For our series Ask A Dance Teacher, we asked ballet teacher Johanna Hadley some common questions about ballet training.
Our question was, “How can I improve my balance and stability as a dancer?”
Johanna says:
Balance and stability is something that can be easily improved. But, it’s important to remain committed to a practice schedule because, just like everything in ballet, it’s not something that can be improved overnight.
Improving balance and stability is something that is difficult to keep consistent for growing children and teens, so don’t be too hard on yourself. When you’re growing, your centre of gravity is constantly moving and it’s about trying to find this new adjustment. Plus, when you’re having a growth spurt, it’s normal to experience muscles temporarily weakening.
Targeting the problematic area
Firstly try to identify where your instability is coming from. Instability and balance problems nearly always come from a lack of strength. If it’s from a weak core, ask your teacher for some specific exercises to help improve your core strength. It doesn’t need to be anything fancy or extreme – simple exercises like sit ups and crunches are excellent at improving core strength.
The next area to look at is your legs and ankles. Using equipment can be useful in enhancing strength, which, in turn, will help with balance and stability.
Exercise bands can be used in many different ways and are often recommended by physiotherapists for people recovering from foot and ankle surgeries and injuries. They are a safe and effective way of improving strength.
Wobble boards are one of the best pieces of equipment for targeting balance and stability problems. They challenge your lower leg, ankle and feet and train them to stabilise. They are widely used by dancers.