You may have spotted our previous blog on hip and back strengthening exercises for arabesque. Perhaps you wondered why we would leave out flexibility when discussing a position that clearly needs both the hips and the back to be flexible? Don’t worry - we’ve got you covered! Here is a set of exercises to help you improve your flexibility for ...
Easy Exercises for Strong Dancers 4.0 – Arabesque
The arabesque is a fundamental part of ballet training and technique. It is seen in nearly every ballet class, and every classical ballet performance. The foundations for the position are laid as early as in Primary ballet, and are built upon throughout the grades and vocational levels, until advanced dancers are performing penchées and arabesque turns. Placement in arabesque is ...
Getting through the lockdown together!
Lockdown blues getting you down? Fear not - we have you covered! With the recent extension of the lockdown, many of us are facing challenges that we never knew existed. Keeping ourselves safe, healthy, and positive while being stuck at home can be quite a task! Here are a few tips to keep you physically and mentally active while we ...
Alumni Speak : Giorgia Valenti
In conversation with our empowering alumni, Giorgia Valenti - 1. Where are you from? I was born in Trento, Italy. I moved to Treviso when I was one year old and moved to India when I was ten. My mom’s family is from Milan. It is honestly really hard to pin-point exactly where I am from; but in short I ...
Lillian Chong’s journey with us as an Intern
Above picture (Left to Right) - Elina Wisung, Lillian Chong, Yana Lewis, Sushmitha Margad In conversation with Lillian Chong - Where are you from? I was born in Michigan, USA (Northern USA, the state looks like a mitten). My mom, dad, and I moved to northern Virginia (on the east coast, approximately 20-30 minutes from Washington, D.C.) when I was ...
Meet our National Youth Ballet Stars
National Youth Ballet (NYB) is a company of young, talented, and passionate performers from The Lewis Foundation of Classical Ballet. The company performs at events around the nation, including our own shows and arts festivals. They rehearse as a company weekly, in addition to their regular ballet classes. The company’s repertoire includes original works from renown classical ballets, choreographies by ...
Should Dancers Swim? Should Swimmers Dance?
“Dancers shouldn’t cross-train.” “To get better at dancing, you should only train by dancing.” “Swimming is useless for dancers.” “Dance and swimming have nothing in common. What’s the point?” These are just some of the misconceptions many people have about dancers participating in other sports, and vice versa. Cross-training is the action of performing or participating in multiple forms of ...
What To Do With Old Costumes
When the curtains have closed and the audience have gone home, and the makeup, accessories and props have been packed, what can you do with your dance costume once the show is over? Sometimes it’s more than one costume that we have to worry about as well! Maybe you’ve had several costumes for a show, or maybe you’ve done multiple ...
What to eat on show day?
Some of the biggest questions about performance day are “What foods should I pack for my dancer?” and “How can I keep them energised and full?” Proper nutrition is one of the most important factors that influence dancers’ health and success; unfortunately, it is also one of the most overlooked and ignored. This blog will summarise some key foods to ...
A Dancer’s Diet & Misconceptions
A lot of misconceptions about a dancer’s diet come from the light figure that many have. When people see a lean, muscular figure, they might assume that it comes from dieting and numerous dietary restrictions. In actuality, a dancer’s diet involves more food than you might think! It’s easy to forget that a large part of a professional dancer’s skills ...