I Resolve To…

December 31, 2014

Experts weigh in on your 2015 goals.

It’s in a dancer’s nature to constantly strive to be better, to grow stronger, to get healthier. So choosing a New Year’s resolution is usually the easy part; harder is putting it into action—and staying consistent about it. The surest road to success is to have more than one strategy. We asked a variety of experts for their advice, because there’s no one right way to make your resolution a reality.

 

Alison Deleget
, MS, ATC, clinical specialist at the Harkness Center for Dance Injuries in New York City

 

 

 

Nadine Kaslow
, PhD, past president of the American Psychological Association, psychologist for Atlanta Ballet

 

 

 

Randy Skinner
, Broadway director, choreographer and master teacher

 

 

Heidi Skolnik
, MS, CDN, FACSM, sports nutrition consultant for the School of American Ballet

 

 

 

Katie Lemmon
, certified athletic trainer at Athletico Physical Therapy in Chicago

 

 

Get More “Toned”

Lemmon: “Try varying the amount, intensity or weight of strength-training exercises so the body is always challenged. One exercise I like for dancers is the airplane, which works the glutes and legs: Start in a parallel passé, bend the standing leg and extend the working leg into an arabesque, then return to passé. You can also extend the arms out to the sides for some shoulder stability and arm work.”

 

Deleget:
“To look toned without bulking up, strength-train with more repetitions but fewer sets. For example, a weight lifter might do seven sets of four reps using a heavy weight, but dancers should do two to three sets of 15 reps with a lighter weight.”

 

 

Photo by Nathan Sayers

Tackle My Audition Anxiety

Kaslow: “The best way to master something you’re afraid of is to do it—not to avoid it. Do practice auditions with your teachers. Have other dancers watch and critique you. The more audition-like experiences you have, the easier they’ll get.”

 

Skinner:
“Wake up early enough to do a really good warm-up: If you avoid rushing, you won’t feel discombobulated.”

 

Deleget:
“To calm the anxiety buzz, close your eyes and take 5- to 10-second breaths in through the nose and out through the mouth for two to three minutes. Repeat a positive mantra to yourself, such as, ‘I will be the best I can be and let myself shine.’ ”

 

Skolnik:
“If you’re hungry, you’re going to feel more anxious. But you don’t want to feel weighed down or bloated, either. Pack small, easy to digest snacks like apple sauce, a banana, trail mix or Cheerios. Another great option is a peanut butter and jelly sandwich cut in quarters so that you can eat one quarter at a time throughout a long audition day, which will give you stable energy.”

 

 

Photo by Nathan Sayers

Get Higher Jumps

Lemmon: “Studies have shown that dynamic, moving warm-ups instead of static stretches before a performance will improve jump height. I’d recommend a walking lunge in various directions—side to side and back to front—for the length of the studio. Another easy one is standing leg swings, so you’re working through a range of motion at the same time. An entire dynamic warm-up should last between 5 and 10 minutes, doing each exercise for roughly 30 seconds.”

 

Deleget:
“Try a plyometric training program. Harkness offers a progressive six-week program that takes dancers through basic jump training, moving from pedestrian, stable jumps to dance-specific exercises designed to strengthen leg muscles, and improve stamina and explosiveness. For example, they start with two-leg, parallel tuck jumps, then progress to parallel pas de chats, then to turned-out pas de chats. Each exercise is done for 30 seconds, three times per week for two weeks, before progressing to the next version. Dancers have to be strong to undertake this training; it’s important they do it with an athletic trainer.”

 

 

Improve My Stamina

Lemmon:
“Add cardiovascular exercise, like swimming or the elliptical trainer, for 20 to 40 minutes, three days per week. And although it’s hard to get cardiovascular training during most dance classes, it could help to repeat a few jumping combinations after class. Generally, it takes six to eight weeks to notice results.”

 

Deleget:
“Try interval training, which improves your aerobic and anaerobic capacity at the same time. You’ll want a one-to-one ratio of high-intensity and low-intensity activities—two minutes on the elliptical followed by two minutes of Pilates exercises, for example, for 15 to 20 minutes, three to four times per week. Add this in when you’re in a cross-training time of the year—not during performance season.”

