"To see a dancer doing honest work is so beautiful...It's not about having everything extremely perfect; it's about unveiling your unique, honest qualities within." -Mikko Nissinen, Artistic Director of Boston Ballet
Introduction
Just like with any type of physical activity, the stretching involved with obtaining flexibility must include every part of your body. Especially with ballet, we use certain muscles that get particularly over worked, so it is okay to focus on these muscles with more emphasis, but not at the expense of other muscle groups. I always like to think of my stretching routine as going from head to toe:
Remember, in order to increase your flexibility, the most important thing you need to do is to stretch every single day! In addition, make sure that you are warm when you stretch, so that you do not get injured. If you do this, you will definitely see improvement in your flexibility relatively quickly. Just remember that consistency is key!
- Neck
- Shoulders/arms
- Back
- Hip flexors/gluts
- Quads/hamstrings/calves
- Feet
Remember, in order to increase your flexibility, the most important thing you need to do is to stretch every single day! In addition, make sure that you are warm when you stretch, so that you do not get injured. If you do this, you will definitely see improvement in your flexibility relatively quickly. Just remember that consistency is key!
Neck
Most people do not think of stretching their necks, but this can make lots of movements, such as spotting in turns, more difficult. Here are some good stretches for your neck:
- Look straight ahead and bow your head as you completely relax your muscles. If you still don't feel a stretch, gently grab the crown of your head and pull down slightly. Hold for 10 seconds.
- Look straight ahead. With your right hand reaching over your head, grab your left ear and gently pull your head towards your shoulder. Do the same to the left side. Hold for 10 seconds.
- Bend down from your waist into a forward fold (you can keep your knees straight or bent). Try to completely relax your upper body. Grab your elbows as you nod your head "yes" and shake it "no." If it feels good, you can sway slightly. After a few moments, you should begin to feel some pressure in your neck being relieved. Stay there as long as you feel comfortable.
Shoulders and Arms
It is very important to stretch your arms as shoulders. In ballet, we ask a lot of these muscles, but we do not want them to bulk up. Instead, we are aiming for a more streamlined and athletic look. To do this, it is important to stretch after using those muscles.
- Cross your arm in front of your chest, and pull it closer to your body with the opposite arm. Hold for 10 seconds.
- Lift your arm up and bend the elbow down and behind your head. With the opposite arm, pull your elbow towards the opposite side. Hold for 10 seconds.
- Rabbit pose. Sit on your calves and place the crown of your head on the floor, as close to your knees as possible. Grab your heels, and lift your buttocks into the air as you pull your elbows away from each other. Hold for 10-30 seconds.
- Stand up straight, and lace your fingers together behind your back. Bend forward at your waist and raise your arms up and away from your back. Hold for 10-20 seconds.
Back
After doing the typical number of arabesques in an average ballet class, your back will definitely need to be stretched. Try these gentle stretches:
- Lay on your beck and bend your knees so that your feet are on the floor. Place your arms in a "T" position to your sides, and let your knees fall to one side as you turn your head to the other side. Hold for 30-60 seconds.
- Camel pose. Stand on your knees, keeping your legs parallel. Tuck your toes, and grab your heels with your hands as you arch your back. If you like, let your head go back towards your legs as you raise your hips. Hold for 20-30 seconds.
- Cat/cow. Stand on your hands and knees. As you inhale, arch your back towards the ground and lift your chest and hips towards the ceiling. As you exhale, round your back towards the ceiling. Repeat 10 times.
Hip Flexors and Gluts
With all the extensions that ballet dancers do, the hip flexors can be some of the tightest muscles we have. The gluts also face this challenge. Try some of these stretches to help them relax:
- Runner's lunge. You can keep your back knee on the ground, or lift it up for a deeper stretch. Hold for 30 seconds.
- Child's pose. Move your buttocks to one side and your arms to the other. Hold for 20-30 seconds.
- As you sit, cross your legs so that one leg is on top of the other, both shins are parallel to each other, and the foot from one leg is connected to the knee of the other leg. Stretch forward with your body, and then to each side. Hold for 20 seconds (be sure to do it with each leg on top).
Quads, Hamstrings, and Calves
The quads and hamstrings can easily get very tight from all the jumping we do in ballet. Here are some good stretches:
- Quad stretch. Stand on one leg as you bend the other knee, bringing your foot towards your buttocks. Hold it with your arm, and pull your leg closer to you. Hold for 20 seconds.
- Leaning runner's lunge. Take a runner's lunge, but place your back knee on the floor. Keeping your hands on the floor for balance, move onto your back knee and straighten your front leg as you flex your front foot. Lean forward over your leg. Hold for 20 seconds
- Calf stretch. Extend one leg behind you slightly, keeping it straight and sending your heel into the ground. Bend the other (front leg). If you like, you can bend the back knee slightly to stretch your Achilles tendon as well. Hold for 20 seconds.
Feet
Your feet can really take a beating in dance. It's important to roll your feet out with a tennis ball or foam roller to work out all of the knots and kinks in them. To improve the arch of your foot however, you will need a partner:
- Sit with your feet out in front of you, facing your partner. Keeping your foot parallel, point it as your partner take hold of your foot (grab the arch of the foot with your pointer-pinky fingers, and keeping your palms and thumbs on top of the foot). Have your partner press the center of the foot down towards the floor, but be sure to keep your knees absolutely straight!