Dance Better Now

A technique for better dance movement: what is the Alexander technique?

For the past couple of months I have been seeing an Alexander to help improve my mobility for general benefit and to improve my dance. This post is about the benefits I had on doing this so that you can decide if it is something for you.

The Alexander Technique

The Alexander technique is a system that helps you move more efficiently so that you can perform your tasks (whatever they be) more efficiently. It was developed by Frederick Matthias Alexander who was a stage actor who had troubles keeping his voice throughout a play despite all doctors at the time telling him he was in sound health. After watching himself in the mirror as he practiced acting he noticed oddities in his posture. By focusing on his posture he found his issues was resolved. He later saw others with the same issue and noticed that by focusing upon posture and self awareness that anyone could improve their efficiency and their overall well-being.

He developed a system that could be used by what he called 'teachers' to impart better habits of movement upon his 'students'. I am unsure why he did not call them patients, but it might be because it is about teaching people better habits.

The typical session involves you taking various positions, standing or sitting or laying down, while the teacher will place hands on you to encourage the relaxation of certain muscle groups. They will also ask you to conduct certain movement as they guide your body. There will also be some imaging techniques, which are very familiar to most dancers. Finally, in my case at least, you get some exercises to do at home.

The best thing about the technique for most is that the method is very easy on you. You spend much or your time laying down so you get the benefits with little effort. 

Benefits

As a dancer I like to think I am fairly aware of my body and movement. I have been working on that to improve my dance for some time now. However, I still found more awareness from these sessions. Especially with parts of my body my teachers of the past have mentioned. Especially letting my shoulders drop. Since doing these sessions I have:

• Felt less pain when in general - we all have aches and pains at times
• Been able to adjusts what I do to limit the onset of fatigue and strain - most notably when walking while on holiday in  Tasmania, which is where Frederick Matthias Alexander was born, so that was poetic
• Felt more grounded in my feet - I have some pronation, which now feels reduced
• Felt less aches when dancing
• Felt more control over my posture when dancing

Recommendations

I would recommend this to anyone - it worked for me so it should work for you. Even if you do not get benefit from it, you at least know you have worked out that you're in good shape. However, you will probably have some issues that can be resolved. For dance I would especially recommend it if you have any of the following issues:

• Contracted shoulders
• Hunched posture
• Poor hip movement
• You fall into steps at times
• You ever feel pain from dancing for longer periods
• Stiffness in your back
• Poor head position

Where to find a practitioner

In these days of the internet it is very easy to type Alexander technique and you local area into a search engine and find someone near you. I found one a block away. 

More information

This is a pretty good article on how to be a better dancer from the perspective of an Alexander teacher - The Biggest Mistake Dancers Make. It shows both what Alexander teachers know and gives advice on how to dance better.

Symmetry in the body for better dance

 

Why do we want symmetry?

 Symmetry is naturally pleasing to the eye. We are actually much better at noticing symmetry unconsciously than we realise. Not only in static things, but also when they move. That means we like to look at people who look symmetrical, but we like it even more when they move symmetrically too. So if your body is symmetrical in appearance, then you will look good. However, if your body is symmetrical in the way it moves, then you will look even better when you dance.

 That’s why we want symmetry in the body – it will make us look better (and feel better to our partners) when we dance.

Why are we not symmetrical?

 There are many reasons for not being symmetrical. By understanding the different causes we can think more about the best ways to correct for them.

 No one is really symmetrical in the first place. Most of us are right handed or left handed so that means we have spent year always leading with one side of the body. This side will have a bit more strength and control of movement. Just this alone can cause in imbalance.

 We also have other on symmetries in the body. A common one is the eyes. Most of us have one eye stringer than the other. Do you find that text is harder to read with one eye or the other? When one eye is stringer it can cause your head to turn slightly so that you take more advantage of it. This can put your shoulders out, then your back, and then you whole body is unsymmetrical.

