Work it out: new fitness DVDs, videos, and books.Advanced Pilates Mat with Ring and Roller Video by Bally Total Fitness Bally Total Fitness is an American health club chain with 400 gyms in 70 cities, and claims 4 million customers [1]. The chain has recently opened gyms in South Korea, China & the Bahamas. . $29.95. www.pilates.com Approach: Traditional Pilates exercises souped up Souped up is a slang term referring to a vehicle which has modifications that may appeal to ones eye or may include performance items. An engine is souped-up when it is mechanically modified so it produces more power than the stock engine. with two foam rollers and two rings to increase difficulty. Great for dancers interested in supplementing class with a core workout and/or those who want to work their abs and flexibility at home. Best Quote: "It's as if you are going to put your knee in your ear." Special Bonus: Elizabeth Larkam, who has perfect form and a quintessential long, lean Pilates body, paces the exercises slowly and methodically. Zena Rommett Floor-Barre Technique Produced by Zena Rommett Dance Foundation. $30-40. www.floor-barre.org Approach: Gentle but sophisticated, Rommett's famous floor barre is ideal for dancers recuperating from an injury or wanting to reinforce proper alignment. Emphasizes hip, knee, and ankle placement in exercises on the floor. Includes a routine specifically for younger students. Special Bonus: In Series II, the center exercises are demonstrated by dancers from American Ballet Theatre American Ballet Theatre, one of the foremost international dance companies of the 20th cent. It was founded in 1937 as the Mordkin Ballet and reorganized as the Ballet Theatre in 1940 under the direction of Lucia Chase and Rich Pleasant. , New York City Ballet New York City Ballet, one of the foremost American dance companies of the 20th cent. It was founded by Lincoln Kirstein and George Balanchine as the Ballet Society in 1946. , and the Joffrey Ballet. Yogalift VHS (Video Home System) A half-inch, analog videocassette recorder (VCR) format introduced by JVC in 1976 to compete with Sony's Betamax, introduced a year earlier. $19.95; DVD DVD: see digital versatile disc. DVD in full digital video disc or digital versatile disc Type of optical disc. The DVD represents the second generation of compact-disc (CD) technology. $24.95. www.yogalift.com Approach: A 30-minute workout with weights, followed by 30 minutes of yoga and then relaxation. Great for a day off when a dancer needs to stretch and tone without strain and pay attention to breathing. Best Quote: "Begin by acknowledging the body." Drawback: It's dangerous to do hammer curls and other weight-lifting exercises holding dumbbells without wearing shoes. Masala Bhangra bhangra (bhängˑ·r  ),n Latin name: Eclipta alba; Workout, Volume IV DVD, 58-minute class plus interview with Sarina Jain. $19.95. www.masaladance.com or www.sarinajain.com Approach: Merging dances from northern India with a dance/cardio workout followed by squats, hinges, weights, and sit-ups. Special bonus: The music by Athul Prashar is fantastic and Sarina exudes high energy. Drawback: The sculpting sculpting Cosmetic surgery The surgical reshaping of a tissue. See Deep tissue sculpting, Facial sculpting. portion is a little rushed without much attention to proper form/alignment. Not Just Any Body & Soul: Health, Well-being and Excellence in Dance Edited by Miriam van der Linden. 102 pages. Uitgeverij International Theatre & Film Books, 2004. 19.50 Euros. www.theaterboekwinkel.nl/boekwinkel/balleten-dans/index.html Approach: This report from an international conference provides practical, can't-put-it-down reading, and it offers perspectives on subjects ranging from reconciling real and ideal bodies and the necessity of an ethical environment to promote physical and emotional well-being. Best Quote: "Things aren't valuable just because they're difficult."--Peggy Baker, quoted in an article by Deborah Jowitt. Special bonus: Includes insights from an anthropologist, psychotherapist psy·cho·ther·a·pist n. An individual, such as a psychiatrist, psychologist, psychiatric nurse, or psychiatric social worker, who practices psychotherapy. , and physiologist. Belly Dancing: The Sensual Art of Energy and Spirit By Pina Coluccia, Anette Paffrath, and Jean Putz. 192 Pages. Park Street Press, 2005. $19.95. Approach: Traces the roots of belly dancing back to Artemis, Ishtar, Aphrodite Aphrodite (ăfrədī`tē), in Greek religion and mythology, goddess of fertility, love, and beauty. Homer designated her the child of Zeus and Dione. , and Salome, with exercises and beautiful photos. Delves into the health-related benefits as well as the history and power of this dance form, with passing mention of dance greats Nijinsky and Wigman. Drawback: Even with step-by-step instructions and photos, it's a little difficult to follow without a video or DVD. Special bonus: Recipes for making your own perfume and Middle Eastern cuisine The term Middle Eastern cuisine refers to the various cuisines of the Middle East. Despite their similarities, there are considerable differences in climate and culture, so that the term is not particularly useful. . Finding Balance: Fitness, Training, and Health for a Lifetime in Dance By Gigi Berardi. 274 pages. Routledge, 2005. $36.95. Approach: Wide-ranging discussion about fitness, training, and health. Includes personal accounts of challenges faced by dancers. Special bonus: NYCB NYCB New York City Ballet NYCB New York Community Bank principals Jenifer Ringer and James Fayette offer perspectives on dieting and relationships. Bottom line: Essential for intelligent, conscientious dancers. Physics and the Art of Dance: Understanding Movement By Kenneth Laws. 236 pages. Oxford University Press paperback, 2005. $24.95. Approach: Presents the science behind turns, jumps, and partnering. The author analyzes great moments in ballet like Baryshnikov's 11 pirouettes in White Nights and explains how dancers perform these superhuman su·per·hu·man adj. 1. Above or beyond the human; preternatural or supernatural. 2. Beyond ordinary or normal human ability, power, or experience: "soldiers driven mad by superhuman misery" feats. Special bonus: Diagrams and equations, plus Martha Swope's beautiful photographs. Straighter, Stronger, Leaner, Longer: A Head-to-Toe Strengthening, Stretching, and Pain-Relieving Program Renee Daniels with Janice Billingsley. 215 pages. Avery Publishing Group, 2005. $18.95. Approach: Fitness remedies for aching joints and poor posture prescribed by personal trainer and former Ailey dancer Renee Daniels. Best Quote: "A lot of people are the unwitting architects of their own discomfort." Drawback: Great for non-dancers, may be a little simple for professionals. Special bonus: Learn how to get relief with props like a rope or towel and physioball. Stretching By Suzanne Martin. 160 pages. DK Publishing, 2005. $15. Approach: Specific stretches for different parts of the body from the neck to feet, given by physical therapist and DANCE MAGAZINE columnist Suzanne Martin. Also gives exercises for long flights, pregnancy, post-pregnancy and the later years. Special bonus: 21-Day Posture Program offers effective rebalancing Rebalancing The process of realigning the weightings of one's portfolio of assets. Notes: For example, if your portfolio's proportion of stock has grown too large for your intended assets weightings and risk tolerance, you might rebalance by selling some stock and putting of the body. |
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