Does Gymnastics Affect Ballet?

Question

I'm considering starting Gymnastics, but I've been told that it'll negatively affect my ballet performance, because it makes you muscular rather than the wispy look that is a distinct look of Ballet. I've been doing ballet for 10 years, and am considering going pro. Will Gymnastics make it harder to train at the Royal Ballet School, considering the thing they care most about after skill is aesthetics?

Answer 1

There is that chance - but the extra muscle strength might be a good thing.

Good luck!!!

Answer 2

Yes, gymnastics will affect your ballet, but it sounds like you think you'll end up looking like some steroid popping body builder if you take gymnastics. You won't, trust me. What you will gain is more upper body strength since gymnastics trains the upper body as rigorously as the lower while ballet focuses much more on the legs and back than the arms (other than to have a graceful port de bras). I did both and I found that I didn't pack on the muscle when I was doing gymnastics and I still was rail thin.

What you need to be more concerned about is injury - with all the tumbling you'll be doing you may end up with an injury from gymnastics simply because this is a new skill you're acquiring and you have to expect a couple of knocks and bruises when you're starting out.

The other thing is that if you're going to go pro in ballet, you'll have to work hard to find the time to take gymnastics classes as well as all the ballet classes and rehearsals you'll be doing.

Lots of serious ballet teachers try to discourage their students from taking other sports or hobbies that are physical (you should have heard our ballet mistress cluck and grumble about one of the dancers who started doing track and field!) but I think being well rounded is always an advantage.

Hope this helps!

Answer 3

Listen to shirasaya's answer up there, she is right.

The only thing I would add is: consider acrobatics instead of full gymnastics. Many dancers take acrobatics. This term incorporates all the limber/flexibility work of gymnastics (floor work only) and uses those skills for performing rather than competing. You can still learn the tumbling skills without training vault, bars or beam. Vault and bars require a good deal of strength and power. I know many tumblers who have long/lean body lines and their skills are beautiful.

You'll just have to look at all the benefits and negatives of pursuing gymnastics training and what it may do to your ballet career. You may consider that gymnastics will make you a more well rounded dancer and could benefit you if you pursued dancing outside of ballet. Or you may decide that ballet is absolutely it for you and you don't want to do anything that would put that career choice in jeopardy.

Answer 4

yes. i did ballet for nine years and after starting gymnastics adn tumbling, my ballet dancing was affected - in a negative way. gymnasts tend to have a heavier, more pounding step, unlike dancers, who should have a light step. however, gymnastics BEFORE ballet does increase flexiblity. if u r REALLY serious about dancing (which it seems like u r) dont do gymnastics. also you would most likely not be able to start gymnastics if your over the age of like 7, (which u have to be), gymnastics, like ballet is a liflong commitment which requires training at least 5 days a week.

Answer 5

It would probably depend on how often and how hard you do gymnastics. Since styles really important when doing ballet, it'd be better that you don't do anything that would make you have muscles not needed for ballet. But if it's just a bit, then I think it'd be a good thing to make you flexible!

Answer 6

definite, it ought to truly result your performance. This female on so that you imagine you may dance Australia had performed gymnastics for years yet then she were given scoliosis and then picked up dancing extremely and now she has adjusted to it. Ballet is amazingly difficult to %. up once you've scoliosis besides the indisputable fact that that is a chance that you will be good at it. I recommend you need to probably see a known practitioner because the overall practitioner would understand the superb. i do not understand a lot about scoliosis,yet you've a difficulty in case you want to bypass on pointe and so on and so on

Answer 7

i thin it would be fine for you to take gymnastics. sure you might get more muscular but that can only really benifit your ballet, if you look closely many ballet dancers have a lot of muscle, which is a good thing!

Answer 8

well you can get more muscular but it makes you more flexible I know a girl that has been in gymnastics for a long time but she is petite and not muscular at all gymnastics and muscles don't always go together but a lot of dancers are muscular too and i mean professionals!

Answer 9

Yes it definitely does affect it. They are both about flexibility but there can be a slight difference in gymnastic.It might help in one way but might not in another way.