Dance is the art form in which human movement becomes the medium for sensing, understanding and communicating ideas, feelings, and experiences. Dance has its own content, vocabulary , skill, which must be understood. No matter what kind of dancer you are , from classical ballet to modern dance, jazzdance to hip hop, you can derive huge benefits from taking regular yoga classes. Yoga practice can give your dancing a leg up, both in class and on the stage.
Yoga will give you an outlet to safely and effectively increase your flexibility. The methods used in yoga can open your tight areas while maximizing the lenght in muscles that are already flexible. Every pose is designed to focus on a few areas and allow them to open as much as possible.
Yoga is a unique balance of both flexibility and strengthening poses. Dancers lacking upper body power can turn to yoga for a safe, lean way to build strength in both bigger and smaller muscles. Some asanas are great for increasing the stability of the standing leg. This will result to a stronger, more sustained and better adagio work.
Yoga also promotes proper alignment through the spine and the entire body. Working towards a posture that is both correct and natural.
Yoga teaches to breath correctly by utilizing the diaphragm to breathe in and out without disturbing the alignment of the spine and ribs. This technique increases core stability and strengthens abdominal muscles.
Yoga is a good way to transition to injury. Every dancer does what they can do to avoid injuries. Each yoga poses can easily modified to protect and strengthen weakened areas, as well as stabilize the muscles so as to protect them from future injury.
Yoga is beneficial not of building perfect dance technique but on creating peace of mind and a stress free environment for the dancers. Working through the poses at your own pace gives you the time you need to unwind from the stress of the stage, while still providing great physical benefits.
Yoga and its method can give any dancer essential tools to help them improve their flexibility, strenght and even their performance.
Roderick P. Samonte
200hr (july – oct 2013)