 There are some things that come from habit. Do you lean your arm on the door when driving? Do you always sleep on one side of your body? Are there any unsymmetrical actions you repeat each day on symmetrical positions that you often sit or stand in? There probably are – we all have them in our lives somewhere. Carrying a brief case or bad could be one. It’s only small, but if you do it every day, then the longer you’ve lived the more unsymmetrical it could make you.

 If you can think of something like this in your life, then try doing the opposite. Carry your hand bag in another hand, cross your legs the other way, clap with the other hand rotated forward slightly of the opposite one, lean to the other side when you sit. How different does it feel? The more different it feels, the likely you have become unsymmetrical.

What we can do about symmetry?

 We can’t avoid all of the activities that might cause non-symmetry. Also, we can’t really become ambidextrous. Nevertheless, you might want to see if some of you habits can be reversed for a period. Simply putting the effort in will tell your unconscious mind to focus on symmetry.

 However, what is probably most effective is engaging in some exercises that promote this symmetry.  Here are some suggestions.

Franklin balls – these are balls that you stand on to improve your balance. There is one per foot so each side of the body needs to work.

Exercise – if you’re going to exercise be mindful of choosing exercises that encourage symmetry. For example machine weights will let one side of the body work harder than the other. Consider free weights – one for each hand or leg – if you’re into weights. Lunges are ok too, because you can do one per side, but squats not as much. This doesn’t mean drop an exercise that doesn’t offer complete decoupling between sides, just make sure you have some that do.

Try to be symmetrical – look at yourself in the mirror. Are you straight; is one shoulder high then the other; what about your head’s angle or your hips? Are there items in your environment that might encourage non-symmetry that you can replace?

Get a massage – many will be up for this one. If you have more tension in one side than the other, then get all the tension removed. Then you’ll be more symmetrical.

 Try any of the above and you will get an improvement in your dancing. Not only that, but you will feel better. Not to mention look better too.

Getting a body that moves well when dancing

How to get a good dance body

 It is probably well known to most of us that dancers have excellent bodies. They have balance, poise, they move gracefully, and fluidly, and they are symmetrical. These are all characteristics required to be a good dancer, and they need to be displayed when dancing. Years of training and simply trying to dance with these characteristics will develop them in anyone.  This means that you know you can eventually develop them too.

However, it would be much better if you could fast track your development of your body so that that you can dance well without the years of practice.

It would also be better if you could do this outside of dance class. It is always good to get feedback on how you’re moving when you dance. But really, that can be a waste of time. Dance classes are best spent learning a dance instead of having your teacher make you try to move the right way. In fact, this approach is doomed to fail. You might get it right in one class, but by the time next class comes around you might have lost the movement, and you’re back where you started. Plus you might have a disgruntled teacher.

 

 The ideal solution is having a body that naturally moves in a way that suits your dance.

 

Exercises for a better dance body

 So if you do want to get a good dancer’s body at a faster rate, then you need to engage in dedicated exercises that will really get your body working. The other advantage is that a dancer’s body is usually healthier and more attractive. That means you will feel better and look better when you try some of these exercises. However, I think the best advantage is that by working on this outside of your dance lessons you will have more time to actually learn dance.

 

 Depending upon where you start from it will take longer to see the benefits. However, when I started working on improved movement, I saw results within two weeks (this was based on comments made by others). I also know fellow dance student who got positive comments from her dance teacher within a week.

 

General exercises

 There are a number of other activities that you can try to help develop a body that moves well. Such activities could be: martial arts, Pilates or yoga. The key is that these activities work the whole body. By doing so, they get all the small muscles that provide balance and control working. When these muscles are well exercises and strong, you will have much better movement.

 

 If you’re into weights, then you might want to take a look at kettlebells. Because they do not have a handle that encloses their centre of mas, they require you to provide the stability. This extra effort works those small control muscles mentioned earlier. Also, because they are work one hand per weight, they will develop symmetry, which is essential for a good looking dancer’s body.

