Cross-Training
Dance is an artistic art form, but of course, it's also highly athletic. And yet, dancers typically receive little training in how to prepare themselves for the cardiorespiratory demands of their craft. In Episode 28: Fit to Dance, Sarah Needham-Beck, PhD, explains the basics of exercise physiology, why "running the piece" isn't necessarily the best approach to dance fitness, and what strategies might better enhance health and performance.
Perhaps while quarantined, you or a dancer you know, was anxious about maintaining jump skills, then came across people hopping on and off boxes on Instagram and thought, “Should I do that?” Enter, plyometrics. In this episode, I speak to Rob Tsai, DPT, about plyometrics and he explains the relevance and value of this form of resistance training for dancers.
Episode 94: In-Season Cross-Training
When the dancers of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater came back to the studio in September 2020 after the Covid-19 shutdown, everyone knew there was a lot of work to be done to get the dancers back into performance shape. In the year leading up to their first in-person season since the start of the pandemic, the dancers engaged in various forms of cross-training curated by artistic staff, the physical therapy department and others in the Ailey community. In the fall of 2021, there was one more big push to get the dancers ready for stage. Listen as Mr. Matthew Rushing, Dr. Sheyi Ojofeitimi, Dr. Marissa Schaeffer, Andrew Schaeffer and Antoine Simmons detail that final push and discuss the logistics, challenges and triumphs of packing cross-training into a busy season.
Episode 4: Personal Training for Dancers
Have you heard that dancers should cross train, but you have no idea where to begin? Co-host and co-creator of DanceWell Podcast, Marissa Schaeffer, discusses the ins and outs of cross training for dancers, which is her area of passion and expertise. We discuss what, when, and how much will improve performance and reduce injury risk.
Episode 5: Pilates for Dancers
How does pilates help improve a dancer's technical performance? What makes pilates a unique choice for dancers? Join us on this episode as DanceWell Podcast's co-host and co-founder, Ellie Kusner, talks about how pilates can benefit dancers of all ages.
Episode 75: Specificity in Dance Training
In Episode 75: Specificity in Dance Training, Nico Kolokythas, ASSC, PhD explains the training principle of “specificity” and how it applies to dance, from many angles. We discuss general fitness parameters, why they matter and whether dancers typically meet standard benchmarks. Then, Nico explains a bit about early specialization and also diversification of movement. Finally we debate performance enhancement and how conditioning for dancers can realistically serve this aim.