Supplementary training for dancers is a big thing and is becoming more and more important to support modern choreography and performances demands. Because of this people think ‘gym’. I will go to the gym and that will make me harder, better, faster, stronger - They get in to the gym and it is a totally different world compared to the studio or stage. More often than not people don’t use the gym as well as they could to support their technical and aesthetic movement training.

So, you’ve got your self to the gym… now what? Stretch? Join a class? Treadmill? Elliptical? Kettle bells? Weights? Cable machine? Instagram “look how hard I’m working” pout face or muscle pose? No, no, no. Stop, stop, stop. Quit looking around at everything and everyone who is following the stickers on the machines. Get your foundations sorted first. Chances are the gym is not your natural environment. Chances are that you don’t want to spend a huge about of time in the sw

What is a compound exercise? A compound exercise is a movement that uses more than one joint. An example in dance would be a plié – using your hips, knees, and ankles to achieve the movement. Compound exercises use more than one muscle, so you can do more in less movement. Most functional movements in dance, such as travelling, jumping, and partnering are compound movements. So, in my mind, it would be a good idea to workout in this way too. A lot of people in the gym focus o