Why you need a solid foundation to support "inorganic" movement in your dancing...

I had an interesting conversation with a client before Christmas that really illustrated why it’s so important to have a solid foundation of strength in our bodies in order to dance safely and injury-free.

She was working on belly rolls and commenting on how challenging it is to separate the different sections of the rectus abdominis (abs!) to get that juicy roll, whilst at the same time keeping the pelvis still. 

This is one of those movements that I like to think of as “inorganic.”

Whilst our spine naturally moves in an up-to-down undulation as we walk in our everyday lives, when you take out the spinal movement, this becomes something new for the body and brain to learn. And the down-to-up undulation is far less common in our daily activities, hence being even more challenging for people to pick up.

Whilst focussed technique practice is important to become the best dancer you can be, it’s essential that you are also developing the strength underneath these weird and awesome movements to support the body in movements it’s not accustomed to. And if the body feels safe and strong - it will allow you to make these movements bigger and stronger! It’s a win-win for your dancing!

I also highly recommend adding some kind of core strength / activation at the end of your dance practice - to help the body re-integrate itself after executing lots of repetitive and sometimes unbalanced movements. It might seem counter-intuitive, as we are so used to cooling-down and stretching at the end of a session, however I’ve learned from experience that if I don’t give my body this “reset” before I cool down, my body may produce pain.

Would you like to join me in building your solid foundation for dance in 2022?

On 10th January (next Monday!) I’m launching the Happy Hips Toolbox - 7 days of focussed practice to help you liberate your hips whilst building a solid foundation for your hipwork and shimmies in dance. 

At the end of the week you are going to come away feeling more open, relaxed, connected and stronger in the hips and pelvis along with the momentum to continue your personal practice for 2022 and beyond!

It’s going to be totally free to join and there will be the opportunity to win some fantastic prizes!

There’s going to be no Facebook group to join (who needs another FB group?!) - you’ll have access to me and the rest of the group via the special app I give my clients, which will keep you on track and motivated throughout the 7 days.

I’ll also be doing live zoom sessions throughout the week where you can ask as many questions as you want - these will be available to watch after in case you can’t make the live time.

Isn’t that an inspiring way to start the year? Click the link in the banner above to apply!