Equipment Pros and Cons part 1

kiradavispt
Nov 29, 2024
2 min read

In the world of dance and fitness there are so many pieces of equipment available that are marketed to those trying to get stronger, more flexible, more balanced. This is a short list of the most common pieces of dance equipment and their pros and cons.

Resistance bands: This elastic band is used for strengthening. It is often seen being used for ankle and foot strengthening, but can be used for many body parts.

PROS:

-Compact and lightweight for ease of travel

-Many levels of resistance from very light to very strong

-Some brands make a latex free option

CONS:

-Various brands have varying quality and some dry rot quickly

Foot stretchers: These oddly shaped wooden boards are meant to passively stretch your foot into its maximal range of motion mimicking a pointed foot.

PROS:

-Passive stretching

CONS:

-Cumbersome to keep in your dance bag or for travel

-A truly “good” foot or pointe comes from strengthening the foot and ankle muscles and not just passively positioning it.

Turn Boards: This a board that has a slippery underside relative to a dance floor to decrease friction when trying to do pirouettes, increasing the amount of revolutions made without the effort that would normally be needed to push into many turns.

PROS:

-It may help spotting during turns as the effort put forth for a 2 revolution pirouette results in many more revolutions

CONS:

-It is teaching dancers how to turn not in releve. The mechanics of balancing on a flat foot is very different than the mechanics of balancing on the metatarsals of the foot. This tool may be better suited for an iceskater

-This could be dangerous if not used in a safe space.

Turn out discs: Turn out discs are different than turn/spin boards. They are 2 discs that again decrease the natural friction of the foot against the ground. Often times dancers will force their turn out position and pray that the ground holds their feet in place, no longer using the correct muscles to perform turn out.

PROS:

-Fairly compact for use at home

-Varying brands with some providing multidimensional instability

CONS:

-They don’t travel well in a dance bag

Bosu balance trainers: This is a a large Swiss ball that has the shape of a dome with a hard plastic bottom surface

PROS:

-Wonderful for balance training on either round or flat side

-Can be used for a full body workout

-It is typical exercise equipment that is found in most gyms or fitness centers

CONS:

-Large in size and not portable