The Core or Center

Today I thought we’d look at the area of the body which most dancers refer to as the core, or the center, of the body. Sometimes these terms can be confusing. So lets start by trying to define them. This article called Dancing from the Centre, speaks of the elusiveness of the language we use in dance when we talk about “the center”. This is an in-depth article which offers several perspectives on finding or describing one’s center. However, it’s this bit that gives some insight about what a teacher usually means when he/she talks of center.

I have discovered there are several terms used to talk about this mysterious ‘centre’. Amongst them are: ‘the core’, ‘centre of gravity’ and ‘centre of weight’. When teachers talk about ‘the core’ or ‘the centre’ it has been my finding that they are after an engagement of the abdominal muscles in their students; a muscular engagement that is evidenced both visually and aesthetically in their students’ dancing.

I want to note that the author goes on to show how the center of gravity or weight is different from this “engagement of the abdominal muscles.” But what exactly does it mean to engage your abdominals? I’ve used the phrase many times with my own students only to receive blank stares, so obviously we need to dig deeper. To do so, we need to consider how the abdominal muscles function. Deborah Vogel from The Body Series explains the idea of engaging (or “pulling up” as you’ll hear in many dance classrooms) through a description of isometric contraction and the use of imagery. I often use the idea of lacing abdominals with my own students because it was an image that clicked for me the first time I heard it. Go ahead, try this image now… Really imagine it, use your minds eye to feel the laces crossed over your torso and slowly cinch them inward (not too tight, you should be able to breathe), bringing the abdomen and organs closer to your spine which runs down the center of your body. It may take some practice but eventually this activation of the muscles can become second nature. By the way, Deborah has some other great resources at her site – check out the Core Stability DVD, and Deborah’s Dancing Smart ebook for more exercises, technique and tips.

More than just the abdominal muscles is involved in stabilizing and strengthening “the core” for dance. A brief description of the muscle groups (left) that, from an anatomical perspective, form the core can be found here. All of these muscles must be strengthened to enhance your dance technique. Special equipment is not necessarily required, but an understanding of how the body works is key to working more intelligently while you’re in class. There are also lots of simple things you can work on outside of class that will strengthen your core muscles. Practicing engaging your abdominals as you do daily activities will not only strengthen, but create a habit of supporting movement using your core, freeing you to focus on other things as you dance. For ballet, Dianne has some suggestions for core exercise. Make sure your retiré position is properly turned-out and aligned as you do this work (have a teacher check it out if you’re not sure).

So, now that we better understand the core, or center and how we’re expected to use it when we dance, there’s one remaining question that someone may still be asking…. WHY? What’s the big deal about this magical part of the body? Why is it so important to my dancing? The answer is freedom. Freedom is what comes from strengthening, engaging, and stabilizing the core. Amber is a blogger and swing dance teacher that recently provided an image to explain the freedom that comes with a strong core, which I plan on stealing (…er, borrowing) because that’s what teachers do! I encourage you to read her post for yourself (don’t miss the spaghetti and brick imagery), but she points out that a feather has a solid core which allows it’s feathery arms to move with ease as it glides through space. This isn’t a perfect image (a feather’s core can be a bit stiff), but it does reinforce the idea that your arms, legs, shoulders, hips, neck, and head all have the freedom to do what you will as long as your core is solid and, once you’ve discovered this freedom, your technique will soar.

What do you do to strengthen your core?

What are some other images that helped you find your centre?

Related posts:

1. How to do a Proper “Crunch”
2. Talking Technique
3. Two Heads Are Better Than One

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.