 

Hips

 By hips I really mean the whole pelvic area. Doing little more than walking and sitting doesn’t really do much for this part of the body. Many dances (especially the Latin ones) require fluid movement within the hips. This means that for many of us this is a weakness. The best exercises I have found for this part of the body are lunges. However, you can’t just do them forward. You need to do them to the side and with a twist around to the back. This will work those muscles in each of the key directions of movement.

 

Core

 Like the hips, many of us probably do not have a core that works as well as it should. Also, this is probably because of our lifestyle.

The thing that probably enters your mind straight away is sit-ups or crunches. These can do a lot to build strength, but you need more. You actually need your core muscles to activate naturally while you move (including dance).

 

 As a test, try the following:

• Stand up with feet should width apart

• Now lift your hands above your head and interlock them with your arms straight

• Now lean back like you’re trying to reach out the wall behind you

• Note where you feel stress: is it in your stomach, you back or a mix?

 

If it is all in you back, then it means your core is not working well. Try the following:

• Place a chair in front of you

• Place one foot on the chair

• Raise the opposite hand above you head (you might want to have the chair oriented so that your other hand can hold the back for stability)

• Now lean back and note where you feel tension

• Try leaning to the side or twisting to induce a stress in your stomach

• If you still can’t, then try breathing deep into your stomach – this will often cause the tension required, and encourage your stomach to work naturally

 

 It’s good to do the above prior to your crunches or other abdominal workouts so that you do them with an activated core. You will then have a core that can help move your hips and keep them isolated from your top-line (upper body).

 

Upper body

 A strong and fluid upper body is required for good posture and balance while dancing. The most important thing for this is a chest and back that respond naturally while you move, and dance.

 

 To get this movement, swing your arms up above you’re your head or around your body or behind your head. The important thing is this is dynamic and there is a bit of a snap at the end to make the muscles respond. It is this snap at the end that really gets the muscles switched on, and working naturally for better posture and upper body control.

 

Taking it further

 The above should have convinced you that a nice moving body is good for dance and something that you can work on outside of your dance class.

It has also given you some basic ideas on what you can try doing to improve this movement, However, it is just an introduction. There are many programs out there that will help you take this further. Part 1 of Dance Better Now has some suitable exercises, but Part 2 has some really good stuff along with other useful information for dance students looking to improve their learning ability.

 

Other products

 If you’re interested specifically in improving your body though, then take a look at the products below. I have used them and found them to be excellent. For full disclosure, note that I will get a commission if you make a purchase. That should not affect your decision, but I want to be transparent with these things.

 

Code of the Natural (For men)

by Rob Brinded

Rob has put together a really interesting package here. It is a book that explains a system that is designed to free up your body to give more attractive movement (which includes symmetry). The thing is that such movement is ideal for dancing. When I used this system I felt my walk and movement improve after about two weeks. I also got comments on how well my body (especially my hips, which are hard for men) was moving. Even though this is meant for men, women can perform the same exercises. Rob tells me that a womens version will be out soon. Once it is I will have a link to it here.

 

 

 

The Truth About Six Pack Abs

by Mike Geary

A strong core can be key to isolation in dance, and better movement.

This e-book covers the keys to building a strong core, increasing fitness and trimming down to have good looking and athletic body. I have still been able to use the contents of this book to build a stronger core that allowed for much better dance.

Click the abs --------------------->  

 

Walking your way to better dance

A key to better dance is your footwork. It gives you balance, posture, power and rhythm. If your feet don’t have a strong connection to the floor, then no matter what else you do, you will not be as good as you could. If you feel that maybe your foundation in dance is not as strong as it could be, or that you’re just not secure enough, then it’s likely your foot work. Read on and I will give you some pointers to make it better.

For footwork to be better, you need to have a well-developed feeling for your feet and how they move as you dance. One way to develop this feeling is by simply walking – but as you do in dance – slowly and with attention.

