Ballet Dancers Have Rock-Hard Abs
Ballet involves abs work even when it doesn’t seem to. Even when it looks like most of the moves are nothing more than footwork, a dancer’s core is very much a part of the process.
To be exact, the lower abdomen is tucked in and the upper is pulled up from the inside. This results in dancers with unbelievable six-packs.
Footballers Use Ballet to Enhance Performance
Yes, football players are super strong, in great shape, worshipped by many, and yada-yada-yada. They still have nothing on ballet dancers. In fact, some NFL players practice ballet to enhance their performance on the field.
This isn't a new concept. Herschel Walker and Lynn Swann, both NFL Hall of Famers, were known for taking ballet classes during their football career. Footballer Steve McLendon also states that him taking regular ballet classes helps him stay injury-free and that it's harder than anything else he does.
How About Some Interactive Dancing?
Imagine going to a ballet show and having to join the dancers at some point. Non-dancers would shudder at the thought of making fools of themselves this way. However, back when ballet was performed for the amusement of royals and nobles, that's exactly what happened.
During their performance, the dancers would teach some moves to some of their lucky spectators who would perform them with the ballerinas. So not only did they have to be good dancers and entertainers, but they also had to be good teachers!
Ballet Dancers Are Super Versatile
The foundations of ballet dancing can be used as tools for learning almost any kind of dance. Basic ballet terminology such as plié, relevé, pointe, and flex is used in jazz, contemporary, ballroom dancing, and more.
Most professionally trained dancers, no matter their expertise, were initially trained in ballet before branching out to other genres.
The Ballet Barre Is Meant to Disappear
Do you know that ballet barre that's set on each ballet studio wall? During classes and training sessions, ballerinas would line up by the barre and hold it while performing the different exercises. But you've obviously noticed that there is no barre on stage during ballet shows. Where did it go?
Well, think of the ballet barre as training wheels. It's there at the studio and when you first get acquainted with the art and helps you work on your balance. However, a ballerina's grip of the barre will grow lighter and lighter until she's able to perform the different moves without it.