Introduction
Why are proteins so important? What should I eat as a pre-class snack? How can I become more flexible? These are just a few questions I will answer as you read on. Being a healthy dancer who makes good decisions is the key to becoming a successful dancer. The state of health you are in will affect your overall performance, so taking care of yourself is vital for a good outcome. Sometimes dancers push themselves too far trying to meet their goals faster, but if you are patient and work hard, the results will be stunning.
Nutrition
Fifty to sixty-five percent of a dancer’s diet should be made up of carbohydrates. You can find carbs in foods like pasta, breads, and potatoes. Twelve to fifteen percent of your diet should be proteins, which help build and repair muscles. The remaining 20% to 30% should be made up of fats. Many dancers stay away from fat, but a low intake of fat can affect your performance.
Carbohydrates
Without enough carbohydrates, a dancer will likely feel fatigued during class. To attain your highest potential, your diet needs to contain food with complex carbohydrates. They have many micronutrients, while simple carbohydrates have either no or very little nutrients. The proper amount of carbs to eat in a day is 6- 10 grams times your weight in kilograms.
During heavy training, carbs should make up 65% of your diet. This is required because carbs produce a major amount of energy in your body. They are broken down into simple sugars that are stored as glycogen in your muscles. If a dancer does not ingest enough carbohydrates, his or her capability to dance successfully will decline.
It is wise to eat a small carbohydrate snack one to two hours before class. This will inc...
... middle of paper ...
...tness-Overview." WebMD - Better Information. Better Health. 26 Aug. 2008. Web. 03 June 2010. http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/tc/fitness-overview
"Flexibility Training... Stretching For Sport And Athletes." Phil Davies' Sports Fitness Advisor - Get Fit for Sport & Life. Web. 03 June 2010. .
Maling, Michel. "Ballet Dancing and Injury Prevention." EzineArticles Submission - Submit Your Best Quality Original Articles For Massive Exposure, Ezine Publishers Get 25 Free Article Reprints. Web. 07 June 2010. http://ezinearticles.com/?Ballet-Dancing-and-Injury-Prevention&id=3861053
Bedinghaus, Treva. "Dance Injuries - Treatment for Dance Injuries." About Dance - Learn to Dance - Dance Steps and Tips - Ballet and Jazz Dance. Web. 07 June 2010. http://dance.about.com/od/danceandyourhealth/ht/Injury_RICE.htm
The typical idea of a dancer is that they are tall, slender, full of energy, and lucky because they dance with all of the “stars”. Much of this is true, however, what many people do not think of are the many hardships that a dancer goes through in order to achieve their high status in the dance world. It takes much hard work and determination along with good direction to become a dancer. However, nothing good comes without a price. Dancers often times have many pressures put on them which can lead to physical and emotional damages. These damages occur through the pressures from the media, parents, teammates, and the stereotype that society has placed on dancers.
Ballet is a beautiful and romantic type of performance art. It originated in the Italian court systems in the 15th century (Jonas). Since its origination, ballet has undergone many changes and gained worldwide recognition. Filled with elaborate costumes, cheering audiences, lights, weightless movements and beauty; ballet is admired by many. On the magical stage ballerinas can become whoever they wan to be, and perform in a world of fantasy. For these reasons, children, especially little girls, all over the world dream of becoming ballerinas when they grow up. However, becoming a professional ballerina is an extremely difficult accomplishment, in which few will achieve (Kelso 1). The world of ballet may seem to be filled with glitz and glamor but, behind the curtain there is an entirely different story. There are extreme demands and pressures put on these young dancers to be very thin and nearly perfect. Some of which include body and weight demands, competition, and social pressures. These constant pressures can lead to a negative body-image and even debilitating eating disorders (Price and Pettijohn).
Wikipedia contributors. "Ballet technique." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 18 Jan. 2010. Web. 1 Apr. 2010.
It is common knowledge that football players can injure themselves to the point where they have to stop playing. Dancers face the same struggles. For example, in a double pirouette, if they turn without the appropriate turnout they could injure their knee for years or forever. Also, jumps are something they have to be very careful at handling. There are a lot of jumps in the dancing world. The “Tour Jete” is one of the many jumps, this is a jump where “…one foot steps out to the side, and the other foot kicks around in a leap to meet the other foot. Dancer lands on kicking foot…” If the dancer lands with their leg straight, there will be a lot of cringing faces and probably tears on the dancer’s face. Any bad move, landing or turnout could end a dancer’s career for the rest of their life.
Ballet is a popular dance form that originated in the 1500s around the time of the renaissance. It consists of many different forms that have evolved over the years. Some examples of these forms include French Ballet, Vaganova (Russian Ballet), Cecchetti (Italian Ballet), and Balanchine. Ballet forms and variations originated mainly from Italy, Russia, and France. However, today, many different forms of Ballet exist. Despite the many different variations, all Ballet has certain things in common. It is an effective form of exercise, requires special equipment, contains many set principles, and can result in specific injuries.