First note the different parts of your feet:

• The heel
• The inside
• The outside
• The ball
• The toes

Choose a dance style that you are currently working on. Now think about the basic figure for that dance. Now walk through it thinking about the following:

• Which of the parts of your foot first feels pressure as you move your weight to that foot?
• Where does the pressure travel to after this?
• How does the pressure travel through the foot until the time when you lift your foot from the ground?
• How much pressure is there; is there enough; is there too much?

You should feel that you move onto, through and out of the foot. There is a transition that you should feel. If you think that this is not the case, then it’s possible that you are not walking correctly or not fully aware of the weight distribution on your foot. You should also fee that the amount of pressure gives you security, balance and power by connecting you to the floor.

Go over your walks with your teacher – determine which if you are stepping correctly, then you will know if you need to change your walk or just need to be more aware of your feet.

Now think about the following:

• Do you close your feet (bring the heel and toe together) properly when you should?
• Do you brush your feet properly when you should?
• Do your feet turn the correct way as you step?

You might need to double check with your teacher or perhaps compare yourself with instructional videos in the mirror. With an increased awareness of your feet, you will be able to cross reference how feet look with how the feel. You will then be able to practice your feet work more effectively.

After focusing on how your feet feel and aligning this with how your feet are to move, you will notice quick gains in your connection with the floor and the corresponding improvement in dance that comes from this.

Getting to the bottom of great dancing

Do you know how important strong buttocks are for good dance?

I first want you to try something. Stand up and try to get into the Latin dance position where the pelvis is pulled forward. Now try squeezing your buttocks while you do this.

If you do not do Latin dancing, then just stand normally and squeeze your buttocks.

You should notice how squeezing your buttocks brings the pelvis forward.

This is a simple exercise to show how important your gluteal muscles are to your poster. It is most common in Latin that you need to take a position where your pelvis is tucked and brought forward. However, in all dance it is important that your pelvis is not pulled back too much. This is simply not good dance posture in any style.

If you have well developed gluteal muscles, then you will find it easier to have a better poster naturally.

Safer dancing

However, you will also be less likely to have pain or injuries that could be caused by dance or that will prevent you from dancing.

One of my dancing friends recently sustained an injury that while not major in itself caused his gluteal muscles to weaken for a period. This then put extra strain on his groin, which led to another injury that was much more serious than the original dance.

If you don’t have strong well developed buttocks, then you can injure other parts of your body. And it’s not just your groin.

Do you ever have back pain when dancing or just from standing or walking?

If you do, then next time you are feel back pain, try squeezing your buttocks. You will potentially feel that pain go away and notice that your pelvis comes forward.

With strong buttocks you will be much less likely to be injured or unable to dance due to pain.

But that’s not the only benefit to your dance.

Do you ever have trouble lunging?

If you do not have strong buttock, then you will like find lunging puts a large strain on your thigh muscles (often close to the knee) and you might have troubles maintaining good posture in the upper body as you do.

If you find that lunging does prove a challenge, then next time try to focus on using the gluteal muscles on the side you are lunging too. You should find that it is easier and that you have better posture.

I know how much strong buttocks can improve dance, but how do you make them stronger?

How to quickly increase your buttock strength

If you now think you need to work on this, then here’s the easiest way:

When walking focus on flexing your gluteal muscles to help you walk. One your left foot touches the ground, flex the left gluteal muscles. Then the right and so on. You will notice two things:

1. Your gluteal muscles can work more than they do when walking
2. You will be walking faster with little more effort.

If you want to extend this further, then focus on doing the same thing as you walk up stairs. You will feel the same thing as when you walk, but it will be much more intense.

This is a good start, but you can go further with dedicated exercises. I was recommended this one by the friend I mentioned earlier.

