haven't given much thought to? What area is an area that feels tight and painful all the time?
THAT, sweet dancer, is where you need to begin.
There are lots of resources on what to do to strengthen these areas, but my first go-to is always going to be a Dance PT. And then: Floor Barre, Pilates and Swimming.
Let me know in the comments if you have any questions.
Happy Dancing!
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