5 October 2017 at 2.21pm | 50 Comments
Have you ever wanted to improve your fitness through dance but have no idea where to begin?
A new free-to-watch YouTube series from The Royal Ballet allows avid fans and newcomers alike from around the world to improve their fitness through dance-based exercises.
Royal Ballet Fit will see a new episode released each Thursday via the Royal Opera House YouTube channel and is presented by Company First Artist Tara-Brigitte Bhavnani. The first episode was released as part of World Ballet Day 2017.
'I guarantee if you can bring these exercises and tips into your daily life, you'll feel better about yourself, you'll stand taller and you're going to feel more confident', says Tara.
The first video explores posture exercises:
The second video explores exercises at the barre:
The third video shows techniques used in the centre of the rehearsal room, without the support of the barre:
Receive notifications about future clips like this but subscribing to the Royal Opera House YouTube channel:
The initial series is a pilot, so we'd love to hear your thoughts about the episodes.
What are your thoughts about the style and format? Do you feel they're pitched correctly in terms of difficulty?
Let us know by commenting below or via YouTube.
5 October 2017 at 2.21pm
This article has been categorised Ballet and tagged Ballet fit, barrecore, exercise, fitness, Tara-Brigitte Bhavnani, wellness, YouTube
This article has 50 comments
Fabulous !!
It should be on TV also
(get everyone up of the sofa)
Thank you for bringing us these series. I would like improve my fitness through dance and learn exercises at the barre and centre.
I did the exercises of the first video. The style and format are clear and well organized. In my opinion they are pitched correctly in terms of difficulty. The exercises on the floor help me to improve my standing up position.
Thank you
Great video - great idea - congrats !!!
Excellent instruction. I look forward to future episodes of Royal Ballet Fit.
Amazing! Thank you so much for bringing to us a way of excersing that we can do within our own home without spending hundreds of our hard earned money on gym memberships, or classes that I will never really go to. I really struggle to do any excerise as I am really self concious so hate going to classes and the gym. Also I used to do ballet (at the sweet age of 3) and then much later on modern dance so I love being able to go back to exercises I used to do.
A couple of points: could the dancer not wear black? Very difficult to see what's happening. Could the camera film the dancer's side which is being corrected? Could you use a dancer who doesn't have sway-back legs? I thought the heels had to be touching while in first position.
Looking forward to more videos.
Excellent presentation!
What a brilliant idea, these exercises are achievable for most and so clearly explained that I was inspired to have a go immediately. More please. Music is lovely too.
Really enjoyed this. Felt achievable for someone who needs to improve their core. Can’t wait for episode two.
Fantastic! Pink would be nice, though.
As a Pilates teacher (and former ballet dancer). I would prefer to see the exercises demonstrated in neutral spine - this student is exercising with a posterior pelvic tilt, flattening out the natural lumbar curve. This is common in ballet dancers but I think it would be more beneficial to demonstrate in neutral and for viewers to learn and exercise in neutral.
Well taught and well described. Perfect for the beginner, but anyone can benefit from going back to basics! Looking forward to more of these.
Looks great. Can I suggest another set of videos by men for men?
Excellent - look forward to more of these videos being published
These are great exercises that will help with posture and toning but nothing in this session will improve ‘fitness’. Is there an element of cardio to come?
Hi Merilyn,
This is the first of three videos and is intended to serve as a warm up before the second two videos are released. Glad you like the exercises; let us know what you think when the next two are released later this week and the following week.
Many thanks,
Mel
This is amazing - Thank you - I can already feel the benefit of doing these excercises - I am 71 and so need to develop core strength and balance - I hope these sessions continue.
Less intro - edit for a quicker pace to fit in more exercises
Really nice and clear and long-awaited ballet based workout from the Royal Opera House! Would be nice to see a full workout along with the short explainer videos. Thank you!
Engaging and nicely explained and demonstrated so, yes, I shall be watching more. But what about breathing, should I breathe in or out on performing the exercise? (Really enjoyed the music as well, makes the session feel like a ballet class.)
These are great warm-up exercises as it is very good to learn proper stability and squaring of the core before making larger movements. I do a lot of yoga and have learned that proper posture is essential in order to reap the full benefits of exercise. Slow, controlled movements are more intense. I look forward to the next two videos. Thanks for making and sharing this exercise series.
