The many benefits of ballet training

November 3, 2015

The many benefits of ballet training include enhanced physical strength, a graceful carriage, improved flexibility and a much greater appreciation for music. Ballet classes are not only one of the best forms of exercise, but they impart an elegance and fine-tuned ability to move, with or without music, to those who practice sincerely. On the physical, emotional, and musical level, the benefits of ballet training make it well worth the time and energy for anyone looking for an all-around fulfilling artistic and athletic pursuit.

The many benefits of ballet training

1. Ballet as Strength Training

  • Anyone who has been to a professional ballet performance has seen the tightly knit muscles that make up the bodies of the dancers.
  • The very nature of ballet, with its intense poses that require holding the entire weight of the body on toe point, one leg and even lifting a partner over the head multiple times, provides a workout as intense as any gym routine.
  • For those who train in ballet, the daily performance of these activities, including just the basic ballet exercises like vertical jumping and toe lifts, quickly builds strength and muscle mass.
  • Professional ballet dancers usually train for several hours every day, a routine that whips the body into shape in no time.

2. Ballet as Musical Training

  • For those who love to dance or want to learn, ballet training offers an excellent, if intense, way to convert appreciation into physical musicality.
  • Almost all ballet performances are choreographed to music, which is usually classical, although more and more often modern music is becoming a part of the world of ballet.
  • Training in ballet is an incredible way to develop an ear for music, as the fast changes are timed to go along with even the smallest nuances in the composition that take time to really hear.
  • Physically, ballet training also develops a strong sense of rhythm and timing as well, plus the balance and flexibility the art involves easily translates into better performance on dance floors of any kind.

3. Ballet for the Brain

  • Besides its obvious physical benefits and musical intensity, ballet also gives its practitioners a workout in the most important muscle in the body: the brain.
  • Memorizing the steps and the choreography challenges the brain in several ways, as it must not only keep track of very specific poses and motions, but it must also recognize where in the music each step should happen.
  • Because ballet also incorporates improvisation, where already-learnt steps and poses are put together in creative ways, ballet also stimulates the part of the brain responsible for spontaneous and creative expression.
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