Dance

A strength training program for dancers, built to add to your classes without ever competing with them: nine weeks, three sessions a week, for strong feet and ankles, hip strength at end range, a braced pelvis and a well-placed upper back.

Who is it for?

Open to all levels of dance, this program only calls for bands and light dumbbells. It is for anyone who wants a sturdier body on stage without losing lightness: enough work to strengthen, not enough to weigh you down. The program always gives priority to your classes and rehearsals: if you are tired, it is better to skip a strength session than a technique class.

The method

Three phases of three weeks. The first sets the base, the calf in both knee positions, single-leg balance, pelvic control, at light loads and slow tempos. The second turns unilateral, one leg, one arm, one side at a time, with range opening up and end-range holds that turn passive flexibility into strength you can use on stage. The third brings in plyometrics in the order that protects the tendons, landing first, jump second, opening each session on a fresh nervous system.

Is nine weeks manageable alongside a packed performance season?

Three sessions a week are enough, built to add to your classes rather than compete with them; it is up to you to lighten a week if the rehearsal schedule tightens.

What equipment do I need for the strength sessions?

Bands and light dumbbells are enough for the full nine weeks, kit compact enough to fit anywhere near a studio. Nothing else is needed, the same kit works whether you train at the studio or at home.

Does the program suit a dancer who has never done strength training?

Yes, it is open to all levels: the first phase sets the base at light loads before moving to unilateral work and plyometrics.

What the program includes

• 9 weeks · 3 sessions / week · All levels
• Equipment : bands · light dumbbells
• 9 complete session sheets: exercises, sets, reps, tempo, rest and RIR
• Tracking columns to fill straight into the printed PDF, week after week
• Detailed how-to, warm-up routine, adjustments page and glossary

The programming

• Phase 1 · Anchoring (weeks 1 to 3) : Set the base: the calf in both knee positions, single-leg balance, pelvic control. Light loads, slow tempos, no speed. This is the phase where you spot your weak side and learn to stop compensating for it.
• Phase 2 · Control (weeks 4 to 6) : The programme turns unilateral: one leg, one arm, one side at a time. Range opens up (cossack, Bulgarian split, adductors) and end-range holds turn your passive flexibility into strength you can really use on stage.
• Phase 3 · Spring (weeks 7 to 9) : Plyometrics come in, in this order: landing first, jump second. Each session opens with a short, explosive, low-volume exercise on a fresh nervous system, before the strength work. The rest of the block moves to its hardest version.

Every week follows a defined cycle (baseline, intensification, accumulation): you always know what to do, at what intensity, and when to adjust. Nothing is left to chance.

Format : Downloadable PDF, yours for life, designed to be printed.