 

Skolnik
: “Carbohydrates are an especially good power source, since muscles use them for energy. That doesn’t necessarily mean loading up on pasta and bread. Go for fruits, vegetables, beans, sweet potatoes, yogurt and milk, which all have carbohydrates.”

 

 

Become More Fearless Onstage

Skinner:
“Take a moment in each class to do something a little bigger than you normally would. Take up more space or take an extra risk. Kick yourself into performance mode. Imagine you’re in front of an audience, and you’ll be better prepared when you actually are.”

 

Deleget:
“Before curtain, visualize yourself completing the show successfully.”

 

Kaslow:
“The more you can be yourself, the more fearless you can be. You’re not going to be perfect—nobody ever is. Strive to be excellent.”

 

 

Ask for the Roles I Want

Kaslow: “Don’t catch your director off guard. Schedule a specific time to talk. During your conversation, make just a couple points about your strengths as a dancer and your commitment to working hard, and never put anybody else down. Also, make it clear that you understand that they’ll make the choice they think is best for the company. And be sure to handle it maturely if you don’t get the part. If not, you’ll be less likely to get roles in the future.”

 

Skinner:
“If you don’t ask, you run the risk that people won’t know what you’re thinking. The same thing is true if you’re interested in being a dance captain or assistant. It never hurts to write a nice note to express your interest in a way that’s not pushy or aggressive. The written word will feel less confrontational.”

 

 

Have More Energy

Skolnik: “If you feel chronically lackluster, see a doctor to check whether you have an iron deficiency or anemia. You may also be under- or overeating, which a nutritionist can help with. Be careful of drinking caffeine in the afternoon, since it can interfere with sleep. And avoid energy drinks—the mixed stimulants can affect your nerves, blood pressure and heart rate. When you have a coffee, you tend to sip it over time, but with energy drinks you tend to gulp quickly, so it’s a big shock to your system.”

 

Skinner:
“Think about how you’re managing stress. People often think that being busy keeps your energy up, but pacing yourself carefully and having moments of calm are how you truly reenergize.”

 

Lemmon:
“Give yourself a full day off during long rehearsal weeks. If you have proper recovery, your muscles can regenerate.”

 

Deleget:
“Sleep more, eat more and eat better. Sleep is essential for recovery from activity—9 to 10 hours per night is optimal for athletes. And remember that when you’re in a calorie deficit, you’re in an energy deficit, but quality needs to be there, as well: Twinkies aren’t necessarily going to bring your energy level up.”

 

Rachel Zar is a freelance writer in Chicago.

 

 

Make It Stick

According to a study by University of Scranton, only 8 percent of people who make resolutions actually achieve them. How can you keep your New Year’s goals going strong all year long?


Take it one resolution at a time. Dancers are often overachievers, so it’s easy to decide to accomplish 10 goals at once. But according to a study at Stanford University, choosing only one will increase your chances of succeeding.

 

Concentrate on the process, not the end result.
“I like to think of New Year’s goals, instead of resolutions,” says psychologist Nadine Kaslow. “It’s too easy to fail at a ‘resolution,’ but a ‘goal’ is something you can make progress and work toward.”

 

Write it down.
You’ll be more likely to remember to complete your plyometrics routine if it’s written on a to-do list. And studies have shown that the act of writing your resolution out increases your odds of following through.

 

Make it a habit.
If you pack that healthy snack as part of your routine for a few weeks, it will start to feel more natural.

 

Team up.
Adding an extra workout will feel easier with a fellow dancer on the elliptical next to you.

 

Give yourself a break.
A dancer’s schedule isn’t the same every week of the year, so acknowledge that there might be times in the season when you have to let your resolution slide.

 

Reward yourself.
Did you successfully make it through an audition stress-free? Allow yourself a treat, such as frozen yogurt or a massage, and you’ll be more likely to do it again. —RZ