There’s not one right type of body when it comes to dancing. Dancers come in all shapes and sizes. However, attributes like thin, lean, and flexible often to come to mind when we are looking to describe them. We usually leave out words like endurance, powerful, strong, and coordinated, which are great words to describe some of the best dancers out there. One thing that all those amazing dancers have in common is their physical strength – their muscle strength – which plays a major role in the quality of their performance.
The Benefits of Muscular Strength
Core Strength & Balance
A good, strong and stable core is essential for a dancer – not just that sexy six-pack. That’s great too, of course, but we’re talking about the whole thing here: abs, back, pelvis – all of it. A weak core means poor posture and a higher risk of falls, lower back pain, and injuries. On the other hand, when your core is well-developed, it becomes the center of all movement, the base for lifts, and what stabilizes you as you jump.
Then there’s balance. This has a kind of cascading effect. If you have good muscle strength and your core is strong also, your balance will be positively impacted. Balance allows you to show grace, fluidity, emotion, and skill through your dancing.
Explosiveness
Dancers are very likely to execute explosive plyo-type movements with minimal foot support. Focusing on strengthening your legs (let’s say quads and hamstrings) will result in less muscle fatigue post-training and will also allow you to accomplish those explosive movements with a lot more strength and less prone to injuries.
Joint Health
All that dancing can take a toll on your joints. They take on a lot of wear and tear from everyday activities, and even more so if you’re a dancer. If you’re experiencing knee pain when working out, one of the reasons might be that the muscle around your knee (and in your leg overall) is not strong enough and, therefore, the actual joint is doing most of the work. Muscles pull on the joints, allowing us to move. The stronger your muscles are, the less work your joints will have to do to help you get through the movements.
So, don’t neglect your strength training. Muscle strength will allow you to have better control over your body. This will result in improved ease of movement and better technique.