Ballet Help Desk

When my physical therapist suggested I start a Pilates program, I laughed. “I’m a former athlete,” I told her. “If you don’t sweat, it isn’t exercise.” She smiled at me and gently suggested we try one session of it to see what I thought. If I didn’t like it, we could look at alternatives. So, she put me through a set of exercises, which I seemed to get through with little difficulty. “Piece of cake,” I thought. Well, the next morning. Ummmm, I couldn’t move. Maybe there is something to this Pilates thing!

And, for dancers, as opposed to us mere mortals, it can play an integral role in their training. In fact, some would say it’s the most critical element in cross-training for ballet. Not only does Pilates stretch a dancer’s muscles, it also serves as a fantastic way to strengthen the muscles that do and also don’t get used in other ballet training.

Pilates was developed by Joseph Pilates in the early 1900’s. Later on, he worked extensively with George Balanchine, the founder of the New York City Ballet. Pilates focuses on fluid, controlled motions, which often mimics movements done in ballet class. The exercises help with strength, flexibility, balance and posture.

When a dancer incorporates Pilates into their routine, it can help with several aspects of their training.

Injury Prevention

The most common injuries that occur amongst dance students is what is commonly known as overuse injuries. In our recent chat with Aki Kawasaki, Head Strength Coach for Houston Ballet and the Houston Ballet Academy, he noted that the overuse injuries he sees are often the result of lack of strength in certain muscles.

In addition to the strength routines Kawaski recommends, Pilates is a perfect way for aspiring dancers to protect themselves from incurring injury due to muscle weakness or low range of motion. Because Pilates focuses on repetitive yet controlled motions, it is an ideal method for dancers, and many of the movements are mirrored in their classes.

Increase Core Strength and Stability

Core muscles are the muscles at the center of your body. Think of any muscle that is not in your arms and legs as part of your “core muscles.” Dancers can move around with ease, go off-balance and find their center without having to think about it when they do Pilates training. The core muscles of the body are the deep muscles of the back, abdomen, and pelvic floor. They rely on these muscles to support a strong, supple back, good posture, and efficient movement patterns.

Pilates, while helpful with overall strength, really focuses on strengthening the core muscles. It offers core strength in the deep muscles below those famous “six pack abs” that allows the core to take over when the limbs want to move. This helps protect the back from injury and allows a quicker response time and movement efficiency.

Improved Flexibility

There is a belief that if you’re not flexible now, you never will be. According to Sue McCarroll, Lead Pilates Teacher for the Rock School For Dance Education in Philadelphia, this simply isn’t true. According to McCarroll, the flexibility gained from Pilates is also balanced by strengthening that does not shorten the muscles so flexibility is not sacrificed, yet the muscle stays strong to prevent injury.

She also points out that a Pilates workout is about strengthening and stretching—and research has shown it comes with a major muscle-loosening payoff. 

Improved Turn-Out

When my son first started ballet he was pigeon-toed. Yes, his feet pointed in! His first ballet teacher took one look at his legs and feet and let out an audible sigh. One of the first recommendations that was made to us was to get him to a Pilates teacher. So, off we went to find one. We were fortunate enough to connect with someone who was a former professional dancer who now owned her own Pilates studio. She started working with him 1-2 times per week and, over time, he showed marked improvement. Does he have perfect 180 degree turnout? Not even close. But, it got better enough to stave off the heavy sighs of his teachers. 

In addition to leg and hip muscles, lower abdominal and lower back muscles are also important for turnout performance, Pilates can also be an effective approach to use to enhance these muscles.

Meet Sue McCarroll, Lead Pilates Teacher at The Rock School 

In our second installment of our series, Cross-Training, Injury Prevention and Injury Recovery, we were fortunate to be able to spend some time with Sue to hear how she works with dancers on strength training, injury prevention and injury recovery. Sue is a former dancer and dance educator who taught both ballet and broadway style jazz. After sustaining an injury, she turned to Pilates as part of her injury recovery program and got hooked! 

After coming back, Sue decided to become a certified Pilates teacher who focused on working with dancers. She also works with non-dancers at her studio, Opal Wellness. Pilates teachers spend 600 hours in training in order to get certified. 

Tune in to our podcast on August 16th to hear her talk about how Pilates can help dance students, how she works with students at the Rock and what she recommends students do at specific ages.