I am a Pilates instructor and loved the exercises, the music and the grace in the execution.
I agree that you need to show the dancer without skirt etc to have a clear picture of the movement and again up-down angle with camera to see the subtle change of movement . Could be really clever and show the muscle structure you're working on in pictures like 4D so people really can see what their working on ?
Good basic start .
A great idea and thank you but it does not (unless I missed it?) say anything about considering your age or individual fitness. It's good a lady of 71 is doing them but I wonder if she has maybe done some dance and or Pilates before? Otherwise it could be a bit of a shock to the system!!
Perfect pace & difficult excercises to get right. Speed is not the answer Aimee. Thank you RBS. What is the teacher's name? You should have introduced yourself a bit more thoroughly.
Glad you're enjoying the series, Catherine.
The series is presented by Royal Ballet First Artist Tara-Brigitte Bhavnani.
Thanks
Chris
Liked these videos. Interesting that we do very similar exercises in our yoga class. Slow and controlled is the key. Very welcome innovation by RB thank you.
Ms. Bhavnani is a wonderful presenter, and I love the variety of the workouts. The exercises make for a perfect break during a day spent at the computer. They make me want to straighten up and aim for the presenters' poise. In doing so, I feel better. Thank you, Royal Ballet, for the videos.
Lovely and useful video, presented so calmly and peacefully. The exercises are excellent and the focus on strenthening and using the core and have a direct usefulness in Tai Chi, singing and just plain breathing.
I'm loving this series, please keep them going - I'm in my 60s so any exercises for stiff knees, backs and general mobility would be helpful!
Great series - as an adult learner and new to ballet - these are a great addition to my weekly class.
its great feeling watching the videos, looking forward to seeing more and doing them all again at home! great initiative!
Loving these core and posture exercises. Makes me feel graceful and tall and I am sure a necessity for my Flamenco dance classes.Thank you so much Royal Ballet
Great series. I will be sharing with my elders ballet class(all aged over 55)-thank you
These exercises are making a real difference to my life - thank you so much. I am 71 but am getting better each time and feeling stronger.
Excellent exercises!! Thank you for posting them! There is knowledge on teaching children and teenagers. With the Silver Swans, the road to ballet opens for the ''over 55''. What about the 40-45 years old lady or man, who without any prior experience in ballet, wants to start practicing ballet?
Love these hope there will be more. A DVD would be lovely. Subtle hint.
These are the only formal excercises I've ever enjoyed repeating daily. The music, introduction and pitch (difficulty) are perfect. Listening to the instruction and pianist give a real feeling of inclusion and personal teaching. More please!
This is a brilliant idea and quite well put together. Easy to follow in real time, the pace is good to learn to recognise what muscles are working. The exercises are fantastic for my posture and to relieve back pain.
I would love it if Tara-Brigitte could tell us a bit more about which muscles are called into action with each exercise and why exercising them is important for or what move/step the exercise is working towards (out of curiosity).
I have really enjoyed the first 2 episodes already feeling it is helping with easing my back pain! Thank you Royal Ballet
Very nice and very achievable form of excercises...very well presented too. Will definitely follow them.
I have just discovered these Royal Ballet Fit clips and love them.Are there more we can subscribe to. Wendy from New Zealand
I really enjoyed these Fit clips and it's a great idea. The best thing about them though is Tara - what a fantastic teacher. She is warm and natural her approach and although she is a beautiful dancer and has many years to go yet I hope she is feeling confident in the knowledge that she has another successful career awaiting her.
I really enjoyed these but even though I'm not very fit, they are too slow and stop-start for me. A final video with all the exercises and no instructions would be good.
I like the concept, I already teach a class just like this. A combination of Pilates and basic ballet. We use a continuous sound track that’s got higher energy and don’t stop moving at all. Keeping the ballet basics there but also increasing the heart rate for the cardio element to increase fitness levels. Lovely clear presenting :) might be nice to have a ‘Normal’ person taking part too - to show it’s a genuinely accessible exercise choice?
We can use this when we need to dance.
Great series! Thanks! It would be good to have a reminder script and the accompanying music so as to practice the exercises every day!
Great idea, but we need more - a weekly update would be a great idea.