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Hopefully you've already seen and enjoyed my vlog special on ballroom and posture earlier in the week (if you haven't, check it out here). The three experts I interviewed had a LOT of useful information to share, and a lot of it didn't make it into the video.
So today, I'm including ALL THREE interviews, complete with footage that didn't make the original cut. Take these pro's advice, and take your posture to the next level! Continue reading "Posture and Ballroom: The Interviews"
Don't get me wrong - I love technology. Maybe not ALL of it, but... The fact that I can sit at my computer and simply communicate with thousands of people I never could have reached otherwise - it's an introvert's heaven, I tell ya!
It DOES however, cause an awful lot of us to neglect our bodies. Due in large to hours spent slumped in various chairs and couches in front of screens, lower back pain is now the single leading cause of disability worldwide (according to the Global Burden of Disease 2010).
Countering the effects of work with an activity that reinforces good poise is now more important than ever. Let's look at how ballroom dancing measures up: Continue reading "Vlog Special: Posture and Ballroom Dancing"
Injuries are a super-bummer for anyone - and for a dancer, it could limit how long they can enjoy dancing. Since most dance-related injuries occur from a tight area being over-extended, we need to stretch these areas to improve our 'range of motion'.
From our conversation with Noel Miller, we learned that stretching is the best thing we can do as individuals to protect ourselves, and developing our body awareness helps us identify where we need it the most. But the journey doesn't end there.
In today's video, we cover the various kinds of stretches out there, so you can choose the best ones for you. We also look at some general tips you may not have thought of, which help improve your stretching enormously.
CAVEAT: I'm talking about stretching areas which are tight and at risk of injury. I'm NOT talking about areas that are already injured - stretching these areas could aggravate the problem. Consult a health professional for any chronic or acute pain. Continue reading "Dancing for Life, Part Three: Stretchin’ Away the Pain"
Our interview with Noel Miller shed some light on the importance of paying attention to our bodies. But it got me thinking: How exactly can we develop this awareness inside of ourselves and apply it to dancing?
It's a question I attempt to answer in this video: Continue reading "Dancing for Life, Part Two: Getting to Know Our Bodies"
Most people, especially dancers, tend to treat their bodies like they can just trade them in for a newer model when they get older. We never learned, or simply forget to pay attention to what's happening in our bodies, and so miss warning signs that could prevent a serious injury.
Today I invited Noel Miller, a fitness expert who takes a more holistic approach to body health, to talk about how developing our body awareness can keep us dancing pain free - whether we're 18 or 80. Continue reading "Dancing for Life, Part One: Body Awareness"
Don’t get me wrong, proper technique is essential for Cuban motion. Once you have the basics down however, you might be asking yourself: How can I do more to capture the look of a Latin dancer? And a big part of that comes from increasing your hip flexibility, which gives you more range of motion on the dance floor. Here’s 6 ways to do that. Continue reading "6 Ways to Increase Your Hip Flexibility"
So, want to look sure of yourself on the dance floor? Reduce your chance of injury? Strike better superhero poses? Now that we’ve covered how proper posture can change your life and how to do it, time to move on with 6 common problems that play havoc with our body-lines. Continue reading "The 6 Killers of Proper Posture "
So, now we know how important good posture is for your health, your confidence, and of course, your look on the dance floor. Now it’s time to tackle the secrets of achieving perfect posture. Let’s start by taking a look at what needs improving.
To make this easier, put on something form-fitting. Not much point trying to find perfect posture if you’re sporting size 50 fishing pants on your size 35 waist.
Stand as tall as you can with a mirror showing your profile, and look for these signs of a perfect posture:
Developing perfect posture will feel uncomfortable at first. After all, if it felt comfortable, you wouldn’t need to change it! Eventually, it will feel easier to hold your body in this healthier way.
Your spine will react to the adjusts you make, but never try to force the shape of your spine to change - adjust the coat, not the coatrack!
While working on your perfect posture, you may sometimes get pain, stiffness, or other physical challenges as your body learns a new way to move. Next week, we’ll look at some of the common posture issues and a simple fix for each. Until then!
Credits
Ballroom Dancers
Vedonis
About the Author
Ian Crewe has been dancing ballroom for almost 20 years, and has a Licentiate in American smooth and rhythm. His passion for dance and his endless seeking for ways to reach new audiences eventually led him to blogging and the World Wide Web. Ian currently teaches ballroom at the Joy of Dance Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Last week, we looked at the major ballroom dance muscle groups we use to make magic on the floor. Now let’s get specific. These muscles we often forget about, either because we’ve never heard of them, or because, well, they just don’t seem that important. Apologies in advance for some of the longer Latin words below - they may be hard to pronounce, but you’ll sound very impressive while using them. Continue reading "Ballroom Dance Muscles You Need to Know (P2)"
We’ve already covered how crucial it is to stretch your muscles before you dance, to avoid benching yourself with an injury for weeks, or longer. Our muscles must also be strong enough to support the rather unusual positions we take on the floor. So, what are the most important ballroom dance muscles? And how do they help us move and look our best during our favourite song? Continue reading "Ballroom Dance Muscles You Need to Know (P1)"