Do Football Players Do Ballet?
Ballet and football are often considered to be complete opposites of one-another. Whereas football is often seen and regarded as a rough-and-tumble sport, requiring masculinity, grit, fortitude, and perseverance to reach the end zone, ballet is seen as more effeminate, graceful, and done with poise.
However, football players, looking for an edge in the sport, will often turn to ballet to help fine-tune their skills, agility, speed, and flexibility.
Below, we are going to look into just whether or not football players do ballet, the exact reasons why so many football players practice ballet, how ballet can help football players to gain an edge over their competitors, and whether or not incorporating ballet into your own routine would be a useful exercise.
What Is Ballet?
Ballet is one of the oldest performance dances in the world. Originally originating during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century, it would be later developed into a concert dance form in both France and Russia.
Ballet, perhaps more than any other dance form, has had global influence and has defined the foundational techniques which are found in so many other dance genres and cultures.
However, what distinguishes ballet from so many other dance genres, is that it is a unified work which is comprised of choreography and music specifically for a production. While classical ballets were usually performed with classical music and elaborate costumes and staging, more modern versions feature simple costumes and without elaborate sets.
What Are The Benefits of Ballet?
Ballet, in a similar vein to yoga, provides a holistic approach to life-long wellness and care for the ballet dancer. An excellent workout for the entire body, ballet is a weight-bearing form of exercise and is able to strengthen the muscles, promote healthy bones, and can be used as a weight-loss regimen.
Similarly, and even further, as ballet utilizes the full range of muscles, it is a great exercise for coordination and concentration. In addition, ballet provides flexibility, improves stamina, posture, and energy, and helps to improve both balance and breathing.
Below, we are going to list the full benefits of ballet, as mentioned on Ballet Fusion.
- Improves flexibility
- Tones muscles
- Improves muscle strength
- Lengthens muscles
- Improves stamina
- Improves coordination
- Improves posture
- Increased energy
- Great for mindfulness and calming
- Improves concentration
- Increases metabolic rate
- Great for expression
- Improves self confidence
- Improves balance
- Assists with lymph drainage
- Releases endorphins
- Improves breathing
- Burns calories
- Fends off dementia
- Keeps bones strong
Why Do Football Players Practice Ballet?
As mentioned above, ballet can provide a plethora of benefits to the participant. From improved breathing, to coordination and balance, to increased stamina and energy. Ballet is one of the only full-body workouts which truly incorporates all muscles and body groups into the activity.
And for football players looking to gain an edge over their competitors, ballet offers one of the best and easiest ways to do so. In football, stamina and endurance are key to fending off competitors and maintaining an edge in the game.
By practicing and engaging in ballet, these football players are able to train both their body and their minds to withstand the grueling hours of practice and repeated abuse on the gridiron.
In addition, with ballet providing a practical and straightforward means to improving balance, coordination, and concentration, football players are better able to transfer those skills from the dance studio to the football field.
Is Engaging In Ballet Embarrassing?
While many football players like to portray themselves as ultra-macho and masculine, the truth of the matter is that any sport, dance, or activity which can give a user an edge in their sport should be engaged in or attempted.
And while ballet is typically considered to be a feminine activity, the truth is that a plethora of men engage in the activity to help improve their mind and body and their overall wellbeing. Ballet provides a vast list of health benefits which many other sports simply cannot.
As such, we highly recommend attempting to learn some of the basics of the dance, if only to improve your abilities on the gridiron. However, if you do feel embarrassed about attending a yoga class or to be seen in a yoga studio, there are plenty of classes available online to help you gain the benefits of yoga.
For starters, we recommend checking out both Learn Ballet Online and Dancio. Both Learn Ballet Online and Dancio provide a wealth of information, knowledge, and videos on the basics of the dance and will help you to get started in ballet.
However, we do recommend purchasing a ballet barre for home use. Having a ballet barre will help you to perform the sets and routines more properly and easily. We personally recommend this adjustable and portable ballet barre which can be adjusted to fit your height preference.
Famous Athletes Who Did Ballet
As mentioned above, a number of world-class athletes have engaged and practiced ballet to help improve their abilities in their given sport. Below, we are going to review a few of these famous athletes and their thoughts on the dance.
- Lynn Swann – a former American football player, Swann states that ballet, “People don’t understand the physicality of dance. Rhythm, timing, body control, coordination. The finish of one move is also the preparation for the next move. I started developing an ability to feel very comfortable in the air. Some of the catches I made that you see in the highlights, I am up in the air catching a pass. Body control comes into play, the dance ability comes into play and boom, it’s all there”.
- Herschel Walker – another former football player and MMA fighter, Walker states, “Ballet is probably one of the hardest things I have done, almost like MMA. People don’t give it a lot of credit and think it is easy. But it is very difficult. For athletes, you use muscles you really don’t use and ballet is something I really respect”.
- Evander Holyfield – a former heavyweight boxer, Holyfield states on ballet, “I’m a lot more flexible since I’ve been working with her. I don’t get hit with the shots I used to get hit with. It’s not that I didn’t used to see the punches coming; I was just too stiff to get away from them sometimes.”.