Should gymnast take ballet?

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drivingmom

I was wondering if any gymnast take ballet in addtion to team workouts? Our gym does not provide any dance training and my daughter is about as graceful as a goose, so I have been considering letting her take ballet (I stop her taking dance once she started team).

I was wondering what others thoughts are on taking ballet and how hopeful it maybe.
 
Some dance instruction is definitely better than none for a girl gymnast. I think everyone will agree with that here.

If you find her having difficulties holding interest in ballet, an all around dance program (e.g. tap/jazz/ballet/hiphop/acro) will also be helpful.
 
Throughout my gymnastics career I always have found it helpful being in ballet. I also take or have taken modern, jazz, hip hop, and lyrical.
 
yesyesyes

It will help their extension, core strength, arm movement, flexibility, ankle strength, presentation, and finding their center of gravity so they can rely on it faster to quell those post skill wiggles.
 
yesyesyes

It will help their extension, core strength, arm movement, flexibility, ankle strength, presentation, and finding their center of gravity so they can rely on it faster to quell those post skill wiggles.

I totally agree. I also find that gymnasts who have done dance/ballet can do much much better floor routines that ones that dont.
 
i was forced to do ballet to help improve my floor cause it was shocking and pulling all my other scores down. i ended up really enjoying it and it helprd my gym sooo much i cant explain. my club ended up getting a ballet coach for all of us and i think it workd really well all my teams floor routines ended up looking alot nicer. we also used the ballet coach to help with cori(choreography) and just ended up looking alot nicer
 
I was wondering if any gymnast take ballet in addtion to team workouts? Our gym does not provide any dance training and my daughter is about as graceful as a goose, so I have been considering letting her take ballet (I stop her taking dance once she started team).

I was wondering what others thoughts are on taking ballet and how hopeful it maybe.

our team has dance included in the training - every Wed for about an hour to an hour and a half they are at the bar by the mirrors doing dance workouts. So we don't need to go outside of the gym to get the ballet trainging as it is included.

I would say however that it wouldn't hurt to take I think it helps with their form and being more graceful in their presentations on all the equipment.

And I think boys need it as much as the girls do.
 
I think ballet is really helpful. Our gym has a mandatory dance class for team members once a week.

Our old gym didn't and I had her in a special dance class that consisted of ice skaters and gymnasts. Regular beginner ballet didn't include leaps and turns as much as she needed.

That said I think you can tell which girls have dance and which don't.
 
I know everyone else is saying yes yes yes, but I think that if she's not very graceful, a ballet class will probably not help her become so. If she has a natural affinity for grace, then a dance class could nurture that, but it's likely that she just won't "get it" from a dance class. If she had time to pursue dance chiefly, then it would be different, but as a "side" to gymnastics, it probably will only be a fun endeavor.
 
I know everyone else is saying yes yes yes, but I think that if she's not very graceful, a ballet class will probably not help her become so. If she has a natural affinity for grace, then a dance class could nurture that, but it's likely that she just won't "get it" from a dance class. If she had time to pursue dance chiefly, then it would be different, but as a "side" to gymnastics, it probably will only be a fun endeavor.

I respectfully disagree. Like gymnastics, dance can be grasped even if it's not mastered well enough to translate into movement. Just like a good gymnastics coach can coax power or aggressive movement from a fearful or small child, a good dance instructor can get a athletic child in touch with art and expression.

Natural talent may not be a factor, but true interest (even if just based off what 'what can dance do for me??') can carry you pretty far down the road in dance. Being a gymnast already puts her ahead of the class physically. If she's willing to look in a mirror to see if she's projecting what she wants to then bonus...and what girl doesn't like to look at herself or show off? :D:p
 
Gymnasts are way ahead of dancers in terms of physical fitness. But only ballet teaches awareness of body line and posture. So although it's not mandatory for a gymnast to take ballet...it depends on what you want in your performance. I find that gymnasts who learn to dance are always more entertaining on floor. Whether or not to take dance on the side is your decision, of course. But I think it's a plus since dance is a part of women's gymnastics.
 
Gymnasts are way ahead of dancers in terms of physical fitness.
I agree only generally speaking -- particularly at the recreational or at the less competitive levels. Although, gymnasts' strength is definitely more well rounded. Many all-around top dancers have very strong physiques as well. For instance, quality dance programs demand very tough and long warm ups (what we call conditioning in gymnastics). The body can hurt just as much afterwards (so I hear).
 
Gymnasts are way ahead of dancers in terms of physical fitness.

Holy blanket statement batman! Both dance and gymnastics require strength, flexibility, and coordination. Where gymnastics has more a focus on power + speed, dance is more about extension + endurance. That's why you hardly ever see a dancer with obvious muscles. It's a difference that's not related to lack of fitness, but of different physical goals. Also body type. Mesomorph types exist in dance just as ectomorph types can be found in gymnastics.
 

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