I am often asked what exercises a ballroom dancer can do away from
the studio in order to improve his or her skills.
As opposed to pedestrian walking, and most of our every day
movements, dance requires the use of more muscles to achieve balance while in
motion with a partner. A few simple
exercises can dramatically improve your ability to physically achieve some the
figures most students find challenging.
You don’t need a dance floor, mirrors, and dance shoes OR a gym
membership to do this!
Calf Raises
Calf raises exercise three
muscle groups of the lower leg: gastrocnemius, tibialis posterior, soleus. Developing
calf strength using this exercise will improve the ability to rise up on the toes
and remain balanced while moving in an
elevated position, as in performing Twinkles, Wisks, and a variety of other
figures in swing-based dances.
How to do calf raises:
Stand with your
weight evenly distributed between both legs, with your feet separated at
shoulder distance. With control, rise up
onto the balls of the feet, then in a steady motion bring the feet back down to
the ground, touching your heels to the floor.
This exercise should be done in three sets of
50 repetitions per set (for beginners): 1) set one is performed with the toes
pointed in front of your body, 2) set two is performed with the toes turned out,
3) set three is performed with the toes turned in. Performing these variations will strengthen
all areas of the calf muscles. As you
develop and tone your calves, increase the number of repetitions
performed. Holding small hand-held
weights will give you an extra challenge.
Do these exercises and you will see dramatic
improvement in your Open Impetus and your Weave!
