Woman in exercise gear standing in a row holding dumbbells during an exercise class at the gym.Fitness training with kettlebell in sport gym.

7 Reasons Why Kettlebells Rock for Dancers’ Fitness—and How to Use Them

Dancers know that choosing the right cross-training methods can improve their performance and increase the longevity of their careers. But as sports training has evolved, there are more options than ever. So what’s your best bet? If you’re looking to improve your level of fitness and want to see that carry over into your dancing, […]

Build a Better At-Home Set-Up: Top Training Essentials & Recovery Tools

For Strengthening Sure, exercises on the OPTP BOSU Elite make for impressive Instagram content. But more importantly, they help with everything from strengthening your ankles and core to improving your overall balance and stability. $199.95, optp.com To make the most of your stretching, FLX Flexistretcher’s adjustable (and compact) resistance straps can be used to work […]

8 Ways to Make Your Cross-Training More Efficient

Between social media posts of ballerinas balancing on BOSUs and fitness influencers doing push-up challenges, dancers are inundated with new cross-training regimens on a daily basis. There’s an endless amount of exercises that could be valuable, but do we need to do them all? How do we create a cross-training budget that leaves us with […]

3 Exercises to Maximize Your Turnout Potential

Let’s be real: Dancers (particularly ballet dancers) have a lot of feelings about turnout. As a foundational element of ballet technique, it presents high-achieving artists with a theoretical ideal, the fabled 180 degrees, while simultaneously requiring them to work within the practicality of their own anatomy. Much of accessing your turnout comes through technique, strategy […]

5 Ways to Boost Your Stamina for Better Endurance

Sometimes you’re thrown a big opportunity mid-season—but aren’t always given all the rehearsal you need to fully prep for it. At Houston Ballet, for instance, there are often 12 casts of Sugar Plum, according to ballet master Amy Fote. That means some dancers might only get one full run before performing the role. But not […]

Working Out Outside? Here's How to Plan a Safe Sweat Session

As shelter-in-place regulations start to loosen and temps rise, many dancers are itching to take their cross-training outdoors. What types of exercise are particularly suited to dancers, and what can you do to stay safe outside? We spoke with Carina Nasrallah, Houston Methodist athletic trainer for Houston Ballet, for pointers on crafting the best outside […]