Designed and supervised by a professionally trained ballet dancer, a highly experienced and qualified Pilates instructor, Shannon Smith, these classes provide the ultimate conditioning training for the fledgling dancer’s technique.
Shannon trained as a professional ballet dancer at the Australian Ballet School, upon graduation receiving an Advanced Diploma in Dance. He then had a decade long ballet career working in many companies around the world. Shannon is a Franklin Method Instructor and Balanced Body MOTR Instructor.
He has been practicing Pilates since he was 16 years old, integrating the method in with his ballet technique. It has helped him develop knowledge and control of a strategic physical and mental capacity to delve deep into his weaknesses and refine them into strengths. Pilates to Shannon was his way to maintain general health and wellbeing, rehabilitate from injuries and importantly foresee and prevent potential injuries.
“I’ve asked hundreds of Ballet students what is the most common correction you’ve received, and they all say to turn out. I then ask, do you know how to turn out? What muscles do this? Where do you aim your bones? What can happen if something goes wrong? What activates first? and importantly, What does it feel like? And very commonly they say no. Therefore, are we expecting too much from our students? This is where this workshop comes in to bridge the gap and educate our young dancers. If they had a little more understanding and knowledge, would that empower their self-esteem and confidence to try and improve it with proactivity? I know they do; I’ve seen it. Many of my students are now more attentive whilst practicing at the barre or centre between exercises because they now understand that meeting the challenge is fun and rewarding.”
During the workshop dancers will learn:
- =Effective deep abdominal and back extensor exercises to develop a sense of internal centre
- =Core control for Lumbo-pelvic stabilisation whilst working in line and lengtha sense of internal centre
- =Hip extensor and flexor exercises for leg height in all positions
- =Spinal articulation for fluidity, mobility and strength of their spines
- =Proprioception for balance and endurance
- =Joint health whilst understanding it creates flow and momentum in the body
- =Neurocognitive simulation of movement – Allows the dancer to see it, feel it, determine it before the movement for confident and accurate results
- =Turn the science into and art and the art into a science
- =All the above applied into various dance steps for a better dance technique
Workshops can be tailored to your needs; however, we have seen much success during all our two-hour sessions, 2-day sessions and 5-day workshops.
COST:
Please enquire about our costing by heading to the Contact page.
Delivered at your school or in our studio.