‘Center’ strength for young dancers

I’m a captain of my school dance team and our younger girls seem to be lacking in mainly knowing their center, their strength there and how to hold it (as well as their strength in general). I was wondering if you know of any exercises that could help?

Thanks, Rebecca

Great question, Rebecca! And a very hard one to answer. There are many abdominal strengtheners that are out there for you to do as a part of your training of your younger members. Exercises such as leg lowering, or physioball situps, even the regular ‘crunches’ will help to develop strength to the abdominal muscles. What they don’t do though, is help to train the young dancer on standing and moving from a powerful core. That requires that they learn how to move in good alignment and at their full height.

Here’s a few tips to help them explore what that feels like.

The simplest and quickest cuing I’ve found to get someone to lengthen their spine is to place their own hand on top of their head (right in the middle, not by their forehead or at the very back) – and then ask them to lengthen upwards into their hand. Watch them lengthen their spine and then ask them to keep that length as they move.

You’ll need a theraband for the next of tips – it doesn’t matter whether it is a stronger or lighter strength. Take the theraband and place one end under a foot (only 1 -not both) and the other end in the same hand. Grasp along the theraband so as you bend your arm and get tall at the same time – there is a light pull on the theraband. Feel how the abdominals are engaged – not in an aggressive fashion – but in a long and firm fashion. Do a demi plié on one leg keeping a light pull on the theraband.

Now transfer the theraband to your other hand so you have a diagonal pull and again notice how that wakes up your middle area as you align your body and do a few demi pliés on one leg. Then put the theraband under the other foot and do the same thing again, first using the same arm as leg before switching hands.

Another easy exploration is to take the theraband in each hand and gently pull your hands away from each other as if you were going to open to second position with your arms (to the side) now keeping a small pull walk, gallop, skip, or move in anyway you’d like. In order to keep that gentle pull between your arms you will have to engage your core as you move.

These tips will help to teach a dancer what it feels like when they are using their core. It takes strength to stabilize a properly aligned body – and my college students have often had ‘aha’ moments after trying these exercises. I’ve even put loops in one end of a theraband and put their foot in that – and then putting the other end of the theraband in either hand – had them explore how many ways they could move keeping tension on the band. That is a fun exploration!

Once they have the idea that alignment and core strength go hand in hand – I think whatever they do to physically strengthen their core will have a much better chance of being used as they are moving.

I know they are lucky to have you as their dance captain!

Warm regards,

Deborah

“Education is the key to injury prevention”