Footsie Friday 2: Arch pain (or lack thereof)

The Ballet Blog has a very good article on how to relieve--and forever rid yourself of--arch pain in your feet. This is something that I struggle with, and I will be following their advice to help my feet become "retrained" and avoid putting too much strain on my arch.
Read the article here.

Note: The Ballet Blog references The Pointe Book: Shoes, Training & Technique Second Edition. I highly recommend this book! I've made purchasing it easy for you--just use the link below!

Book review: Classical Ballet Technique

Classical Ballet Technique by Gretchen Ward Warren not only gives technique advice; it shows you exactly how to do each motion. With thousands of photos and dozens of professional ballerinas as models, this book belongs in every good dancer's library.

Why it's great: Classical Ballet Technique has so many photos, it's like a video library of every ballet movement--from tendu to grande jete to Italian pas de chats to that thing your teacher taught last week. The best part is that it's easy to study every moment of every move, and therefore easy to improve your technique even in little details you may never notice otherwise.

Changing up the workout a little

I just finished working out with "Balletone: Center Moves." The DVD is meant for adult non-dancers, but I still enjoy the "dance-y" workout :) Out of the 40 minutes of "cardio" dancing, what I noticed working out most was...my arms. That's right. Though I was hot, sweaty, and tired by the end, what burned most was my arms!

I must be getting in shape (which is a good thing), because three years ago I tried this workout and didn't end up going all the way through it. Now, I went through it without a hitch! I think I'll start doing this every day (even days I have classes). A little cardio goes a long way, you know. ;)

Theraband Thursday 2: Improve your pointe stability

Whether you're watching TV, reading a book, or riding in the car, you can improve your stability on pointe with this simple exercise. It'll build muscle and help you keep from rolling over or twisting your ankle.

1. Loop the theraband around your foot so that it covers an area from the arch of your foot to above your toes. Hold one end in each hand.
2. Point your foot. 
3. Alternate between sickling your foot and winging your foot.
4. Repeat on the other foot.

Forum Frenzy 1: Ballet Talk

Go to Ballet Talk

Ballet Talk is a forum for dancers 16 years or older. It's a very professional forum, requiring polite conversation with a long-ish list of rules and several restricted or banned topics (including pointe shoes and fan discussions). However, for the topics that are allowed (dance company news, performance reviews, and show discussions), professional, informative, interesting discussions take place!

Three stars (one off for the unnecessarily wordy list of rules, another for the banned topics)

Connect with other ballerinas on a forum!

Whether you're looking for tips on how to better your extensions or you'd just like to converse on the difficulty of doing triple pirouettes en pointe, dance forums are a great place to meet new people and talk about dance.

We've researched and found some of the best forums, just for you. Over the next couple weeks, we'll review each forum to give you a better idea of which are worth your time--and which are not.

Stay tuned for Forum Frenzy!

Wonderfully Healthy Wednesday 1: Build some muscle!

According to WebMD, eating healthy just after a workout can help increase how much muscle you build! Eat a banana or some peanut butter within 30 minutes after a great dance class, and you'll be set to build some serious muscle definition.
Want both peanut butter and bananas? Cool off after a great dance workout and boost your muscle with this peanut butter and banana smoothie from AllRecipies.com. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 1 banana
• 1/8 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 cup soy milk
• 2 tablespoons honey

Directions

1. In a blender, combine banana, peanut butter and soy milk. Blend until smooth. Pour into glasses and drizzle with honey for garnish.