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Staying in Ballet Shape (While Social Distancing)
Justin Leaf • Mar 19, 2020
Dance schools around the world have closed their doors temporarily to help mitigate the spread of the coronavirus, and MDT is no exception. We’ll be closed at least through March 29, and ballet dancers of all ages are eager to know how they can stay in shape during this hiatus.
So what do we do when we can’t get into the studio for class?
While nothing replaces being in a studio, here are a few ideas for basic things that you can do in your home to target those essential muscle groups and keep yourselves limber and energized, ready to return to full-on dancing when the studios reopen.
These exercises for stretches and strengthening come from my experience with different conditioning programs as well as my experience as a teacher of both yoga and ballet. See the video below for a visual overview with more detailed instruction in the audio commentary. Draw from these options to create a program for yourself that you can do daily.
So what do we do when we can’t get into the studio for class?
While nothing replaces being in a studio, here are a few ideas for basic things that you can do in your home to target those essential muscle groups and keep yourselves limber and energized, ready to return to full-on dancing when the studios reopen.
These exercises for stretches and strengthening come from my experience with different conditioning programs as well as my experience as a teacher of both yoga and ballet. See the video below for a visual overview with more detailed instruction in the audio commentary. Draw from these options to create a program for yourself that you can do daily.
1. Breathe
I think one of the things we miss most about being in the studio is getting our energy moving through the body, and whether we realize it or not, we do that with the breath. Consciously taking some deep breaths is going to do a lot for our general mood and physical vitality.
At a couple points in the video series below, I have you take time to simply breathe, either while lying on your back and engaging the core abdominals, or standing with the arms lifting up and down. Use those moments to tap into the power of your breath and then let that awareness inform all the exercises that follow.
2. Engage the Core
One of the most important things we can do to stay in shape (whether just going on vacation or amidst a pandemic) is to maintain strength in the core abdominal muscles with some kind of daily exercise that targets those areas.
Engaging deeply and coordinating with the breath, exhale while drawing the lower abdominal muscles toward the spine and then allow for a natural expansion on the inhale. This practice can lead to a series of roll-ups, targeting those abdominal muscles in a smooth, controlled movement, keeping shoulders and legs relaxed to ensure the effort is coming from the core. If you know of other core-strengthening exercises, they can be added here.
3. Work Your Turn-Out
Turn-out isn’t something we get to exercise in everyday life or even in typical exercise, so it’s essential to target those rotating muscles to keep them in gear for ballet.
The video below shows three different exercises to work your turn-out. These come from “The Turn-Out Dance” crafted by Irene Dowd, who I studied Anatomy-Physiology for Dancers with at The Juilliard School. You’ll want to do eight to ten repetitions of each, on each side. Pay attention to the form so that you're honoring your alignment, stabilizing through the pelvis and using your core strength. Afterwards, you’ll want to be sure to stretch those turn-out muscles using the recommended hip stretches.
4. Backward Bending
Another thing we don’t get to do much in everyday life is arabesque, which requires arching the upper spine and extending the legs backwards from the hip. For this reason, we’ll want to be sure to include some simple stretches that have us backward bending.
In the video below, I include both a cobra stretch and long lunges for this purpose. Again, pay attention to form. Lengthen through the spine and use your breath in coordination with the movement. For the cobra, be sure to focus on the upper spine and use your back rather than your arms to do the lifting. Keep the back of the neck long. For the front leg of the long lunges, keep your knee positioned directly over your ankle to protect the knee joint. You might also add variations to increase the intensity, such as lifting your back knee off the floor, arching your upper back simultaneously, or raising your arms and balancing.
5. Footwork
Of course for ballet, we want to maintain the articulation and strength in the feet as much as possible.
If you have a TheraBand you might use that to do some point/flex with added resistance. You can also face a makeshift barre and do some slow prances in parallel, stretching through the feet and moving up to the demi-pointe. The combination that begins most of my ballet classes is a good one to do; it’s modified here with a shift onto the heels, lifting the toes, intended to engage the fronts of the legs. As always with a foot stretch, pay attention to the alignment of the ankles so that you're not sickling your feet. Also pay attention to elongating your spine, leading up through the top of your head and maintaining the poise needed for classical ballet.
