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Home > Dance Products Review
Dance Enters the Fitness Market
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Over the last decade or so, we've seen many new exercise fads emerge. Anything to "sculpt those abs" and "tighten those buns". People are hungry for cutting edge ways to keep in shape. The fitness world is constantly looking for new ideas to market and sell, that appeal to their audiences. One niche they're beginning to give a lot of attention to is dance!
Dancers are known for their sleek and scultped bodies. People want to gain the dancer physique, but aren't necessarily interested in training for years and years to learn the art of dance.
Fitness experts have been studying dance for a long time, to create some products to bring to the average exercise goer. They search for ways to bring exercise regimens that get the results people desire. A lot of these dance related exercise fads come from real dancers, who branched out into the fitness industry after their dance careers, to make a good living.
Dancehelp compiled some of the new exercise fads that were born out of the world of dance!
Cardio barre
The newest craze is a fitness class called Cardio Barre. Cardio Barre comes from ballet barre. Dancers must train on the barre to get strong enough to do ballet movement. They literally hold on to the barre to keep their balance, to use resistance when lifting the leg, and to stretch.
Cardio barre basically uses some of the basic ballet barre exercises but "pumps them up" for the ultimate workout. The entire class takes place at the barre, and students will gain some of the physical benefits of a ballet dancer by taking this type of class regularly. Also, Instead of classical music they'll use top 40 music. Students who take cardio barre can strengthen and stretch their bodies into shape. But don't ask them to do a pirouette!
From their website: "Almost every woman across America had the fantasy to be a dancer or ballerina," says Richard Giorla, creator of a revolutionary no-impact workout called "Cardio Barre" that’s taking Hollywood by storm. But what’s really cool about this fat-burning, butt-tightening, thigh-slimming, posture-straightening, figure-sculpting routine is that you don’t need any dance experience or talent to get the full benefits. All you need is a willingness to sweat, a kitchen counter or the back of a chair or couch (he also offers a portable barre that can be used at home or the office), and the ability to follow the video/DVD.
Yoga Booty Ballet
Yoga Booty Ballet is a dance/ballet based workout that focuses on center work movement away from the barre. They incorporate plies, grand jete, port de bras, and many other beneficial ballet and general dance moves that sculpt the body.
Yoga Booty Ballet incorporates yoga into this dance based workout as well, and puts both ballet and yoga together and fuses it with an upbeat bounce to today's current music. The workout is fun yet it produces results that not only sculpts the behind (it's main focus) but stretches the body as well. Dancers know that strenghening and stretching go hand in hand - one is not more important then the other. Be prepared to plie a lot with this one!
From the website: "Yoga Booty Ballet is more then just a ballet workout though, they incorporated Yoga Booty Ballet is a dynamic fusion of yoga, booty sculpting, and dance that will make you feel strong, confident, and beautiful! The workouts are so fun, you won't believe you're also losing weight and sculpting long, lean muscles. This unique program was created by two of the nation's top fitness experts, Gillian Marloth and Teigh McDonough, to help women become the best they can be."
New York City Ballet Workout
The NYCB Workout is probably the most authentic ballet workout on the market. They literally teach fitness goers ballet vocabulary. It's as if you are taking a ballet class, but without the building blocks it takes to advance as a dancer.
This is perfect for the former dancer or a person with past dance training of some sort. The workout is created though so anyone off the street with coordination can pick it up. This workout produces a long and lean sculpted dancers body, without the tights, pointe shoes and fouette turns!
From the website: "Ballet can work magic on the mind and body as it imparts leanness and flexibility to muscles and limbs. Making this available on a broad basis to everyone was the goal when Peter Martins, New York City Ballet’s Ballet Master in Chief, set out to create the original New York City Ballet Workout
The exercises combine stretching with strengthening and aim to improve body tone giving participants greater flexibility, cardiovascular stamina and better posture. In particular, the New York City Ballet Workout makes people think about how they use their bodies. Strength and flexibility is gained through the use of natural resistance with specific gains in the muscle tone of legs, hips and abdominals."
Pilates
Pilates was created by dancers for dancers. It was used as a tool for developed dancers, to get past that plateau and to advance and perfect their art. Pilates uses mat work and apparatuses to strengthen the body while stretching it simutaneously. It produces a long and lean physique.
Pilates came to the mainstream a few years ago and now it's as common as a step class in the gyms across America. Exercise goers love this mixture of yoga and calisthenics which refines and lengthens the body for a scupted and lean look.
From the website: "What is Pilates? An innovative system of mind-body exercise evolved from the principles of Joseph Pilates.
Pilates dramatically transforms the way your body looks, feels and performs. It builds strength without excess bulk, creating a sleek, toned body with slender thighs and a flat abdomen.
It teaches body awareness, good posture and easy, graceful movement. Pilates improves flexibility, agility and economy of motion. It can even help alleviate back pain.
Professional dancers have known the benefits of Pilates for decades. Top athletes use it for strength, flexibility, and injury prevention. Hollywood celebrities and supermodels use it to maintain beautiful physiques."
Jazzercise
Jazzercise has been around since the 80s. It exploded onto the scene during the dance craze and still has popularity today. Jazzercise focuses on cardiovascular weight loss benefits mainly.
Jazzercise combines elements of jazz dancing into aerobics for a fun and lively cardio workout. Jazzercise sometimes incorporates kickboxing moves as well as yoga and pilates moves into some of the newer routines, and it is done to current modern day top 40 music.
From the website: "What is Jazzercise? Jazzercise is a 60-minute class incorporating cardio, strength, and stretch moves for a total body workout. Some Jazzercise locations offer a variety of class formats including Jazzercise Express, Jazzercise Lite, and Body Sculpting."
Hip Hop Abs
Hip Hop Abs is a brand new workout that uses basic hip hop type moves to sculpt the body - focusing on the abdominal muscles. This workout teaches hip hop choreography while sculpting the body. It's one of the newest dance oriented workouts on the market that has gained a lot of exposure.
From the website: "Secrets to Flat Abs:
I'll show you my exclusive training techniques that target your upper abs, lower abs, and obliques while you burn fat. Just Tilt, Tuck & Tighten and you're on your way to a flat, sexy midsection.
Fat Burning Cardio:
This is not your mama's aerobic video. You'll burn calories and shed fat with my fun, hip dance moves set to the same hot music you hear on the radio.
Ab Sculpt:
I'll give you more of my signature ab moves to get you the six-pack you've always wanted without a single sit-up or crunch.
Total Body Burn:
My head-to-toe workout combines cardio and total body sculpting with even more ab-defining moves. You'll have a blast while you burn fat and get a lean, tight body."
Cardio Belly Dance Workout
Belly Dancing has always been a great way to tone the tummy area. Many people are drawn to this exotic and fun way to work the torso and the hips.
Numerous belly dancing workout tapes have been popping up, people are drawn to this spiritual and sensual way to get into shape. The exercise goer who is looking to get in touch with her inner goddess whil sculpting her belly will be drawn to this fun and exotic workout!
From the website: "Past and present, Bellydance encourages each dancer to celebrate her personal inner beauty. As well, dancers are taught basic universal steps, but are able and encouraged to mold and transform the dance into their own. The philosophy being that the dance is what you put into it and what you want to get out of it. Bellydance is now performed worldwide as entertainment, art, in religious ceremonies, as a birth dance and as a fitness regiment."
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