Revive your exercise routine with some fancy footwork in one of these three styles
Ballet
Good For: Improving posture and alignment. “Ballet is done symmetrically on both legs,” says Elie Lazar, artistic director of Lazar Ballet NYC (www.lazarballetnyc.com). “You’re constantly repeating the exercise on the right foot and on the left.” This repetition, he says, improves body alignment, as does the attention to muscles often ignored in other workouts, such as those in the feet, toes, calves, hips, rib cage, shoulders, and, most important, neck. “People forget about the muscles in their necks and how they are carrying their heads on top of their shoulders,” Lazar says. Ballet helps correct that and gives dancers increased physical awareness.
Bad For: People who want a cardio workout. “When you’re learning ballet, it’s not like running a marathon,” says Lazar, explaining that in the early stages, students are mostly concentrating on technique and body placement as opposed to pulse-raising leaps, turns, and fast movement. “When you start jumping, it becomes aerobic. But it’s not going to be in the beginning."
How to Get Started/What to Look For: Lazar suggests prospective dancers observe a few classes before signing up anywhere. What you see there will be an indication of quality. “If everybody is hunched forward and has no clue and is going in every direction, it means that the instructing is not very efficient,” he says. He also recommends speaking to both the teacher and the students to get a sense of whether you’d fit in, what the teaching style is, and how long people have been studying with that instructor (some adults are content to remain in a beginner’s class for several years because they click with the teacher). In major cities, resident ballet companies may offer courses to the public; in other areas of the country, Lazar recommends simply trying a Google search to see what’s available. In all cases, he points out that the studio you choose should have a wooden floor. “Concrete is just not healthy for the joints,” he says. And don’t try to learn ballet at home with a book or a DVD. Having a supervisor correct your movements is key. “We’re not always aware of our behavior, and we need to be told by somebody else,” Lazar says. “It’s even more extreme in dance, because it’s not about what feels natural to you, and it’s not what feels comfortable — it’s about what is right.”