6. Barre
While we may not be able to do pirouettes or grand allegro at this time, most of us have the space to do a ballet barre, and it’s one of the most sure-fire ways to stay in shape while away from the studio.
You’ll need to find a makeshift barre for support, such as the back of a chair or other piece of furniture. Various schools and even some ballet stars
are livestreaming ballet classes on Facebook, Instagram, and via Zoom conferencing, and you can look for them if you need guidance for doing your barre from home. MDT is looking into possibilities for our own streaming classes — stay tuned for updates.
For all dancers, learning how to create your own barre combinations can be a valuable experience. We recommend that you at least do pliés, tendus, and dégagés. Also, practice your retiré pirouette position, various port de bras, and relevé balances. Explore creating your own barre combinations using the ballet class music that can be found on iTunes and other streaming services such as Pandora. Here’s music for a David Howard class that I recommend. It's straight-forward with standard tempos and introductions.
An Opportunity to Grow
Limitations are an opportunity. As dancers, we can use the limits of our space to focus in new ways and grow in the process. Through the conditioning exercises outlined here, you may discover new ways to support your technique for years to come, improving your alignment and targeting those vital dancing muscles. You’ll also cultivate a sense of self-discipline, keeping your training afloat until studios are open again.
The overview of exercises here is a small sample of what you might explore using various online resources for dance conditioning. Feel free to supplement with additional exercises or more advanced variations. Most importantly, make it a regular practice, perhaps once a day, five or six days a week, and then have fun with it.
The overview of exercises here is a small sample of what you might explore using various online resources for dance conditioning. Feel free to supplement with additional exercises or more advanced variations. Most importantly, make it a regular practice, perhaps once a day, five or six days a week, and then have fun with it.
Make a Gift to Support MDT
We understand these are trying times for everyone, and as you can imagine the arts are greatly impacted by coronavirus outbreak. If you would like to help sustain the MDT company and school through this time and you have the means, please consider making a tax-deductible gift to MDT today. We are thankful for your support and wish you good health.
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Minnesota Dance Theatre Blog
Congratulations to MDT Company
Elissa Fonseca, originally from Utah, moved to Minneapolis in 2018 to dance with Minnesota Dance Theatre. Just having finished her second season, Elissa says, “It’s been amazing. I still feel so lucky to be here.”
Scroll down for updates. As the concern for Coronavirus increases in our community, we want to assure you that we are taking precautions at MDT to reduce risk and spread of the virus. We want to let you know about the protocols we are implementing in the MDT studios, as informed by The Center for Disease Control and Prevention and following the lead of other professional dance schools in the country. First, we encourage all MDT students to take the basic measures to keep yourself and others healthy. Wash your hands with soap and water, avoid touching your face, and cover your cough. We kindly request that if MDT students or their family members are exhibiting any signs of respiratory illness such as coughing or sneezing that you refrain from attending class until your symptoms subside. Beginning Tuesday, March 10, 2020: All classes will end 5 minutes early so that the barres can be wiped down. Paper towels and disinfectant liquid will be available in every studio for cleaning surfaces after class. Faculty, accompanists, and monitors have been advised about cleaning surfaces including barres, piano keyboards, and electronics. Teachers will request the assistance of monitors and students (if age-appropriate) in spraying down and wiping their areas with disinfectant sprays and paper towels. MDT staff is taking extra care to wipe down and clean surfaces, handles, and equipment at the studio. If you see something that needs attention, please let us know . We encourage everyone to take the personal steps required to maintain the health and well-being of our community. We encourage you to visit the CDC's COVID-19 website to learn more about how you can keep yourself safe and assist us in efforts to prevent spread of the virus. We will remain dedicated to keeping the studio a safe space for everyone. As the situation progresses, we will