Alvin Ailey Dance Moves! A New Way to Exercise by Lise Friedman

Robinson, who believes in feeling “zesty, sparkly, awake and energetic” throughout her day, stresses a diet that keeps the body moving inside and out. “If you’ve never danced before, then you have no business trying to do a split,” she said. To prevent muscle strains, let the body do what it wants to do instead of forcing it, she says. The injury rate among dancers is quite high, and their career lifespan low, says Bronner. “It’s a great help … especially if you’re an athlete,” she said. Also, practice good form by making sure your technique is correct, and treat yourself to therapeutic massages to relieve stress and prevent injury. To achieve the look of a dancer, start by moving, Robinson recommends.ĭo whatever you enjoy, such as swimming, jumping rope or throwing the ball in the yard, and do it frequently. The fitness book draws from the disciplines of the Ailey School to help nondancers feel and look like one with exercises that can be done at home. “You know right away that this is an athlete.”ĭancing conditions and tones the body, improves posture and increases strength, and “a strong muscular body is a healthy body when it’s flexibleĪnd supple,” says Robinson, whose exercise techniques, and those of otherĪiley dancers, are showcased in “Alvin Ailey Dance Moves!” (by Lise Friedman Harry N. “They all have very healthylooking, well-toned bodies,” said Shaw Bronner, director of physical therapy for the Ailey dancers. The Ailey troupe this year celebrates 50 years of electrifying audiences with their high energy and passion coupled with smooth, controlled and deliberate movements. Dancing merges art with athleticism, and the Ailey dancers are known as some of the most athletic, thanks to their varied choreography. Improved her stamina by augmenting her cardio workout with more upper-body movements.

In her 27th season with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Robinson says her muscles are longer now because of the additional strength and conditioning she enjoys.

Alvin Ailey Dance Moves! A New Way to Exercise by Lise Friedman