Deleget, Alison. "Overview Of Thigh Injuries In Dance." Journal Of Dance Medicine & Science 14.3 (2010): 97-102. International Bibliography of Theatre & Dance with Full Text. Web. 8 Apr. 2014.
The sheer energy of a gymnast alone can be felt by audiences of all ages, but what the spectators lack the ability to feel is the pounding of the bodies that bear the impact of the athletes in action. Gymnastics consists of a mixture of acrobatic performances of four different events for females, and six different events for males (Gianoulis 1). Gymnastics is demanding in a multitude of ways, including: physically, emotionally and mentally. It requires countless hours of dedication. The concerns of most gymnasts are moving up to the next level, or getting a more advanced skill, while the concerns of the doctors, coaches, and parents revolve mostly around the athlete’s health, which is put at stake for the adored yet dangerous sport. Injuries are common among both male and female gymnast alike, but due to the fact a female gymnast’s career peaks at the same time of major growth and development, a female gymnast’s body as a whole is more likely to undergo lifelong changes or affects (Gianoulis 2). Among the injuries of the mind blowing athletes, the most common ones affect the ankles, feet, lower back, wrist, and hands of individuals (Prevention and Treatment 1). From sprains, to the breaks, the intriguing sport of gymnastics is physically demanding on a gymnast’s body.
"Sports Injuries Rehabilitation - Cedars-Sinai." Sports Injuries Rehabilitation - Cedars-Sinai. Cedars-sinai.edu, 2014. Web. 08 May 2014.
Dancer’s don’t think about their surroundings as being an injury when it can be one of the most common causes to a dancer’s injury. If it’s too cold in the dance studio then it can lead to pulling a muscle because you haven’t warmed the muscle up for them to be stretched. If the studio is too warm then it can cause cramps within the muscle and muscle spasms. Another piece of your surroundings can be the floor. The floor of the studio is the base of a what a dancer dances on, if the floor has been waxed or the dancer has to dance on wooden floors then it can cause an injury because of
Dancers spend hours in physically demanding practices. They build muscles, push their bodies to achieve greater flexibility and they develop
Moreover, the attire ballerina’ must wear adds to the “skinny” issue. Because of the tight clothing, it can expose the dancer to any imperfect areas of their body, evoking girls to stress and encourage them to achieve a small figure. Seeing others thinner than she, could also prompt a dancer to lose a few pounds to look as tiny as the other girls in the room. As each one does this, the room of dancers becomes very small. Anorexia seems like the best way to become the smallest dancer in the class. Similarly, when practicing, ballet dancers often have to work with a male partner. Together, they will work as one and have to execute moves gracefully and flawlessly. A dancer has to be conscious that a man has to be able to carry her for extended lifts and holds. Knowing she can dance better with a smaller weight, persuades a dancer that she must stay thin at all costs. Not only does a ballet performer have to worry about her weight when she has a partner, but it also influence her movement
Certain foods can make a difference in sports competition. Conditioning, strength, and speed have been the focal points of athletic training for years; however, the research on nutritional elements indicates their importance to an athlete's optimal performance. Knowing the proper food to eat before, during, and after a physical activity can help an athlete in achieving their desired performance.
There is a relationship between food and exercise and people do not understand that. Everyone needs food in order for their body to work properly and do their daily activities, especially exercising. Without good nutrition, one will not be able to exercise effectively. To exercise effectively, one need the right caloric intake, energy, and nutrients in one’s body. The human body needs have carbohydrates, protein, fats, vitamins, minerals, and water to fuel it up, just like the car needs gas to run. Everyone should fuel their body with right foods so that they can maintain their energy levels. Bananas and lean white meats are examples of excellent sources of natural energy that can help the function properly and achieve fitness goals. Bananas are an excellent food to eat because they contain high potassium, makes the mind alert making the brain smarter, builds strong bones, and keeps the digestive system regulated. Lean white meat such as chicken and fish are good to eat because they make the tissues in the body healthy. Good nutrition is more important because if the body absorbs the nutrients it needs, one will be able to exercise very
I think to be a dancer you have to overcome the pain and working hard.Then, comes time for competition, and it is your time to go on stage to do your audition, you have been working for your whole life and then it is time to show the judges what you got. But, what did you have to do to get to where you are now?
To many, dance is only an art. In reality, dance is much more. It 's an art, a sport, a way to express one’s self, a way to exercise, a way to get feelings out. Since the beginning of time, humans have used different types of dance to express themselves. There are many advantages to dancing, however there are also some disadvantages. Dance is one of the most physically and cognitively demanding sports.