Ballet Tap

The Physical Demands of Ballet and Dance

Dancers are professionals who exert their body's physical ability to achieve perfection for their art form. Natalie Portman described some of the physical demands of ballet after filming the unorthodox ballet film Black Swan:

"All dancers are always dancing with an extreme injury, not just a sore muscle: they're dancing on a sprained ankle or a twisted neck or something. You'll see them do incredible stuff and then limp off stage, straight to a bucket of ice. Part of the art is hiding all that pain."
The actress recovered from a twisted rib in one of her most demanding roles to date and her views are echoed by Lorraine Jones from the Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists in an interview with the Telegraph highlighted the physical demands placed on ballet dancers (feet). Some of the points mentioned included that:

The lower legs and foot of professional ballet dancers absorb the full impact of their movement, which increases the pressure on the knees, hip and back. Split nails can be common amongst ballet dancers, whilst Pointe ballet shoes contain a hard resin block in the toe box, which can cramp and crush the toes, causing blisters, corns and split toe nails, exacerbate bunions and other foot deformities. It is therefore vital dancers take precautions to help minimise damage to their feet and relieve pain when possible, potentially through the use of gel pads, toe spacers, plasters or tape. These can all help to relieve pressure points, daily calf stretches and good exercise regime with relevant stretches will keep the muscles supple and prevent cramping.

Ballet focuses a large proportion of the performance on the legs of dancers, other dance formats have the flexibility to use other areas of the body. The physical requirements can be just as demanding for contemporary dancers as it is for ballet dancers, with routines performed by street dancers that can be exceptionally dynamic. The intensity of such routines can place an enormous amount of pressure on the body, however street dancewear has evolved with the latest in clothes technology to provide comfortable clothing to artists.

Jones recommended that on non-ballet days a dancer should try to wear a supportive shoe like a trainer or lace-up brogue to give the feet a well deserved rest. Wear a ballet shoe with a slight heel and higher sides which will offer the feet a little more support. Try not to wear ballet shoes for long periods, particularly when doing lots of walking and make sure dance footwear is alternated regularly with a more supportive shoe.

Whilst other dance styles have made use of shoe technology to provide comfortable shoes for their dancers, ballet is burdened with being one of the oldest of the popular dance forms/art. Although dance shoe manufacturers Bloch make shoes for ballet, jazz, tap, ballroom and salsa, ballet is restricted by traditional shoes design. Luckily other dance forms such as jazz or street dance can take advantage of dancewear such as Bloch dancewear that are ultra light, flexible, comfortable, odour resistant, breathable and keeps the feet dry.

About the Author

Move Dancewear has the perfect range of dance wear for dance professionals and those who dance for fun. If you are looking for Bloch salsa shoes for dance classes or Capezio tap shoes for a friend, Move Dancewear's website is only a click away.

What is a good song for a tap or ballet duet?

We are looking for a good song for a ballet or tap duet for our dance school choreography competition but can't think of a song.

Tap

Straight up –Paula Abdul
Stomp to my beat—DDR
Pacman techno mix
Oscar G & Ralph Falcon - Dark Beat (Murk Monster Mix)
Delirious—Prince
Starting Something—Michael Jackson
Man with a hex—Atomic Fireballs
Hit me up—Gia Farrell
In the mood—Glenn Miller
What I like about you—The Romantics
Walk this way—Aerosmith
Crazy on A Saturday Night—David Hasselhoff
Give me something Real-- David Hasselhoff
It don’t mean a thing—Ella Fitzgerald
Yankee Doodle dandy—James Cagney
Stagger Lee—Bill Haley & the comets
Bottle of wine—Tom Paxton
Rocky Top—Ricky Skaggs

Lyrical/ballet/modern/contemporary
Evanescence ---
Lithium
Hello
Like you
Lacrymosa
Good enough
Missing
Fields of innocence
The last song I wasting on you
You
Exodus
Breathe no more
Eternal
Demise
Ascension of the spirit

Pink Floyd---
Marooned
Terminal frost
Echoes
Interstellar Overdrive
One of these days
Run like hell
On the turning away
Absolutely Curtains
Mudmen
Obscured by clouds
Dogs

David Hasselhoff--
Until the last teardrop falls
If I could only say goodbye
These Loving eyes
A star looks down tonight
White Bird

from the movie Legend
The unicorn theme
The Cottage
Darkness
The Dance

from the movie Dracula
Love eternal
Love remembered
The storm
Lucy’s party

from the movie Dragonheart
World of your heart
Flight to Avalon
Draco

from the movie Ladyhawke
main theme
She was sad at first
Phillippe describes Isabeau

from the movie the Princess Bride
Storybook Love—Willy Deville
The cliffs of insanity
I will never love again
The fireswamp & rodent of unusual size

Alborada (A dawn of many colors album)
Ode to a woman
Mountain Melody

Ceol Mor—(Celtic Passages Album)
Enchanted forest
The mountains at dawn
Sparkling river

Ballet music from Faust: Finale—Gounod
Dance of the cygnets—Swan Lake
Dance of the clowns—A midsummer’s night dream
March of the Toreadors –Carmen
Rosamunde-Ballet music--Schubert
“Nocturne”--Chopin
Concerto Vi—Alessandro Scarlatti
Let love live from Cirque de soliel
Symphony—Sarah Brightman
Fleurs du mal—Sarah Brightman
Free-Sarah Brightman
Set the night to music—Starship
Gravity of love- Enigma
Eva—Nightwish
Show me your fire truck—Backdraft
Top Gun Anthem
Star Wars movie soundtracks
Star Trek Movie soundtracks
Avatar movie soundtrack
Stargate soundtrack
Hurt-Nine Inch Nails/Johnny Cash
Through the eyes of love—Melissa Manchester (Ice Castles theme)
For crying out loud—Meatloaf
Dawn’s pale light—Liquid Sky
Make the world go away-Elvis
Love you to death-Kamelot
Scarborough Fair—Leaves’ Eyes
I am—Christina Aguilera
Just the way you are—Bruno Mars
24-Jem (ultraviolet)
Impossible--Shontelle
Freshman—verve pipe
In the air tonight—Phil Collins
Are we the waiting—Green Day
Make a memory—Bon Jovi
Uninvited—Alanis Morissette

McMinnville's Gallery Ballet & Tap - Waltz of the flowers - Winter 2010

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