Shoulder Stability
Protecting Your Upper Body
As dancers, we are so focused on our posture and lower body technique. But what about our shoulders, neck, and spine? Most of our artistry actually initiates from our upper body, where the audience is most drawn to and where most of our artistic expression is manifested. And yet, it is the most flexible, and therefore the most delicate and unstable part of a dancer’s body.
How do we protect our upper body strength and optimize our ability to perform the increasing demands and technical feats of today’s dancer? Stabilization of the shoulder girdle is key.
All our port de bras movement should be initiated from our mid-back (we call it the “periscapular” muscles in physical therapy terms, which means the muscles around our shoulder blades); and pas de deux requires that we be able to sustain this stabilization during promenades—sometimes even in bearing our own weight during precarious lifts and turns!
So how do we prepare for this while sustaining the long lines required of the aesthetics in ballet? And what about decreasing our risk of low bone density in our upper body? There are lots of fun ways! Any activity that requires you to bear weight through your shoulders is likely challenging your stabilization muscles. For example, think of planks, downward dog, push-ups, and burpees. While these exercises can serve your stability, they’re also far too easy to do incorrectly by placing undue strain on the thoracic (mid-back) and cervical (neck) spine, which can contribute to shifting alignment and pain, (especially for more flexible dancers!)
“Winging” of the shoulder blades during any activity—be it port de bras or planks—is a tell-tale sign of shoulder instability.
Start strengthening your stabilization today by incorporating these techniques:
Standing at the barre with your arm a la seconde, envision your shoulder blades descending as your elbow is lifting, and notice the relaxation that occurs in your neck. Also notice the new freedom of movement for your arm to reach further out.
NOTICE: Stabilization in one area will grant you freedom of movement in another!
Get onto all fours, aligning your shoulders over your hands, and your hips over your knees, with your eyes looking at the floor between your hands. Press through hands into your shoulders, and feel your thoracic spine elevate between your shoulder blades—just enough to engage the muscles (not too far!). From that position, practice slowly raising one arm to the side and then lowering back to start, without any change in the rest of your body. Repeat with the other arm and practice alternating sides for 8-10 reps each. Then stand up and try the same movement in standing with your hand reaching in front of you, and see if you can keep the rest of your body quiet.
NOTICE: Your mid-back muscles of the moving arm should engage, while your shoulder muscles engage on the stabilizing arm. As you increase your awareness through this exercise, you should notice improvement in your efficiency and freedom of movement.
Did you try one or both of these exercises? Then please leave a comment below—I would love to hear how it went!
Other ways to grow in stability
Having a the help of a qualified professional can help you reset your patterning for a healthier spring and a longer dance career. You might consider:
Scheduling a screening with me to understand your current strengths, address any risks, and learn how to improve your stability to measurably impact your dancing.
Searching for additional support through a personal trainer or skilled instructor who can give you feedback on your technique as you perform weight-bearing exercises for your upper body.
I hope this post gave you some solid applications to start trying as you tap into and build on your stability!
