Foam rolling before and after class is basically the dancer version of a highly aspirational morning wellness routine. Both take serious discipline, and the benefits may not be obvious at first glance. But striving to be #ThatGirl only improves your aesthetic. Foam rolling on the regular can actually improve your dancing pretty much immediately. Here’s […]
Contemporary phenom Christina Ricucci has super-flexible hips, which means she can stretch her legs to unbelievable heights. But when she noticed herself making contorted positions in class, Ricucci realized she was approaching her extensions all wrong. “I went back to the basics in class, squaring my hips and using my turnout,” Ricucci says. “I learned […]
Former comp kid (and 2013 DS Cover Model Search winner!) Hayden Hopkins grew up training in Seattle, WA, cultivating her huge social media presence along the way—she has more than 200,000 followers on Instagram alone. The 20-year-old recently landed her dream job: dancing in Cirque du Soleil’s Las Vegas show Mystère. DS had her keep […]
Always give your muscles a solid stretch before you perform. (Matt Karas) When it comes time to perform, you can’t wait to be onstage. But preparing for a show takes more than doing your hair and makeup. Your muscles need to be warm or you’ll risk getting injured—and a warm-up isn’t just a quick stretch […]
Back to school means back to dance full-time. But while you might be excited to spend every evening in the studio, your body likely isn’t—and it’ll let you know with some killer soreness the next morning. When should you push through the achiness and when should you take it easy? Dance Spirit looked to Natalie […]
Model: Daphne Fernberger Consultant: Hilary Cartwright Bio: Following her career as a soloist with The Royal Ballet, England, Hilary Cartwright became a director, teacher, coach and stager. She’s been teaching Yoga for Dancers for the past 20 years, after opening White Cloud Studio in NYC. Daphne Fernberger is a Level 7 student at American Ballet […]