Dance is one of the most ancestral performing arts, it is the way to express emotions through movement, to tell stories. All civilizations have their dances, and there are a thousand ways of expressing feelings through body movements to the rhythm of music.
It is true that when we talk about dance and specifically ballet, most of you will think of Billy Elliot, and the image of a pointe dancer.
Today I come to talk about the new trend in the world of wellness and is to include movements, steps, and bar exercises of classical ballet in group classes as well as the growing trend of ballet for adults.
If Yoga is really established among us, soon there will be more of us practicing dance and ballet classes as a complementary or unique activity, and the benefits of its practice are without a doubt endless.
It is never too late to take the first step, and of course to initiate yourself in dance and discover in body and mind how much ballet can enrich you.
More and more models and actresses, such as Doutzen Kroes or Giselle Bündchen, include ballet movements and bar exercises in their fitness routines. The big sports brands are also betting on it.

What are the benefits of dance and ballet in particular?
Dancing, whatever type of dance you choose, is an excellent cardiovascular activity in which coordination, a sense of musicality and elasticity are developed.
Dancing is an excellent way to release endorphins and work the body as a whole.
Classical ballet, without a doubt the fundamental basis of current dance styles, provides a correct postural alignment as well as the development of a healthy and strong core, which is called a good abdominal girdle (stabilizing muscles of the spine, rectus abdominis, transverse abdomen, buttocks and pelvis).
These are important aspects for the development of any other type of activity and with transference to our daily life.
In addition, ballet exercises improve muscle tone, flexibility and plasticity of the musculature and have an improvement in joint mobility. In other words, it helps us to be more agile, move easily and gain amplitude of our movements.
Learning the exercises, favors the development of memory as well as coordination.
In a dance class the caloric expenditure rises up to almost 800 kcal. per hour (it varies depending on the type of dance and intensity), so it is a very advisable activity for those people who want to lose weight, because it is a more fun way than working in the cardio machine of the gym.
The work done in the adult ballet classes, which are adapted to all levels, allows the muscles to lengthen, thus achieving a more stylized figure.
I’m a runner, can I do it?
As a runner and ex-ballet dancer, I do a lot of bar and floor exercises to work on the stabilizing muscles of the spine, which is fundamental for an upright posture when running and to protect our lumbar area.
The ankles are strengthened, as well as the calves, by performing numerous exercises on one leg and in balance (proprioceptive work), also fundamental for every runner. Having strong ankles can prevent many injuries by having a reactive foot.
You also gain flexibility in soles and Achilles tendons, muscles that many runners have shortened and suffer injuries due to the lack of elasticity in these muscles.
On the other hand, there is a lot of work involved in the mobility of the hips and their joint, which is important because it is one of the structures involved in the movement pattern of the race.
In any case, if you want to vary the training routines and add something complementary and different, there are collective ballet and dance classes for adults, among which you can choose the one that motivates you and pleases you the most, either by the dance style or by the music style.
As you can see, there are powerful reasons why we started ballet, which we thought was only done at an early age, no matter how old we are and whatever sport we practice.
As it happens with the practice of Yoga, the benefits at physical and mental level are many, and in addition it has the musical component that makes it an entertaining activity and helps us to release the stress of the day to day.