When we think of Dancers having large amounts of mobility at the ankle, our attention is often drawn the the extreme ranges of plantar-flexion (pointing) of the ankle and foot. And... although this is a key component and desirable aesthetic for Dance in general, there are some fundamental movements of the ankle that also have to be mastered in order for performance to be maintained and injury risk lowered. With ankle impingements and chronic usage injuries being frequently re

Well apart from the copious amounts of Nutcracker performances, Roast Dinners and Pointe shoe sewing for the New Year, its important that you keep yourself ticking over with the odd Dance Class. Although... your time could be put to better use whilst taking a small break from Classes and Rehearsals every day. Whilst utilising your time over the Holiday to rest, there is also a number of things that could help you kick start the New Year of Dance. So I have some recommendation

Before you whack on the pointe shoes... slip some trainers onto the Christmas List. The bottom line... Strength Training will not present you with unwanted aesthetics for Dancing... provided they are performed correctly and prescribed within the correct boundaries. Traditionally, in S&C for Sport, gaining strength has included performing sets and reps of certain exercises in order induce a change in the cross-sectional area of muscle and thus the size of the muscle. In the si