by Kyra Laubacher | Jan 28, 2026 | Cross-Training, Health & Body, Pointe+
When Lydia Marbach tried Pilates growing up, and later as a dance major at the University of Arizona, mat classes didn’t quite resonate. It wasn’t until a few years later, after joining Rochester City Ballet, that she accompanied fellow dancer Jessica Tretter to a...
by Catie Robinson | Oct 14, 2025 | Cross-Training, Dance History, Health & Body, Pointe+, Training
Today, the presence of a Pilates reformer in a ballet company’s training facilities is commonplace, and many dancers turn to Pilates exercises to cross-train or rehabilitate from injuries. But how did Pilates become a go-to exercise method for ballet dancers? The...
by Amy Brandt | Mar 27, 2024 | Cross-Training, Health & Body, Pointe+
We’ve all been in those situations before an important audition or performance—a crowded hallway, a cramped dressing room. It’s not always easy to prep your body for what’s to come when you’ve got a small space to work within. Integrative movement coach Bennalldra...
by Madeline Schrock | Nov 15, 2017 | Cross-Training, Health & Body
The Pilates hundred is a popular exercise used by many dancers for conditioning and warming up, but it’s also one of the most misunderstood. Pumping your arms for 100 counts sounds simple enough, but it requires coordinated breathwork, a leg position that suits...
by Emma Love Suddarth | Jul 21, 2017 | Health & Body
Monday morning class after a three-day weekend? Stiff. After eight weeks off? Agonizing. For most professional dancers on their summer layoff, a break from the daily grind is simultaneously exciting and unnerving. These months are often reserved for recovery and...
by Madeline Schrock | May 31, 2014 | Company Life
5-Minute Pilates Pilates has long been a go-to warm-up for ballet dancers, promising longer, stronger muscles and a more powerful, connected core. Experienced practitioners can even whiz through the beginning mat series—a group of 18 exercises—in just 10...
by Madeline Schrock | May 31, 2014 | Company Life
Pilates has long been a go-to warm-up for ballet dancers, promising longer, stronger muscles and a more powerful, connected core. Experienced practitioners can even whiz through the beginning mat series—a group of 18 exercises—in just 10 to 12 minutes. But if you only...
by Nancy Wozny | Aug 1, 2009 | Company Life
When San Francisco Ballet soloist Elizabeth Miner found herself huffing and puffing through David Bintley’s The Dance House, she knew it was time to increase her cross-training. “The piece was nonstop,” says Miner. “Just running it was not enough. I needed to build my...