1. Buy a Thera band (if you do not have one)
2. Stand near a chair or table for support
3. Wrap the band around your ankles
4. Push you pelvis forward
5. Stand upright
6. With a straight knee take one of your feet back
7. Take your foot back as far as you can while keeping the knee (on the same side) straight and your pelvis forward
8. You will really feel it in your buttock if you’re doing it right

 

 

Do this 10-20 times each side depending upon how hard it is – this will depend upon your fitness and the stiffness of the band.

If you would like to take this even further then Conditioning for Dance by Eric Franklin is an excellent book. It has a lot on the buttocks and just a lot on dance in general. I use it a lot when I feel a part of my body is not really working quite as well as it could be or needs to be for better dance.

 

How can surfing make you a better dancer?

Just before writing this post I was at a conference on engineering education at the Gold Coast in Australia. Before the actual conference started in earnest, I went for a surfing lesson. It had been a while since I had last been surfing so I thought it would be good to start with a lesson.

While I was surfing I was struck by the similarities between dance and surfing.

It also occurred to me that surfing could be a good hobby for developing attributes that would make you a good dancer. In this post I will explain why I think this and how you could use surfing to improve your dance.

There are obviously differences between dance and surfing, but there were two major similarities that I noticed:

• The use of small balancing muscles
• Extended awareness beyond my body

Balancing muscles

As time progressed while surfing, I noticed that my balance was starting to drop off along with my ability to move smoothly from one position to another. I looked like I was tired, but I felt fine. The reason for this was that my large muscles were fine, but the smaller muscles that were now being worked harder had fatigued. Because they were small, they did not make me feel tired. Even though I didn’t feel I needed it, a short rest before paddling out to try catching another wave helped a lot. I stood with better posture, I was better balanced and I was able to move more smoothly from laying on the board to standing on it.

The first lesson here is that when practicing dance it might be worth taking a break even if you do not feel tired. This need not be a break where you do nothing. You could try another dance or even just another figure so that different muscles are used. Then when you go back to the first dance or figure, you will be physically recovered. This will then help you put appropriate effort into working on mastering whatever you are working on – you will not be held back by fatigued muscles.

The second lesson for me was that there is another activity that can help develop good dance attributes. I frequently talk about how important it is to develop attributes for dance by engaging in other activities. I have spoken about yoga, martial arts and aerobics, but until now I had never thought of surfing. If you want to improve the strength in your feet and ankles so that you have better balance, then I can easily recommend surfing.

Awareness

When you’re surfing, you need to feel the wave through the board. By feeling the wave through the board, you are able to determine how hard you need to paddle, when you can stop paddling, when you can lift yourself up and when you’re ready to stand. This kind of awareness is much like following a lead or feeling a follow respond to a lead.

However, it is a little different and this is where the benefit comes from.

If you have trouble extending you awareness to your partner’s body, then you might find that surfing shows how you to do this. The reason is that while not feeling your partner really is of little practical consequence, it’s just not great dancing. Surfing is very different. When you can’t feel the wave, you fall and often find yourself underwater. This is good motivation to start paying attention to the kinaesthetic signals as opposed to visual or auditory signals – motivation you will not have when dancing.

However, the signals form a wave are also more significant and there is no doubt in your mind what it is (you do not ever try to guess what the wave is thinking). This can make it easier to simply focus on the signals, and increase your ability to extend your awareness. Once you know what it’s like to feel these kinds of signals, you will be better able to feel them when dancing. This will make you a better lead and a better follow.

What to do now

If you don’t surf and thought about it, then you now have another reason to give it a go. If you are ever on holiday by the beach and there are surf lessons, then take one. Notice what it’s like to feel the wave so that you can expand you awareness. Notice also how you feel extra muscles working around your ankles and feet. Noticing these two things will help you identify the muscles that you need to work on for better balanced dancing and what it is like to be fully aware of something (or someone) that you’re physically connected to.

Getting stronger abbs for better dance - a Review

Review – The Truth About Six Pack Abbs by Mike Geary 

One of the most important attributes of a good dance is a strong and capable core. If it is well developed, then you are better able to maintain good posture and top-line. If your core is capable, then you’re better able to isolate the top from the bottom and you can achieve much better hip movement.

