So You Think You Can Dance: A Dancer’s Exercise Regimen

Dancing isn’t all fun and games. Keeping fit is important for professional dancers like Apex’s Aubrey Klinger (pictured above), who must maintain a rock-hard physique on and off the stage.

“Dancers are fussy about their weight and body shape for more reasons than just looking pretty,” she said. “It’s our livelihood.”

Not only do dancers depend on keeping in shape to
perform, improve technique or keep up with others in the company, but they must remain in top physical condition to even be considered for auditions.

“They’re judging you on whether or not you can make dance standards, but also your physique,” she said. “First cut is always a body cut.”

Do you think you have what it takes to become a professional dancer? Aubrey gives us her daily regimen for both preparing to be on-stage and basic training for between shows.

Preparing for the Stage

When preparing for the stage, Aubrey spends anywhere from 5 1/2 to 7 hours a day at rehearsals, with just a five-minute break and maybe a half an hour for lunch. On some days, she said, rehearsals can be mentally exhausting from learning choreography.

“But some days it’s physically exhausting because you have to keep doing the same thing over and over until your whole company gets the choreography right,” she said. “But the work pays off in the end when you’re on stage. It’s the best part.”

Keeping Fit in Between Shows

When Aubrey isn’t doing a show, she still has to keep moving to stay in shape. However, without rehearsals she and other dancers must find other ways to stay active. But, she said, that can get time-consuming and expensive.

“I try to take classes at least four or five times a week to keep up,” she said. “And each class usually lasts about an hour and a half, which could run you about 50 bucks a week.”

In addition to taking regular classes, many dancers get gym memberships or do some type of workout for 1-2 hours a day. Here’s an example of a typical gym day:

30-45 minutes on elliptical
Weights
Stretches
15 minutes abs
Yoga
10-15 minutes running

Dancing may look glamorous on TV and in movies, but professional dancers put a lot of work into looking good on stage or for the camera to put on great shows. Check out the results at http://www.apexdance.org!

(Photo credits: Travis Broxton Photography)