Barre work is a core component of any reputable ballet class, but barre offers vast benefits for children of all ages. Aside from the general boost to a child's overall fitness, the following are three pivotal reasons to include barre exercises in the lives of all children, regardless if they possess dance-related aspirations or not.
1. Proper Body Placement: In today's technology-driven world, the necessity of proper posture often gets tossed out the window. Lounging with or hunching over technology products builds tension in the neck, back, and shoulders. For growing children, this is even more detrimental to the health of their back and spine. In fact, more and more children are seeking medical care for neck and back pain, which, ultimately, could lead to a change in the integrity of the spine. Barre work supports proper posture in that it encourages children to naturally align their back and core muscles by using gentle, controlled, repetitive movements that gradually build flexibility and endurance.
2. Gateway Strength-Building Benefits for Other Sports: For children who hold interest in other sports and physical activities, barre work provides an excellent means of increasing strength and endurance. Even football players, such as New York Jets' Steve McLendon, have benefited from the injury-deterring, core strengthening benefits of barre work and classical ballet as a whole. Olympic figure skater Nathan Chen also trained in classical ballet for many years, a fact that is evidenced in his intense artistic expression. Barre work builds grace and poise: two vital attributes for success in sports and other physical activities.
3. Full-Body Training of Mind and Body: Unlike many forms of exercise, barre work encourages a full-body toning and training. Since all of the core is engaged from start to finish, children learn healthy breathing techniques, proper body positioning, and how to engage and strengthen muscles in a simple, low-impact fitness routine. Barre work is methodical and careful, and it teaches children to slow down, gently grab onto the barre for balance, and engage core muscles. The beauty of carefully-controlled movement helps to build patience and confidence. From the truck-strengthening plie to the spine-extending arabesque, barre workout exercises beautifully interlock to provide essential benefits for balance, poise, and endurance.
When children take barre class, either for training to become a dancer or strictly for fun, a portable, structural steel ballet barre is an excellent investment for families to encourage regular practice. Boss Ballet Barres provides perhaps the strongest portable ballet barres on the market. For schools and individuals, Boss Ballet Barres is committed to the success of each and every dancer. Please contact us for more information about our convenient, portable ballet barres.