In this blog post, I am going to review an e-book dedicated to helping people improve their stomach – The Truth About Six Pack Abbs by Mike Geary.

What’s the intention of the book? 

Mike Geary’s target market is actually people wanting to trim down to have a good looking stomach. The book is written for someone who is essentially vain and wants to become more attractive. Despite this starting point – it then takes the reader through the basics of exercise and the need to work the whole body as opposed to just one part of the body. Next it argues very convincingly that if one really wants that kind of a good looking body, then it’s time to watch what you eat and trim down. Nevertheless, it does cover a very comprehensive collection of exercises that are focused on the core, but still works the whole body. These exercises will definitely give you a good set of abbs, but the might not be visible. Finally, it covers things you can do to raise your metabolic rate to get weight down if you still need or want to. At the end of this e-book (close to 150 pages) there will be very few mysteries of weight control, diet and exercise for a fit and capable body that remain for you.

It’s basically written for someone who is vain and just wants good looking abbs, but then digs very deep and provides a comprehensive coverage of the needed information for a good looking and capable body.

What does it has to offer a dancer?

Certainly there is nothing wrong with losing weight if you want to be a better dancer. If you’re a little lighter, then you can move a little faster. Also, if you’re thinner, then you probably will feel better, and dance more confidently.

However, it really is the strong core that is what’s needed for good dance. The kind of core that switches on when you need it and is strong enough to move as you want for as long as you want. This is where the book really excels for the dancer. If you put the effort into following the exercise routine in the book, then (regardless of how much you each and whether you can see your abbs or not) you will definitely find that you can use your core for much better dancing.

Is it easy to use?

There is quite a lot of reading in the book if you want to take it all in. However, you always simply go straight to the exercise routines that are there. They range from the introductory to the advanced. It is obviously hard to exercise if that’s not your thing – there is no real easy way to get fit – but it can be hard to keep track of each exercise. You might need to keep going back to the e-book to look up the next exercise. But once you are familiar with the exercises it’s just a question of the effort you put in to the workout.

Would I recommend it?

When you by The Truth About Six Pack Abbs by Mike Geary, you also get another 6 related e-books on topics ranging from flexibility to balance to general fitness. The value for money is great. I have used the abb exercises and some of the other books. However, if you’re hoping to find an easy way to get a string core and hoping you can read until you have a strong core, then it’s not for you. Nevertheless, if you want to work out to strengthen your core, but just need to know the right exercises, then this is a perfect e-book to buy.

Where to buy

If you want to get better abbs for better dance and too look better, then you can buy the e-book here. For disclosure, if you do buy this e-book, then I will likely be financially rewarded by Mike in soem way.

Better dance through better breathing

As you will recall from my e-book, knowing how to breathe is essential for good posture, relaxation and health. It seems odd, but many of us do not breathe well. When we do breathe well, we will dance much better.

After reading the method that I covered, a subscriber, Melissa, sent me an email. In it she detailed a method to improve breathing that she uses. I have tried it and found that it was a good method to help with the dances that require a really strong posture (waltz and such).  I would do it a few times before actually dancing and noticed that I felt a bit stronger in my posture. Give a try yourself to see if it helps.

1.    Put your hands on your ribs. Elbows are out to the side. If you put your hands on your hips and then slide your hands up to your rib cage, this can help you find the right placement.

2.    Think about expanding your 'back' NOT the chest but your back area. Feel your back and sides moving in and out...you should feel a deeper breath develop. REMEMBER your chest is not rising up and down.

3.    The lower parts of your lungs are expanding out and in, and your core is pulled in.

4.    You can do this standing, sitting or lying on the floor. I found standing best.

Because Melissa took the time to share this with me, and you, I figure I should give her a shout out. If you have young children who might benefit from gymnastics and live around Raleigh, NC, then take a look at Excel to Elite.