update this post on our blog and share via email and social media. Please feel free to be in contact with our office at 612-338-0627 if you have any questions or concerns. UPDATE 3/10/20: A previous version of this post suggested that those who have been exposed to anyone with these symptoms should seek medical attention to determine if you may have the virus without exhibiting symptoms. We have since received advice from a medical professional that people SHOULD NOT go seek testing for COVID-19 if they are asymptomatic or have not been exposed to a confirmed infected person. At this time that is not the protocol and there is no capacity for screening asymptomatic people. UPDATE 3/13/20: To support the health and well-being of our students, company artists, patrons, and larger community, we have decided to postpone a couple upcoming MDT events that would have the potential for large numbers of people to gather in confined spaces. Our intention is that these steps, taken sooner rather than later, will help mitigate the spread of Coronavirus. The postponed events include the following: Celebrating Loyce , originally scheduled for tomorrow, Saturday, March 14, will be postponed to a later date, to be determined. The Enchantment , originally scheduled for April 3-5, will be postponed to a later date, to be determined. If you have already purchased tickets for this event, you will be contacted directly regarding refunds and exchanges. As of now, MDT classes for the Performing Arts Division, Young Children’s Division, and Open Division will continue as scheduled with the precautions outlined above. The Open Division Open House will also continue as scheduled on March 28 and 29. UPDATE 3/15/20: As we learned today of the closure of Minneapolis Public Schools through March 27, MDT&S will postpone all classes at least through that date, effective immediately. We remain committed to protecting the health of our MDT&S students, families, and our larger Twin Cities community. For Open Division, classes will be canceled effective immediately at least through Sunday, March 29, and this includes the Open Division Open House previously offered on March 28 and 29. For more information on school closings, read this letter from MDT Artistic Director Lise Houlton.
This month, we celebrate MDT founder Loyce Houlton. It’s been 25 years since her passing, and we’re taking the opportunity to recognize her significant contribution to the cultural landscape of Minnesota and to the world of dance. We’ll gather on Saturday, March 14 for Celebrating Loyce , sharing about Loyce’s life and work. You’re invited! In the meantime, we’ve met up with dancer, choreographer, and dance historian Judith Brin Ingber, who was friends with Loyce and around for the early years of Minnesota Dance Theatre. Listening to Judith’s story, one gets a sense of the breadth of the region’s dance history, the connections made — not only within the local community, but far-reaching to include dance icons from around the world. As the names of Martha Graham, Merce Cunningham, and George Balanchine emerge, you realize Loyce’s gifts as a dance educator, choreographic trailblazer, and arts advocate who made an indelible impression on the region’s dance scene.
Minnesota Dance Theatre’s Open Division offers a regular schedule of open ballet classes at all levels for adults and teens, ages 16 and up. While these ballet classes offer great fitness benefits, the discipline of learning a classical art form, and the joy of dancing with live piano accompaniment, they rarely include the opportunity to dance specific choreography from famous ballets. That’s where our “Dance the Classics” series comes in. For the past couple years, we’ve offered these biannual workshops that include two afternoons of immersion in the choreography of the great ballets of the 19th and early 20th centuries, including Swan Lake , Giselle , and Les Sylphides . The next workshop begins this weekend on Sunday, February 16, and we’ll be revisiting Swan Lake — back by popular demand, but this time with new content. (You can register here if you’re interested.) For these workshops, the choreography is modified for an intermediate level so that more of our Open Division students can participate. Also, the dances explored are generally corps de ballet group dances, rather than solo variations, so that dancers can learn more about moving in formation, being meticulous about how they use the space and working collaboratively with others. Also, while typical ballet classes include simple piano accompaniment, these workshops use the fully orchestrated recordings, giving an extra boost of motivation. Teacher Jennifer Murry also includes some background and history of the ballet to inspire students. She says, “I