Proper posture is everything when you're a dancer. Good posture makes you look taller and more confident.
If you're hunching or bowing your head forward all the time, no amount of practice could make your form look good. Looking like Quasimodo on the dance floor is not a good look. Unfortunately, no tool or magic pill could improve your posture. You have to make a conscious effort to push those shoulders and hips forward all the time to align the bones and muscles properly.
The natural curves of the spine are similar to an S-shape. If you've made a habit out of hunching all the time, the natural curves of the spine change. And as the shape of the spine changes, so does your body's ability to shift your body weight. Over time, the curves of the spine become distorted, and you'll feel recurring pain and muscle strain on certain parts of the body.
Bad Posture: Signs to Watch Out For
Bad posture makes your form look bad, but this is one habit that does a number to the health. Some of the most common signs of a bad posture are:
- Recurring neck pain
- Poor sleep quality
- Headaches
- Lower back pain
- A potbelly
- Reduced lung capacity
Dancers are best known for their perfect form. Your stage presence becomes infinitely better when your posture is excellent; all eyes will be on you on the dancefloor. Luckily, you don’t have to be a ballerina to achieve a perfect form. To train the body to achieve the perfect form for dancing, try these exercises:
Exercises to Improve Dance Posture
Benefits of Proper Posture
Proper posture and balance go hand in hand when you’re dancing. When you’re moving through space, the right muscle groups should be engaged to dance correctly.
You have to hold your body in the correct alignment to recover safely from a misstep. Proper posture helps spread the bodyweight evenly in your body, preventing undue or unequal stress on the muscles, joints, and ligaments. Even breakdancers have ways to shift their body to keep their posture on point without breaking a bone.
Balance is a skill; it is developed and nurtured. It will require mental awareness, muscular tension, concentration, control, and muscle tension to achieve this kind of awareness. Here are some of the many benefits of proper posture:
- Better form
- Better balance
- Reduces strain on the spine
- Minimizes back and neck pain
- Stabilizes the core
- Engages the right muscle groups while dancing
It’s also worth remembering that the body is more stable when the center of gravity is focused on the lower part of the body, which is the pelvic region. The base of support becomes more significant when the center of gravity is lower.
