Adult Dancers: Meet the Floor

I previously wrote about Adult Dancers and the difficulty they may face while at the barre, whether it is their very first class, or they are returning to class after a long hiatus from the dance world and studio.  As much as the barre might be a challenge, stepping away from the barre to do the center and across the floor portions of class can be even scarier.  In this post, I cover some common, albeit unpleasant, surprises and how best to handle them.

Facing the Mirror

Although you may clear this hurdle while at the barre, my experience and observation has been that most Adult Dancers are not as studious at looking in the mirror while at the barre in their first classes.  Usually buck beginners are too focused on just getting the steps right (perhaps even having to watch another student in front of them) or even a seasoned dancer returning is also focused on "getting through barre," feeling their bodies vs. intensely watching in the mirror to scrutinize their technique.  And it's scary to look in the mirror.  That shock of pink tights and a leotard (even with some warm ups or a skirt on) can be jarring.  For a returning dancer its equally shocking because the last time you saw that reflection might have been when you were in your teens or early 20's and well...our bodies change as we age, or have children or simply become not as active as we once were.  Even if you skip the leotard and tights for something more 'common' such as yoga apparel or sweats, it's a different setting and different movements than what you may be accustomed to seeing in the gym mirrors or home mirrors.

The best advice I have for you is to make your peace with it sooner rather than later.  When I returned to dance after a few years off (and the majority of those years were dedicated to cheeseburgers and cupcakes) I spent a very long time wearing warm ups and junk throughout the entire class, telling myself I was doing everyone a favor to not have to see my bulges.  Never really making much progress with weight loss nor ever becoming comfortable with the image I saw.  Finally, during a summer session with an A/C on the fritz, I took the junk off.  Even though it was tough for the first few weeks to look at myself, I noticed that I automatically made more healthy choices with my eating habits and got a lot more disciplined with attending classes and doing cross training workouts, because of what I saw, as opposed to what I hid.  By the end of the summer, I had lost weight, and even though I was not a 90lbs. dancer again, I became comfortable with what I saw in leotards and tights.  Which may not be much in the studio per se, but in regular clothes I looked the best I had in years and my confidence soared.

Cinder Block Legs

While at the barre, your leg muscles may have taken on a life of their own with the shakes.  Another possibility is that barre wasn't too bad, and maybe all the rhetoric of the "big, difficult come back" was all hooey.  But somehow, for reasons no one knows or can understand, suddenly away from the barre, your legs will most likely feel like you've got cinder blocks on your feet as opposed to ballet slippers.  Center barre work typically shifts weight constantly between the feet, and when you're not used to "pulling up" and being off your heels, that weight change either becomes impossible or your muscles tense so much, simple tendus will make your legs burn.  Adagio, which once was my favorite part of class when I was a professional, quickly became the most dreaded part of class, because I no longer had the balance, extension and core muscles to maintain slow balances, slow developpes and penches.  Across the floor is also frustrating because you most likely will know what you need to do, but translating it to your legs becomes like those nightmares where you want to run but you're frozen or stuck in mud and can't move.

The best advice for this is to keep with it.  All these "blocks" are temporary and will improve with time.  It also helps to stick with the same class/ teacher.  Many teachers have a particular style that their combinations follow, so it becomes a little easier to pick up on these movements when there is that consistency in style.  The other advice is to keep pulled up, don't "sit' back in your heels.  Also, when you are battling your body and/ or learning ballet for the first time as an adult, you are constantly thinking about the step you're doing, and this sometimes makes us late for the following step. Always be thinking about the next move in the combination (to anticipate a weight shift or body position change).  And last, keep your movements small. Don't worry about getting a leg high (work at 90 degrees or lower for awhile), or doing multiple turns or traveling right away or including battu (beats) in your jumps.  

Last advice is to breathe.  This could just be a personal flaw, but many times I'm so focused on what I'm doing, I find that I'm holding my breath during the exercises which, as you can imagine, makes me feel like collapsing afterward.  Even if you aren't as extreme as that, you may still be experiencing that your wind and stamina are not up to par, so always breathe and hydrate and feel free to take a break or simplify a movement if you're not quite ready for it.

Now You Got Boobs

Some, if not most, young girls wait and hope for the day they grow breasts.  And although under almost all circumstances I am quite happy with my C cup, when it comes to allegro (especially petite allegro-small jumps) in class, those things are in the way!  It actually can be quite comical to see a well-endowed chest doing jumps; I know I have given myself a chuckle many times, if not some of my fellow dancers.  This "new addition" can also make a difference with your turns.  In my younger days as a dancer, I was a "natural turner."  Easily pulling triples and quads en pointe and the infamous 32 fouettes and piques in a circle were somewhat effortless, etc.  But, once I became "top-heavy," I basically had to re-train how to turn all over again, because I was in fact, aerodynamically different.

Re-training aside (which does take time, so be patient with yourself) recognize that this is now part of your body.  Wear a sports bra or leotard with a built in bra.  And/ or favor the dance wear that is a higher cut along the chest.  But technically speaking with regards to turns and jumps, beware not to throw your upper back backwards or compensate by letting your rear go out on your landings and plies.  These are things I naturally/ unconsciously did because of my curves to hide the impact of a landing, but they will lead to back and knee injuries at some point, so keep alignment of your body as the strictest priority even if it feels uncomfortable or looks a little off for you.