Thursday 30 May 2013

Kids Benefit from a Home Ballet Barre


Having a ballet barre at home can help your aspiring dancer to set and reach new goals. Doing home ballet barre exercises can help her to protect herself from injury, as well. Whether you are a dancer yourself or not, bringing ballet into your home will be beneficial to you and your child.

Little girls are attracted to ballet because the dancers look like magical fairies or princesses on stage. Parents know that it's only a matter of time from the first time she sees The Nutcracker until their daughter asks the inevitable question: Can I take ballet lessons?

When weighing the decision, you should keep in mind that ballet dancing comes with some strong benefits, and having a ballet barre at home can enhance those benefits further.

1. Self Confidence. Little girls who take dance are more confident in their bodies and abilities as they grow up, especially when their parents are involved.

2. Physical Health. Dancing keeps muscles and joints strong. It also releases healthy endorphins and other chemicals which promote healing and growth.

3. Mental Health. Life is tough, even for your little one. Between school, friends and just plain growing up, even kids need a healthy stress release. The combination of healthy physical movement and mental focus provides the perfect avenue for your child's mental well-being.

4. Focus. Doing activities outside of school, such as dance, helps kids to focus in the classroom. The discipline of dance doesn't just stay in the studio, it affects everything your child puts her mind to.

All the benefits of dance are even stronger if you, the parent, stays involved. Your child is more likely to stick with her dancing if you have a home ballet barre, even if she only does a few minutes of barre exercises a day. Encourage her to do them and set up a schedule for them. Even if you are not a dancer, your encouragement will make all the difference in the world. 

Please contact us to find out more about quality ballet barres for your home from Boss Ballet Barres.

Friday 17 May 2013

Free Standing Ballet Barres, a Ballet Dancer's Best Friend


"Learning to walk sets you free. Learning to dance gives you the greatest freedom of all: to express with your whole self the person you are." -Melissa Hayden

Before a dancer can perform with the freedom described above, there are years of careful training at the barre. The ballet barre is an essential tool for any dancer, for the youngest novice to the seasoned professional. Professional dancers will often bring their own free standing ballet barres to warm up with when they tour. This helps them to keep their bodies limber and keep their routine.

The ballet barre is meant to act as a support for dancers. It is not meant to carry weight. The barre should be adjusted to the correct level so that a dancer's hand can rest comfortably on it. It helps to think of gripping a barre the way you would hold the hand of a friend. Lightly, in other words. This is especially true of a free standing ballet barre. In keeping a light grip on the barre, you will develop your own strength and balance.

The ballet barre has now moved beyond the confines of dance studios. Many fitness routines are now incorporating dance moves as part of their workouts. Dance moves help to maintain balance and flexibility. They also help to create overall muscle tone. A
free standing ballet barre is a perfect accessory to dance inspired workouts! We carry several styles of freestanding ballet barres. Many styles are just right for a home workout space.

Some are small and light, perfect for young dancers and fitness enthusiasts. There are also larger, more solid options for everyday use. Finally, there are large, professional scale options that can accommodate several dancers at once. All of these options means that there is a
free standing ballet barre to meet every need.

When used properly, a portable ballet barre makes the perfect dance or exercise partner. We carry several styles and sizes.
Contact us today to find out which portable ballet barre is right for your needs.

Thursday 9 May 2013

The Importance of Repetitive Exercises with Dance Barres


You've read a lot in our blog about the quality of dance barres at Boss Ballet Barres, about reasons for dancers to purchase an at-home ballet barre, and about various uses for portable ballet barres. If you are a beginning dancer, you have noticed that every dance class starts with barre exercises--often, the same exercises over and over. You might wonder: What is the point? Why should I do the same exercises at dance barres during every session in the studio?

There are some very good, scientific reasons for doing repetitive exercises at your studio's dance barres.

  • Repetitive movements train muscle fibers. The more you diligently perform your barre exercises, the more your muscles will actually change their physiology to better perform the graceful motions of dance. In a nutshell, you will actually change your structure to be a better dancer with repetitive barre exercises.
  • Dance barre exercises will help you strengthen the connection between your nervous system and your muscles. You need brain signals to communicate with your body in order to perform dance moves. The repetition of barre exercises sets up an effective auto-pilot. If you are a beginner, each movement you make is conscious, and might feel awkward at first. By the time you are featured in Swan Lake, all your basic moves will be as natural as breathing, all because of the time you logged at dance barres.
  • Putting in time at dance barres puts you in the right frame of mind. It is just as important--maybe more important--for dancers to warm up body and mind before training as it is for runners and other athletes. Getting your head in the game and limbering up your body prepares you for a more effective class, and protects you from strains and sprains. Think of it this way: spend extra time at the barre and you'll avoid wasting time on half-hearted practices or, worse, recovering from an injury.

Please contact us for more information about quality dance barres.

Thursday 2 May 2013

Who Needs a Portable Ballet Barre?


Perhaps you have considered buying a ballet barre for your home or business. There are lots of great reasons to have your own ballet barre, including being able to exercise or rehearse on your own schedule. Boss Ballet Barres can help. For some dancers and instructors, a permanent barre is not an option. Boss Ballet Barres can help you, too. For you, a portable ballet barre could be a great choice. Here are some people who may want to look into the freedom of not being bolted down:

  • Dancers who rent their home. Most landlords frown upon the installation of furniture and accessories, including a ballet barre, when it means their property could be marred. Setting up a sturdy, well-crafted portable ballet barre is the perfect compromise: no damage to the digs, and you can take your barre with you wherever life takes you.
  • Instructors who rent their studios, or who have a transient space. If you teach dance in a school gym, or at a summer camp, sometimes the space is a bit, well, lacking in amenities. The portable ballet barre is a great solution for this situation. Plus, you might become more marketable as a traveling instructor: Have barre, will travel!
  • Dancers and instructors who want to give demonstrations outside the studio. Street festivals and public parks are great places to promote the arts, and your studio in particular.
  • Those who might want to set up a class, or just rehearse, in the great outdoors. Lots of people are doing it. Yoga, cross-fit, walking and jogging...why not dance? What better way to connect your passion and your world than to bring your portable barre outside and absorb nature while you dance.

Please contact us for all your portable ballet barre questions and needs.