pilates for dancers

[tutucute22]

does anyones dd/ds do pilates classes alongside ballet -would you recommend ?

the dancer is almost 14 and is due to take rad inter foundation in a couple of weeks

thanks

[Circe]

My dd took up pilates last year, was 13 at the time. It is not offered at her dance school so she did classes at local secondary school. i would recommend as it really helped with an understanding of core strength. She will also do pilates as part of associate classes starts next term and has the darcey bussel pilates for life dvd which was recommended onthis forum.

[tutucute22]

did she find it easy enough ? also was it a young people's class

only one we can find is a mixed ability all ages classes :-\

 

did you find the dvd good -would it have benefits if you ONLY did dvd and not class aswell

 

sorry for all the questions

[Tulip]

My daughter does regular Pilates at her vocational school, it is part of the curriculum I think.

[Circe]

The class my dd took was for adults so I spoke to the teacher first and then did the class with her. I was like a beached whale but dd was able to pick it up really quickly and the teacher did more advanced stuff for my dd ( vast difference btn what fit 13 year old can cope with and a group of 40 somethings!) though actually I think it would have been better to concentrate on the low key stuff as this is so fundamental.

We then got the dvd and although I think it would be feasible to work from the dvd it would ideally be better to start off in a supported class. We got the dvd on ebay so not a big outlay but classes got expensive at £5 each per week.

Dd looking forward to doing pilates again via new associate class and will be interesting to see how it varies fromwhat she has done before.

T

[tutucute22]

that's reassuring I was worried that an adult class may be too challenging for her but as you say it probably be just fine for her !lol

thank you for your helpful reply

[twinkletoes]

both my DDs did pilates and yoga (with a specialist yoga teacher) its not just about the flexibility its about the mind set and understanding of the body which I felt helped, being aware of the signals the body sends and developing that core is something that not all teachers have time to explain or focus on in a 60 min grade class

[Fiz]

Our teacher is going to do some Pilates in our lessons next term. We asked her if she would and she agreed. We both need to stretch and limber up so we are really pleased.

[Kitschqueen_1]

Pilates is done weekly at my Dd's CAT scheme and is very much seen as a complimentary activity. :-)

[florence]

My DD started pilates on the recommendation of a physio after she dislocated her kneecap. She has loose ligaments in various parts of her body and was told to do pilates to strengthen muscles to compensate.  We eventually found a brilliant lady who is a pilates teacher and a ballet teacher. DD has learnt so much about how her body works when she dances and also learnt how to avoid injury which is essential for her as she's been told that having loose ligaments makes her more injury prone. She recently did a class with a new teacher who complimented her posture and commented that she had a  'core of steel'.  DD would definitely recommend pilates especially if you can find a teacher who knows ballet also.  Her teacher is in the Salisbury area.  

[Huddsballetmum]

My dd does pilates with her dance school.  They do one session a week and have recently started using pilates rings to strengthen leg muscles.  Weird contraption that looks more designed for torture than for exercise, mind you dd says it is torture the next day.  DD's dance teacher says that pilates strengthens core muscles and works on balance as well as giving dancers a good understanding of their body. 

[dramascientist]

I would definitely reccomend pilates. I wasnt even aware of it when I was a dancer but after doing it regularly with DD I wish I had known about it. It does give you an understanding of how things are connected, if only I had known years ago to use my stomach muscles to lift my legs! I also find it relaxing and therapeutic so if you do go with Darcey Bussels DVD I would reccomend you joining in with your DD for support like I did originally and you will get the benefit too. Now I do it for myself not just to support my DD, its also a great time to share something together which is good as they go through the teenage years..

[alison]

Don't they always recommend that you have a trained Pilates teacher rather than trying to do it on your own because it can cause problems if you don't get it right?

[dramascientist]

Alison I am sure you are right for somebody who has never done this sort of thing but as a dancer you have a feel for your body that a non dancer might not have. Darcey's DVD is very well explained and because of the nature of pilates it does not put your body under strain it is more about becoming aware of different muscle groups and how they are working. I would certainly be nervous about doing yoga by myself so I think its an individual choice.