Dance body workout

“I love my life but, as any working mother knows, it’s not always easy to be a mother and manage a career. I’ve now been dancing professionally for nearly 20 years and have danced for some of the most exciting companies in the world, such as the Royal Ballet, the New York City Ballet and the Kirov Ballet of St Petersburg, but I also have two daughters, and this means I am constantly juggling.
Like anyone who does the same, I’ve learnt that the only way to stay sane and make it all work is to be prepared in every aspect of my daily life, whether this is memorising my performance timetable, working out what is and isn’t in the fridge or delegating who’s picking up the girls from school every day. Being organised like this sounds fanatical, but it works for me. The upside is that I am calm at work and at home and that, in turn helps keep my girls calm and happy...
Ballet exercises, contrary to popular opinion, are not just for ballet dancers. They are a method for anybody to strengthen and lengthen their body. An essential component of any workout, from football to ice skating, should contain stretch exercises...
Staying flexible can also help you improve and maintain your balance, boost your overall energy and improve your posture. These are just some of the reasons why ballet workouts, Pilates and Yoga have become so popular of late. Stretching your muscles also enables you to extend your body to its fullest range of movement which then helps you to look taller and appear instantly leaner. Plus, it releases stress and tension in the body which cause not only aches and pains but also fatigue.”

The article, which continues to give several stretching exercises, is reproduced courtesy of the book DARCEY BUSSELL’S DANCE BODY WORKOUT, published by Michael Joseph and available on SPECIAL OFFER to Yoga & Health magazine readers. Please see page 4 of the April 2007 issue for details.