Build strength, control and mobility to support your dancing
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Reformer Pilates is a particularly useful form of conditioning for dancers. The resistance of the springs allows you to strengthen muscles while working through controlled, precise movements, with the equipment also providing support when needed.
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My reformer Pilates sessions are designed with dancers in mind, combining Pilates principles with an understanding of ballet technique, functional anatomy and the demands placed on a dancing body.
The aim is not to make you better at Pilates for its own sake. It is to develop physical qualities that can support your dancing.
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Email me to BOOK A SESSION or if you would like to discuss working together.
reformer pilates for dancers: strength & mobility
Why Pilates for dancers?
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Ballet requires a combination of strength, mobility, balance, coordination and control. Pilates can complement your ballet training by giving you time to work on these qualities in a different way.
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Reformer Pilates can help you work on:
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Core and pelvic stability
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Hip strength and mobility
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Leg and foot strength
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Balance and coordination
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Active flexibility
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Postural and movement control
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Body awareness
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Because the resistance can be adjusted through the springs, exercises can be adapted to your individual strength and experience.
reformer pilates: core strength
Strength without bulk
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For dancers, the aim is usually not to increase muscle size, but to develop strength and definition while maintaining freedom of movement.
The reformer allows you to work against resistance through controlled, often lengthened movements. This can help develop the strong, defined and lengthened quality of musculature that is often associated with dancers and Pilates.
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Reformer Pilates and ballet
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Pilates does not replace ballet training. The two practices complement each other.
Ballet asks you to apply strength, mobility and coordination within highly specific movements and positions. Reformer Pilates gives you an opportunity to work on some of the physical foundations behind those movements without having to think about choreography, musicality or performance.
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For example, we might work on:
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Hip stability and turnout
Turnout is more than the position of the feet. Strength and control around the hips are important for using your available turnout efficiently.
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Core and pelvic control
A stable centre provides a foundation for movement of the arms and legs.
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Feet and ankles
The reformer can provide useful resistance for developing foot and ankle strength and articulation, complementing your ballet and pointe work.
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Active flexibility
Being able to move into a position is different from being able to control it. Pilates combines strengthening with mobility, helping you develop flexibility that you can actively use.
reformer pilates: mobility
Reformer Pilates to be:
Strong enough to support the movement | Mobile enough to allow it | Controlled enough to use it
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Email me to BOOK A SESSION or if you would like to discuss working together.
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Cost for a 60-minute session: £110.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Is reformer Pilates good for ballet dancers?
Yes. It can complement ballet training by developing strength, stability, mobility, coordination and body awareness.
Do I need Pilates experience?
No. Reformer Pilates can be adapted for complete beginners as well as dancers who already have Pilates experience.
Can Pilates improve my ballet technique?
Pilates does not teach ballet technique directly. However, developing physical qualities such as strength, control, mobility and body awareness can support your ballet training.
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Is reformer Pilates suitable for adult dancers?
Yes. The exercises can be adapted to different levels and to the needs of an adult dancing body.
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Is reformer Pilates better than mat Pilates for dancers?
They offer different benefits. The reformer provides adjustable spring resistance and support, giving you additional ways to challenge or assist a movement. Both can be useful forms of conditioning for dancers.
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Email me to BOOK A SESSION or if you would like to discuss working together.