Conditioning for Performers
-To have a significant influence on or determine (the manner or outcome of something).
Focusing on conditioning during training as a dancer and singer can be a great tool in helping prepare you for those long hour and half or two hour performances a day. That is not meaning to take any credit away from the repeating bouts of activity during a single number that seemed to be choreographed to drain you from all you’ve got. While the hours put in rehearsals, dance, and voice classes do play a part in preparing you for these demands you cannot solely depend on that to maintain and improve your conditioning on stage. Keep in mind that you are expected to do this 8x a week and deliver the same energy and precision every time.
Conditioning goes beyond being fit enough to deliver a good performance. The combination of conditioning in your dance classes along with conditioning done with outside training influences how your body will behave when faced with the particular demands each show brings. Not one show is alike and as such it is your responsibility to determine the state your body will be in when it meets the unforeseeable conditions particular to each show. Our goal when training athletes and performers is to create a context — defined by the exercise selection, intensity of the work, and the position of our bodies and the weight during training — that will OVER prepare you so that when its close to the end of the week and you have to bring the same energy you showed on opening night you are confident you took all the measures necessary to physically prime yourself for that show.
By manipulating position of the body and the weight we can drive the results we are looking for to benefit long term singing and dancing during performances. We can encourage our ribs to stack atop our pelvis, which in turn will enable the diaphragm to descend and ascend properly as we breath allowing our bodies to have better control of the air supply available and manipulate abdominal tension to increase vocal endurance. Not too dissimilar from what a dancer might need when recovering in the middle of a performance. You want to be able to breathe properly during shows to boost recovery. The biggest challenge is to be able to maintain the level of energy required of you for those big leaps, transitions, and lifts all while keeping a big smile and not compromising your body multiple times a week. Think back at how many times you pulled a hamstring, tweaked your ankle, pinched your lower back, or injured your shoulder because your body was tired but mentally you want to end strong.
On the left Ribs and Pelvis stacked on top of each other for diaphragm ascend and descend. On right, typical stance during performances and daily activities: ribs flared out and pelvis tilted forward/down preventing effective ascend and descend of diaphragm.
This is why conditioning is more than the idea that you will be stage fit simply by doing the weekly performances or that by adding more of the same dance classes you promote better fitness. It is the ability to accustom your body to react, adapt, and thrive in every possible context and position you could encounter.
