Shabnam's Serpentina Dancer Ria
A lack of flexibility can make things very difficult for dancers who are otherwise very talented. The good news is if you implement the correct stretching routine and follow it every day, you can improve your flexibility. Stretch progress may not be quick, and it will not be easy, but if you are serious about improving your dancing, then it will be worth it.
It is standard in most elite and competitive dance forms to require flexibility. From salsa, latin dance, ballroom, ballet, jazz and bellydance. With exception of my company members, bellydancers are not required to hit a center or front split in their dancing. But for those interested in mastering floorwork, or gaining a larger range of motion in torso, hip undulations or more fluidity for slow dancing, flexibility is necessary.
I added a Flexibility Training class about a year ago because I figured it was one of the things many of my dancers were lacking and felt that it would benefit their training. Within a year many of my dedicated students have shown great progress which include clean leg extension, splits and standing backbends. Some of these dancers came to me with serious hip and leg injuries and the wonderful side effect of the continuous training was the reduction or eradication of scar tissue. I am immensely grateful for their dedication and happy to witness their progress. It’s truly amazing what the body can do with consistent training. Dancers of all ages, sizes and levels are welcomed in these classes with open and (flexible) arms!
Below are some pictures of my students and their progress. All of the dancers pictured have had no training in the flexibility arts prior to class. Flexibility Training class focuses on acrobatic and dance style stretching focusing on front and center splits, leg extension, foot form and opening up the hips. Introduction to Contortion focuses on backward bending, standing backbends and tricks for advanced students.
Flexibility Training Class:
Introduction to Contortion Class:
heaven backbend
