April 17, 2013

Should Dancers Run?

English: Running woman Nederlands: Hardlopende...

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I was going to post this earlier this week, but it just didn’t feel right, after the Boston Marathon bombings occurred. A few of the #sweatpink members ran the marathon, and thankfully they’re all okay. It’s great to see that everyone in the running community coming together after such a horrific event.

Now, I’ve only just started running, and I’ve dealt with a few issues with it (HELLO, shin splints) especially given the injuries in my background. There’s a lot of controversy surrounding the idea of dancers–especially ballet dancers–and running, with many people saying it’s too high of an impact and stresses your body too much. Some suggest swimming, biking or the elliptical instead. Trust me, I love all three of those, but there’s nothing quite like running.

Personally, I think both are perfectly fine in moderation. Charlotte Stabenau wrote in a blog post for Pointe Magazine that she became a runner after being a dancer for a long time–and it only helped improve her stamina and confidence.

Especially as recreational dancers, why not go for it if you want to?

The best way to do it, as Charlotte wrote, is to start out slow. How do you manage that? Add running to your schedule slowly, 3-4 days a week (max), alternating between walking and running. Programs like Couch to 5k (available as iPhone Apps and downloadable schedules) are great. Another free app, RunKeeper, has a similar program (as well as a bunch of others of other levels).

Do you run or have your wanted to run?

*I am not a personal trainer or medical doctor, this is just information found through my own research that I have found useful.

Filed Under: Ballet, Blog, Etc., Info, Outside Class Tagged With: , , , , , , 7 Comments
April 5, 2013

Beginner Ballet Tips: Grand Plies in Fourth

Ballet class

(Photo credit: Oude School)

Grand plies in fourth position: yuck, right?

Okay, maybe you don’t have a problem with grand plies in fourth, but I certainly do. I’m always super wobbly while doing them. I realize that this probably has a lot to do with the fact my turnout needs a lot of work (my feet can look a mess in fourth position if I’m not being careful).

As it turns out, a quick Google search found a lot of people struggling with grand plies in fourth position, with a lot of them even questioning a need for them, as they’re kind of harsh on the knees.

Someone else recommended keeping a very small fourth position that allows you to really feel your turnout. Other people on the same message board recommended making sure your back knee doesn’t bend too far in, maintaining proper turnout, and keeping your weight equal on the same legs.

My goals for improving my fourth position grand plies will be both working on my turnout and strengthening my knees (from Dance Spirit Magazine). I’m already doing the squats from the knee strengthening post!

Do you have trouble with 4th position grand plies? Do you think they should be banned?

Note: I’m not a professional ballet instructor or fitness instructor, just sharing the notes I found helpful when I was looking for help for myself.

Filed Under: Ballet, Ballet Class, Etc., Info, Outside Class Tagged With: , , , , , , 9 Comments
April 4, 2013

Balancing Ballet, Life and Work

Over at my internship’s homepage we’re currently asking,  “How do personal choices about family and love affect your life/work as an artist?”

While none of us make a living out of being recreational ballet dancers, sometimes life, family, work and more can get in the way of dancing as much as we’d like. It can even affect our performance in our ballet classes (a late Friday night out can kill my Saturday morning ballet class just like a busy day of classes and school work can kill my Thursday night class). I often give up ballet classes to get more work done, go see a performance for an internship, or just because I’m plain old too tired.

Luckily, I have an amazing dance membership that allows me to take as many or few dance classes I want for a month, so I can take some “me” time when I feel like it’s necessary and I don’t have to feel strapped into a schedule. Not only that, it allows me to shift what days I want to do ballet. For instance, my boyfriend and I are participating in an “Urban Scramble” tonight with Philadelphia Runner, where we’ll be running around to different businesses in center city to collect raffle tickets. This makes me really glad I’m not chained to taking classes every Thursday–I can go on Saturday and Monday instead.

I'm super excited for this.

I’m super excited for this.

What I’ve learned recently, as I’ve mentioned, is that balancing things so that I’m happy is key. Just like I don’t want to push myself with running, I don’t want to feel like I HAVE to go to ballet when I’m not feeling 100% or a fun activity comes up. I need to make choices that make me happy. I can both do a fun activity with my boyfriend on Thursday and still fit in time in the ballet studio this week.

How do you balance ballet/dance and the rest of your life?

Filed Under: Blog, Etc. Tagged With: , , , , 4 Comments
April 2, 2013

Sometimes It’s Okay to Give Up + Day 1 of April Stretch Challenge

Sometimes, you just have to know when to stop doing something (No, I’m not quitting ballet).

I’ve decided to drop out of the Broad Street Run (my boyfriend has too). After a long thought process and debating selling our bibs several times (between starting training late because of my shin splints and busy schedules).  After a particularly rough training day at the gym today, we’ve decided to pass on this year’s race.

While I’m a little bit sad about it, I feel like it’s for the best.

I’m not giving up on running, I’ve just decided to take it slower, and not unnecessarily push myself (seeing as how that’s what usually causes injuries). Part of it is so I can focus more on ballet (rather than killing myself trying to do both as I’m trying to come back from my injury). I plan on listening to my body more and stopping when I’m in too much pain (guilty as charged–I run and dance when I really shouldn’t be sometimes).

yoga

yoga (Photo credit: GO INTERACTIVE WELLNESS)

On a brighter note, my Squat and Plank challenge has been going well (Check out the Facebook Group–it’s still not too late to join!) Who ever thought I could hold a minute and fifteen second long plank? Not me, that’s for sure!

