Hello There!!
I have read that ballet lessons are recommended for ice skaters, and was wondering how many people take ballet classes, and feel its necessary for success as an ice skater. Thanks everyone!!!

Tiara

I do, whenever I can. I've been on a break because my ballet teacher had to go back to Russia for awhile, but she's back now so we'll be getting back to work. I don't know that ballet is necessary for success in skating, but it's certainly very helpful. She works on positioning, strength, and flexibility. My classes are specifically designed for skaters, but I've heard many people say that a regular ballet class is even better. I find it much more convenient to do all my work at the rink. I'm an adult skater, and I especially benefit from the stretching and flexibility training. I can definitely see the difference at our rink between the kids who also do ballet and those who don't. The presentation is just a lot better.

I'm not taking ballet, but one of my personal trainers is a long time (and still performing) ballet dancer. Does that count? He's working me on strength, flexibility, core training and balance. His specialty is weight loss and keeping the lean look (instead of having that muscle bound look that a lot of the other trainers at my gym all seemed to be aiming for.) He's given me some exercises to improve my turn out. We'll see if it gets better by this time next year.

And no, I haven't tried my personal trainer as a dance teacher yet... our schedule just won't synch.

I think a regular ballet teacher is better for the asthetic side of things, personally. But it would depend in the end on the teacher and the class itself. The "ballet class for skater" I took were predominantly kids and I felt very...patronized by the ballet instructor there. I had another one and her class were mostly adults. The instructor here is a woman is in her 50's and has a bull dog "bark" but a heart of gold since she says she BELIEVES in my ability to improve me and often does help me to improve.

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jazzpants

11-04-2006: Shredded "Pre-Bronze FS for Life" Club Membership card!!!
Silver Moves is the next "Mission Impossible"
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Thank you for the support, you guys!!!

When I was a kid in skating school, all the girls used to take ballet between ice sessions at the rink. Us boys would sit in the back of the room and make fun of them

I take ballet but not because I skate just because I truly enjoy ballet. For a while, I was taking class 3 times a week and skating twice but with the move I haven't found a new dance studio so I'm skating three times a week and am probably going to take class once a week. Try ballet you may love it.

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Happily defying the laws of physics when I skate...and not in a good way

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I do. I feel it has really helped with my posture and flexibility just taking lessons 1 time a month six months a year (though I practiced it in the summer months a little by myself) for the past year.

I do think it's a good idea if you enjoy it. In our class, there are a lot of figure skaters who take it just because mom told them to because it goes with skating, and they're not having a particularly good time. If you don't like ballet you should try something like yoga or something. As a skater you should definitely do something for the flexibility.

Also it does very good for your balance, it's my ballet teacher I have for a large part to thank for learning my 1-foot-spin and backspin, he got me to understand the whole ribcage thing. Awareness of where the point of balance is on your feet also helped me for the edges and spirals.

My skating coach is also a ballet teacher, and she did recommend that I should start as flexibility isn't my strongest point, so I got a beginners ballet video which I run alongside a yoga one. It's fantastic, although due to being ill I haven't done it for about a month but I am hoping to go back to it after Christmas as it was also a great workout and I noticed results very quickly.

i feel it is necessary. I took it in the summer and it made a big improvement. I think it helps your sense of balance a lot.

Jazzpants, could you describe the exercizes? I've been looking for some exercizes to help me get a bauer/eagle.

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3turn
The Great Skate Experiment

I don't, but really wish I could. I started skating when I had to stop ballet- I kept hurting my ankles doing ballet.

I don't think I could afford to both skate and do ballet though, so it's a one or the other thing for me.

I have HORRIBLE turnout though- so ballet was very difficult, and what little turnout I did manage to gain has left me. I see no spread eagles in my future!

I really miss ballet though. And pilates, which I stopped when I moved. I should get that started again.

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-Jessi
What I need is a montage...
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I took a ballet class this summer, and it definitely helped me to be more aware of my posture in skating. I tend to look down too much in skating, and thinking "ballet" while I skate has helped. The ballet teacher was not very nice to me, and it kind of ruined the whole experience, so I stopped after the 8 week session was over. If I could find another dance school in my area that had evening adult ballet classes, I would definitely try again.

I started skating at age 46. Never had a dance lesson in my life. I was a gym rat, got bored, started taking skating lessons. After about a year on the ice, a man said to me (former roller skating pairs champion, now iceskater) "you need some grace." "Go take ballet lessons." I did and found I loved it and it did help with my presentation on the ice. I stayed with ballet for a few years and then switched to tap and jazz. I still do ballet on my own, but continue with tap and jazz lessons as well as skating lessons.

I take ballet lessons to help with core strength and to work on my line. I have very long arms and I have found ballet helps me use them better. Also, pointe work helps build me ankle strength and rebuild the muscles around my hip socket. Good for coordination as well.

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I take ballet!

I am happy to be in adult only ballet class, with a teacher who learned ballet as an adult, and she explains things very well, and this week i was the only one who showed up,so she let me get help with whatever i want. Of course, i picked, turnout and arms. Boy, i realized my arms need some work!

I've been wondering about dance classes and if that is something I should add in for my daughter someday. She's taken gymnastic classes, but she's never taken dance classes. She's 9 yrs old and has been skating for just over 1 year.

Anyway, I don't think I can afford skating lessons and dance lessons. ACK. We just added private skating lessons in with her LTS lessons I am sure dance lessons wouldn't be doable at this point.