Athletic Artists

The importance of muscular strength within dance

With the ever growing demands on dancers by choreographers, the body is put under increasing strain. It is therefore just as important that the dancer trains their fitness levels, as training the skill.  In the past, a lack of focus on dancer’s health has led to injury complications of bone and muscle, causing time away from the art. Similarly to sport, dance technique requires a number of demands. However unlike dance, sport has had a key focus on its athletic conditioning for at least 2,500 years. In my eyes, dancers are not just artists, but also athletes, and so they require a high level of physical fitness to meet the high demands of daily training.

In the past, strength training for the dancer has been frowned upon and disregarded due to the fear of upsetting the key aesthetics and flexibility which are supposedly crucial to build a successful career. However it has been suggested that contemporary dancers, who show a greater level of athleticism and come from a background of other disciplines such as gymnastics, show greater strength levels.

Why is building muscular strength important for the dancer?

All factors from strength training intertwine with one another to produce...

-    Improved force production - through improving force production, the dancer can enhance the aesthetics of their performance i.e. increased jump height

-    Reduced risk of injury - within dance, fatigue has been shown to be a leading cause of injury, thus causing time away from work. And so with higher fitness levels, the chance of fatigue within performances decreases.

-    Decrease in osteoporosis - low bone mass may lead to the condition osteoporosis, a key concern within dancers, particularly females. Through increased loading of the bones, the bone structure strengthens, thus decreasing the risk of osteoporosis.

-    Increased aesthetics - research has found strength training to decrease body fat, leading to a leaner look. Additionally, it was found that strength training did not alter the aesthetic appearances within dancers by causing hypertrophy, but leads to greater levels of strength within the trained area.

-    No changes to flexibility - despite popular thought, strength training has not been found to decrease levels of flexibility. However it is recommended that the following principle is followed in order to maintain/increase flexibility levels - 'Strengthen what you stretch, stretch what you strengthen'.

-    Increased stability – strength training exercises can be used to develop neuromuscular control. These proprioception exercises allows the body to develop greater awareness of the joint in its surroundings and in turn making the joint more stable.

-    Reduced joint pain – through strengthening the muscles around the joint, weaknesses are removed, thus reducing pain caused by possible imbalances.

So what are you waiting for?

Note: I would recommend always seeking help from a qualified professional prior to beginning a program. This will ensure all your current training, injuries and needs will be taken into consideration when building a program.