approach the class as hostess, inviting dancers to experience the beauty of timeless choreography in a personal way. It’s delightful to enjoy Swan Lake from the audience, but it is something else entirely to actually be part of a flock of swan maidens running into a line, stepping sideways, and using your port de bras to hide from Prince Siegfried.” Open Division student Lynda Dahl participated in the fall workshop in which they learned choreography from the 19th century romantic ballet Giselle . She said, “I took the course because it was a chance to dance actual classical choreography, something I’d never have a chance at in my later years. What I really enjoyed about the session was learning the story behind the choreography. I was actually fascinated by the function of the corps de ballet.” Participants have represented a wide range of ages, from mid teens to late sixties, and the workshop welcomes anyone of any gender, ages 14 and up. Karena Casey, who took the Swan Lake workshop last year, is 55 and works in advertising. “I’ve been in a Swan Lake production so this was fun to do again and brush up on the brilliant choreography. The class was fun and comfortable, meaning I never felt put on the spot. The instructor was wonderful and encouraging. Regular ballet classes are more about practicing technique and standards of ballet. Choreography opens it up artistically, so it’s a bit freeing.” For those Open Division students who are not interested in performing on stage, this workshop gives them the satisfaction of putting their ballet training to use, seeing what it has the potential to create. Jennifer says, “It is pure joy for me to watch the pleasure in the dancers when they catch a glimpse of themselves in a famous pose or in a famous action, like ‘the hops’ in Giselle. Many told me how uplifted they felt by the opportunity to dance just for themselves.” Inspired? Here’s information about the upcoming workshop with a link to register: Dance the Classics: Swan Lake Sunday, February 16 & Sunday, February 23 1:30 – 3:00pm | MDT Studio 6A Teacher: Jennifer Murry Registration fee: $50 REGISTER HERE The workshop does not include a warm-up, so you are encouraged to take a ballet class beforehand. On Sundays, MDT offers open Intermediate-Advanced Ballet from 11:15am to 12:45pm, with optional pointe class from 12:45 to 1:15pm.
The Nutcracker has become such a tradition for American ballet companies and schools that almost all ballet dancers have had some experience with it at some point. It’s usually their first experience dancing in a full production, which gives them that essential performance experience that puts all their training in perspective, like "Ah, this is what it’s all about!" Then that experience becomes an annual event, evolving over the years as the dancers may progress in level and in roles, from student to professional, from little mouse to Sugar Plum Fairy, experiencing different takes on the classic ballet with each production they may dance. There’s always a camaraderie with other performers that emerges through the process, with backstage antics and onstage mishaps that go beyond the dancing and make for treasured memories. There are also milestone revelations about one’s place in dance from year to year. For me, my first year dancing in The Nutcracker in my hometown with The Maryland Ballet I got to play the role of Fritz. I was 13 and enjoyed my time on stage so much that I remember after my final exit sitting on the top of the party scene stairs backstage and feeling a bit of sadness come over me, like I just wanted to be back on the stage. I couldn’t imagine my life without it. A couple years later, after performing The Nutcracker with the visiting Donetsk Ballet, I determined to become a professional dancer. Fast forward 20 years and I was dancing the role of the Nutcracker in Minnesota Dance Theatre’s production of Loyce Houlton’s Nutcracker Fantasy . (See photo above, me pictured backstage alongside Katie Johnson and Justin Marie Miller.) This beloved Minnesota production continues to thrill audiences and dancers alike (and performances continue through December 23 at the State Theatre). Today we share some Nutcracker memories from former and current MDT company members as well as guest artists and faculty, recalling how sweet (and sometimes hilarious) these Nutcracker experiences can be. “I was dancing Snow Queen in 2011, alongside the wonderful Alexander Hille. When the snow begins to fall during the flurry, it all dumped in one massive clump on the snow couple. The audience could see it coming before I did. I could hear their gasps, and then it hit me! It was an exciting finish in the Land of Snow that night.” - Katie Johnson, former MDT company member “I remember when I was dancing