Practice*

[Guest Katrina_54]

Hello! I'm not sure if this is the right place for this...but I just wanted to know a little bit about practicing at home.

 

I take dance 3 times a week (ballet included--started ballet new this year) and I really want to improve my ballet skills, so I want to know what kinds of things would be good things to practise at home.

 

I have hardwood in my entire house, so could I do barre exercises (with a chair for balance??)

I do yoga everyday, but I cant do the splits like lots of people in my class can. What sort of stretching should I be doing??

 

Thank you for your help:D

 

~*kATrInA*~

[Victoria Leigh]

Katrina, since you are so new to ballet I would recommend that you only practice the things you have learned in class in terms of stretches and barre work. You don't want to build in bad habits! Work on your alignment, positions, demi pliés and tendus, making sure to place everything carefully and use your best rotation within your own control zone. Get a theraband and work on your feet with that. Do some floor stretching, but not splits unless you are totally warmed up! It would be best to do only stretches that you have been shown how to do correctly.

[Guest Katrina_54]

Thanks for the answer to my question, Ms. Leigh.

What is a theraband? What do they look like? Do you just buy them at dance stores?

 

Katrina

[Mel Johnson]

Katrina, a theraband looks like a large rubber band that you can use in any lengths you want in order to give yourself the kind of workout you need. You can also improvise them from things like large rubber bands, for light resistance, through rubber surgical tubing for heavy resistance, and even an old pair of tights! Therabands can be purchased at places which sell physical rehabilitation appliances, like surgical supply stores, and certain pharmacies.

[Guest Katrina_54]

okay, thanks!! Hahaha I though it was like some special dance thing that you bought from a dance store....lol thanks for telling me, I would of walked into my dance store and asks for one....and looked silly!!!

 

 

...you can tell somebody's new to ballet when...

 

 

hahaha

[Victoria Leigh]

Actually Katrina, you can buy them from some dance places. If you go to the Gaynor Minden web site you can get them there, and they come with a little instruction booklet too I believe they call them Resistabands.

[Mel Johnson]

Actually, you could, Katrina. Gaynor Minden makes their own sort of theraband called a Resistaband which they sell with a booklet explaining their use, called "The Dancer's Dozen". Not a bad little thing to have.

[Guest primapink26]

therabands are excellent! I bought one after i broke my ankle for physio therapy and i work on strengthening it everyday, it really helps alot!!

[Guest Katrina_54]

Hello

I haven't got around to getting a theraband yet, but the other night while I was watching TV, I used a pair of old tights. WOW. It was a really good stretch for my feet and ankles. I am going to keep doing it and hopefully it will make my feet stronger:D

 

 

Katrina

[Guest dance4life87]

are those bands supposed to help the feet and ankles, or hamstraings and other leg muscles?

[Mel Johnson]

Yes.;)

 

It all depends on what exercises you do, whether they work the feet and ankles, or the quads and hamstrings. I'm using mine to build my abdominal muscles back up, postop.

[Guest dance4life87]

oh alrighty thanks!