Starting a new activity is always fun. Find your hobby and do it. The question is does doing ballet help you become a better figure skater. Practice makes perfect, that is the saying. If you look at the movements in ballet they are similar to figure skating. Let’s take a look at how ballet can help you get better at figure skating.
As a Figure Skater, Should I Take Ballet?
Taking ballet is not mandatory, but it is recommended that you take ballet in order to get better in your technique as a figure skater. In a way, figure skating is basically ballet except on the ice. Ballet helps skaters with their balance, flexibility, and it also strengthens the core muscles to jump higher. Essentially, the same skills for skating are developed in ballet.
Which is Harder?
That is a tough question. Most people find either or tough depending on their skills. For some, skating is tougher because of the way you have to balance on very thin skates on ice. Skating is tougher to figure out and try to understand the elements that go into it.
Ballet requires ankle strength. Fast reflex experience may be identical, though divided in different muscles. When you think about it this way, rapid footwork or spins in ballet in contrast to the triple/quad rotation jumps in figure skating.
Why is Figure Skating Hard?
Figure skating is a grueling athletic development that takes long hours of practice. Because of figure skating, It also completely changes the shape of the body, demanding strenuous core-strength from chase who compete in the Olympics. It is tough for reasons such as lower body strength, core strength, have abilities to multi-task, and unreal flexibility.
Ballet Tips for Beginners
It’s easy to begin ballet because unlike ice skating, you’re dancing on the firm ground. Figure skating is completely different because you have to get your balance in a contrasting form to ballet.
Because ballet has an assortment of technique, it takes much longer to get the hang of. It’s necessary to improve your turnout, your extension, and your balance within each time you practice.
How Ballet Helps with Figure Skating
Ballet is great for flexibility and for positioning your arms and body out on the ice. Ballet helps figure skaters improve their spiral and increases its back flexibility. It all depends on what type of figure skating that you do.
Attain Stronger Core Muscles
Skaters need a strong core body to connect the upper and lower body for controlled powerful movements. Ballet helps with spins, jumps, and footwork. You need to keep your shoulders over the hips throughout jumps. Always pay attention to how you align the shoulders with the hips for any movement in skating.
As the skater is working on their own movements, they’re training the body to maintain the correct posture while moving isolated body parts. At the same time, the body is evolving the ability to utilize core strength by contracting the abdominal muscles, thus learning to attach the upper and lower body for strong, powerful movements.
Having a Good Posture
The first piece of evidence that everyone should take a look at, this includes coaches or each sport, is the posture. For skating and ballet, it is essential to have a good posture. Balance is everything. Ballet and skating are all about strengthening the core muscles in order to control movements.
How Should My Posture Be in Ballet?
Slouching is forbidden. It’s important for your posture to be straight in line with the shoulders over the hips. Lower your shoulders with the rib cage and left the spine.
How Should My Posture Be in Figure Skating?
As the skater is working on their techniques, in the long run, we are training our bodies to sustain correct posture while moving isolated body parts. At the same time, we are also developing the ability to utilize core strength by engaging the abdominal muscles. Therefore, skaters are learning to connect the upper and lower body for strong, powerful movements.
Developing awareness of your body is important. We learn what we have to work on to get better. There is a lot to think about when it comes to learning the movements and how to adjust your body. Be patient. You won’t get it on your first try, but with practice and time ballet helps you become a stronger skater.
Analyzing the Movements
Jumps, turns, spins, and footwork. Although there is a contrast in the activity ballet is a similar technique to figure skating. Ballet is beneficial for all skaters to become aware of the techniques of twisting in the middle of the torso along with staying in a certain position.
Ballet teaches skaters how to move the pelvis without dropping balance or dividing the center in footwork sequences, including pirouette turns, jumps, and leaps across the floor.
Shifting Weight
Have a good sense of balance. In skating or ballet, there is a weight shift in every movement from one foot to the other. This causes a constant change in the center of balance within the body. Balance is critical for everyone who participates in ballet and skating.
Similarities in Movements
Depending on the type of figure skating that you do, it is a lot like ballet. Ballet strengthens your leg muscles to have more power to push.
A lot of ballet movements are a lot like figure skating moves. For example, what may be an arabesque to ballet dancers is actually a spiral to a skater.
When it Comes to the Basics
As the skater advances in dance and skating, both systems concentrate on basic details, the extension of body lines, flexibility while maintaining body alignment, quality of movement, and development of strength, and confidence.
As for skaters, they learn to perform to different music rhythms, tempos, count the beats of music, and how the style changes with the mood or theme of the music. It establishes a dynamic range in the presentation.
Will Ballet Help me Physically with Figure Skating?
For ballet, you settle your body in positions that it is not used to going in. That’s why one should learn ballet and figure skating slowly so as not to damage any part of the body. The main reason why dancers injure themselves is due to overstretching or not stretching at all. Stretching is one of the most important necessities before any sport.
Your legs are also always turned out. Hip problems are common in dancers, which also goes for figure skaters. And lastly, you can’t forget those pointe shoes. The biggest physical difference are the shoes that you wear. Figure skaters have a boot strapped on their feet. As for ballerinas, they dance on their toes.
Health Benefits of Figure Skating and Ballet
- Joint and Muscle Health
Skating works for almost every muscle group in the body. So does ballet. Gliding requires synchronized action of the legs, which is essential for joint flexibility. Skating and ballet are great for cardiovascular health.
- Improvement of Balance
Again, ballet and skating require two different environments. Still, we learn to balance. By discovering to engage your muscles to keep yourself standing, you’re not only strengthening them but also increasing your control over your body and your endurance. According to studies, either of these activities helps you maintain weight.
- Stress Management
Having a hobby is great for managing stress. Ballet and figure skating help attain better self-esteem. Learning to ice skate or do ballet boosts self-confidence and sharpens focus as you learn the many new moves these techniques have to offer, like crossovers, going backward, and spinning. Ballet helps with figure skating by getting you into the right mood. Know what you are getting into with any sport.
Where Should I Start With Figure Skating?
For those who are just starting out on the ice, find an ice rink and somebody to help coach you. Take a skating class and learn all the basics. It never matters what age you start at. What matters is that you have started something new. Anybody who has performed in ballet will have an understanding of what it is like taking up figure skating.
Everybody falls. It’d okay. Ballet and figure skating are all about learning to fail and improve. Another benefit that comes out of ballet is gaining confidence. Just because you don’t succeed, keep practicing.
Does Change Happen Naturally?
It varies among skaters and dancers. With skating, you go where the blade goes, but in ballet, we reinforce our rotation and turnout. Ballet helps with figure skating. You have to remember once you get on the ice that you are in a completely different environment.
Remind yourself of where you are each time and don’t confuse movements. One of the elements that messed up skaters or dancers is the change in movement. In the end, you should be happy with what you do. Figure skating and ballet are a hobby after all.
