From Ballet Barres to Barbells: Strength Training for Dancers

For years, strength training has been proven to improve the overall performance of an individual. The idea of implementing such training into a dancer's pedagogy is one that hasn't been investigated as deeply due to the ongoing fear within the dance world of being 'bulky' and body dysmorphia. This fear is centralized around the idea that strength training elicits bodily changes where muscle is gained and one's appearance is categorized as bulky or overweight. A dancer's fear of looking too bulky stems from the idealizing image of a dancer being petite. Through my exploration of the biomechanics of a dancer, in connection with strength training, I was able to determine how beneficial it is for dancers to include this type of discipline into their practices. With my findings, I implemented a 14-week strength training program into my own studies as a dancer, tracking my progress overtime. The idea of being too bulky, was proven to be inaccurate and my overall performance as a dancer had improved substantially.