​Dance Training
With roughly 30 years of amateur dancing, I have practiced many dance styles, solo (ballet, Brazilian samba, flamenco, belly dancing) as well as couple's dancing (Ballroom, Brazilian zouk, fusion). For now, I call my home Argentine tango and work on mastering West Coast Swing - a highly improvisational and fluid modern partner dance.
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​My own way into fitness started with injury rehab, many years after I started dancing. After several months off the dance floor, while actively doing rehabilitation exercises, I discovered upon my return that my balance, posture, and pivoting technique have dramatically improved. And it all happened without a single dance drill! That episode not only prompted me to start fitness certification and shifted my professional career but also made me reconsider the dance training both as a student and instructor.
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Despite variations in the dance styles, all of them require exceptional body control. Some most common areas of focus when working with dancers include:
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Strengthening the core and balancing the work of the abdominals and the back muscles
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Strengthening the lower part of the body and gaining better control over hip, knee, ankle, and foot joints
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Correcting tension and stiffness in shoulders, hips, knees, etc. through stretching
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Coaching on healthy movement patterns to reduce pressure on sensitive zones (lower back, knees, and feet).
Progressive Ballet Technique (PBT)
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PBT is a fun, powerful, yet gentle method to improve posture, build a stronger core, and improve flexibility and mobility. Despite being initially created for ballet dancers, it has huge benefits for dancers of other styles, as well as for wider public who are looking for ways to build core strength and improve joint flexibility in a novel and playful way.
Photo: Josseph Amado