the Chinese divertissement one of us got our headgear tangled in Madame Bonbonniere’s skirt! We had to travel back and forth under her skirt trying to set her free while other toys were released. We finally were able to rip the tulle and escape. Very funny!” - Elizabeth Simonson, former MDT company member and current board member “One of my favorite shows each year is our school show. The children are so excited, and we can feel their energy on stage. They are not afraid to react to what they see; they ooh and aah when the curtain is lifted and they first see the sets, they laugh loudly when they think something is funny, and sometimes they even cheer when the Rat Queen is defeated in the War. Their reactions are so genuine, and a good reminder of the awe and wonder deeply seeded in this show.” - Kari Schire, MDT guest artist “Everyone got the flu including the little Marie, and Ariel Linnerson had to jump into the role for her even though she was way taller than most others, including me, the Sugar Plum Fairy.” - Sally Rousse, former MDT guest artist and current faculty member "There was that time Peggy Seipp was playing the role of the Littlest Mouse and fell into the orchestra pit. Everyone was fine, but it was memorable... She later grew up to play the Sugar Plum Fairy and returns every year to guest teach for the MDT company and school." - Lise Houlton, MDT Artistic Director “This photo was taken my very first year of performing in any Nutcracker production, exactly 20 years ago this year, when I was 8 years old. I was so excited to be in the Nutcracker as a Party Girl, and I honestly still to this day remember some of that choreography.” - Elissa Fonseca, MDT company member
When you give the gift of dance, you share unique experiences that enrich someone’s life for days, weeks, and maybe years to come. We’ve got a range of options, from show tickets to ballet classes, and we’ve got something for everyone, no matter their age or affinity, whether they love to be on stage, in the studio, or in the audience. Check it out and gift the gift of dance this holiday season!
Live music is an essential ingredient for Loyce Houlton’s Nutcracker Fantasy and for lots of what we do at MDT. It’s an honor to continue an age-old tradition of presenting dance with live music. It lends a spontaneity to the performances as the dancers and musicians tune into each other and create an especially vibrant experience for audiences. The 44-piece Nutcracker Orchestra is something that sets Loyce Houlton’s Nutcracker Fantasy apart from the many other local Nutcracker productions, and not just for the exceptional quality that live music brings. Behind each of those “44 pieces” are 44 individual professional musicians, highly skilled, each with their own Nutcracker story. Today we bring you two of those stories, both very heartwarming. One is from Chris Volpe. Between him and his father, that’s 53 years of trumpet-playing for the Nutcracker Orchestra – wow! And then the other story is from Renata Steve, a violinist whose daughter takes the stage this year as one of the adorable mice.
With her captivating beauty and stunning athleticism, MDT company dancer Vanessa Spiteri likely caught your eye at a recent MDT performance. She joined the company last season and has embraced and grown through the vast range of the MDT company repertoire, from a delicate slyph in "Chopiniana" to a fierce force of nature in more contemporary works. Learn about Vanessa here and about her process recreating the iconic role of the Sugarplum Fairy for Loyce Houlton’s Nutcracker Fantasy , coming to the State Theatre, December 13-23.
Give to the Max Day is just a few days away, and again this year we are taking this opportunity to shine a light on CAN Dance , a vital program of Minnesota Dance Theatre that makes dance experiences available to more children in the Minneapolis area. Our initial goal for the campaign was to raise $2,500 for CAN Dance by Thursday, November 14, which is Give to the Max Day. In addition, Friends of MDT offered a $2,500 challenge grant to match the funds. We’re delighted to share that we’ve just surpassed that goal, and now have a stretch goal to raise an additional $1,000. We’re well on our way to reaching that goal and feeling very grateful to everyone who has given so far. Thank you! Please consider making a gift for CAN Dance and know that your donations of any amount do make a difference. Here's how: CAN Dance was launched in 2015, and since that time has reached thousands of second and third grade children, mostly from Title I schools, offering them a chance to see a matinee showing of Loyce Houlton's Nutcracker Fantasy followed by training opportunities at the MDT school, all free of cost to their families and to their schools.