I also did day 1 of my April Stretch Challenge (I picked doing yoga to generally increase my flexibility). My mild shin splints feel better and my hips feel awesome.

How are you challenging yourself this April?

Filed Under: 30 Day Stretch Challenge, Ballet, Blog, Info, Outside Class Tagged With: , , , 3 Comments
March 29, 2013

Beginner Ballerina Profile: Nikki from Mercietchatons: 100th Post!

photo 2This week’s ballerina profile is Nikki from Mercitchatons. She seems like a great fit for Adult Ballerina Project’s 100th post because she was one of the first adult ballet blogs I came across and inspired me to do a 30 day split challenge (and we’ll both be doing another one in April!

Adult Ballerina Project: When did you start doing ballet as an adult?

Nikki: I started at 26.

ABP: Did you ever take lessons as a kid?

 Nikki: Yes, between the ages of 3-8 I was doing ballet. I remember it very fondly and never let the idea of it go when I left. I only left because of family financial difficulties.

ABP: Why did you decide to take ballet as an adult?
Nikki: I wanted to go back to ballet when I was 16/17 but school got in the way and a lot of other things to. I finally got around to it in my mid 20s. I can’t explain the full reason of wanting to go back to ballet other than doing what you do at the barre. It’s so engrained in you and you either love it or hate it and become a ballet robot and need to do you tendus and dégagés like it’s nobody’s business.

 ABP: Where do you take classes?

Nikki: I go to Alderwood Dance Spectrum. It’s a city north of Seattle. The school’s been there for many years and the Director/Owner is a great woman and dancer. I love the children and fellow students I dance with and I couldn’t ask for a better place to dance. I don’t ever feel judged or competitive.

ABP: What is your favorite part about ballet?

Nikki: There are so many parts of ballet I love. I love expression through slight movement. I love doing barre work, monotonous brain exercises that you eventually learn as second nature. It’s physical building aspect. The music. The history.

ABP: What is your least favorite part?

Nikki: Mostly my personal limitations and becoming extremely frustrated with it. Which isn’t ballet’s fault. Just my adult brain and body. Memorization is hard to. One month you’ll have all the positions down and proper when requested, and then you don’t do it for a month and focus on something else and then you completely forget and they ask you out of the blue and you’re like “durrrr… croise … what direction arms- where?”

ABP:Who/What is your ballet inspiration?

Nikki: Zenaida Yanowsky, she’s tall which is very unusual for a principal dancer to be. She shows great character and excellent execution in her technique. Yulia Stepanova, a very little known corphyee in the Mariinsky theater. She’s absolutely gorgeo . Phenomenal. She’s strong, beautiful technique, and her epaulment is gorgeous. Evengnia Obratzsova, she’s so cute, so small, so fragile, yet a beautiful emote-r ballerina. In my growing theme you can see strong technique and emotional elegance are my favors and the students of my school, they’re beautiful sweet girls and boys who are very interested in what they do and how to do it better.

ABP: What motivates you to keep dancing?photo 1

Nikki: The idea that I will feel bad if I do not go. That I will lose progress I had gained two folds. That I always need to get better and work harder. That by coming to class, the girls and boys who look to me for answers, will have them and be inspired too to keep being beautiful as they are.

ABP: Do you take any other dance classes?

Nikki: Not currently, no. I may take hip hop depending how my schedule opens up. Usually though if it does open up, it would just be more ballet classes. Maybe a contemporary class too- HAH! Ideally my Teacher would want me to take tap- yea no thanks.

ABP: What are your hobbies outside of ballet?

Nikki: I’m literally an art school drop out. I spent most of my HS career collecting college AP credits for fine art. So I dabble in illustration, painting, drawing, etc. I also sew, as I spent time at the Art Institute of Seattle. I learned how to draft patterns and sew by industrial standards. I like to bake and make obscene sugar cookies.  I also collect all things Mickey- well, almost. I limit myself so my house isn’t swamped in the stuff. Lets just say I’m a Disney fan.

ABP: What advice would you like to give to those who want to start ballet or have just started?

Nikki: Warm up and care for your body. I know you want to get better and stronger but as adults our body is not adjusted to strenuous repetitive activities. Use leg warmers and clothes to keep you warm, and warm up 15-30 min before you even start barre. Stretch any free moment you get, and do it frequently. Love and care for yourself and my favorite things to keeping me happy after a hard class is hot both, epsom salt, and a glass of wine. Cheesecake too for good measure 🙂

ABP: Anything else you’d like to add?

Nikki: Know it’s okay to mess up. To be slower or to work out what they’re doing slower. Your body has not been doing ballet for 12 years of your life(and if you have, well you’ve been on break maybe so…). You will work your way there and always remember you are magnificent and someone is always watching!

 

Filed Under: 30 Day Stretch Challenge, Adult Ballerinas, Ballerina Profiles, Interviews Tagged With: , , , , 2 Comments