Is strength training good for dancers?

Dancers need to be light on their feet to move swiftly. Gaining a few healthy pounds due to muscle growth doesn’t seem like a good idea at first. However, strength training or weight training can actually make a dancer feel stronger and leaner.

Mark Hochberg, NYU Tisch Department of Dance student, incorporates weight training in his daily dance practice. It’s important to note that having stronger muscles allows a dancer to jump higher, move faster, and dance with more power. While many believe that strength training will make one’s body bulky, it’s not exactly the case. A few days of strength training a week will not be enough to bulk up a dancer’s body, only tone it.

Strength training encourages a dancer to be more in tune with their body. Flexibility is a critical element of dancing. Contrary to popular belief, lifting weights won’t make a dancer’s body stiff. In fact, weight training improves flexibility and prevents injuries caused by a muscle strain. Additionally, resistance training enhances the range of motion. Keeping joints neutral ensures they work properly for a long time. Weight training introduces dancers to stability, not just flexibility. Being able to hold a pose longer than usual is one of the results of strength training.

Mark Hochberg, NYU student, says that weight training improves a dancer’s strength and endurance. Muscles have to be worked differently to avoid fatigue. Imbalances in the body are common for dancers. Weight training works all the muscles needed for dancing and prevents imbalance.