Returning to the core of dancing, PBT’s Move and Groove series trains both technique and rhythm, establishing the fundamentals of strength, mobility and flexibility while never losing sight of what dancing is all about: freedom of movement and having fun. Having lost the ability to dance twice in my life due to injury and surgery, I can wholeheartedly say that the thing I missed most was not the repetitive barre-work or challenging centre exercises, but the ability to move freely and expressively.

Unfortunately, the rise of social media and its propagation of a best-bits only lifestyle means that dancers are being encouraged to forget what dancing is all about, casting joy and longevity aside for the sake of immediate validation in the form of awards and medals. Sure, stage-experience provided by competitions is important, but at what point are teachers beginning to foster a generation of cookie-cutter, instagram viral dancers who can do 10 pirouettes but can’t emote nor connect with an audience. Before we are dancers, we are humans and it is this humanity which enables dance to transcend the common barriers of language, ideology and culture. With Move and Groove, we hope to restore that feeling of joy and connection whilst enhancing technique in a positive and nurturing setting.

What is Move and Groove

Think of your warm-up, stretch, strength and technique class rolled into one - this is Move and Groove.

In this class, dancers will be expertly led through an energizing warm-up, laying down the foundations which will set the focus of the class. Beginning mobility exercises will help dancers to lengthen and release any points of tension before working to strengthen and stabilise within that increased range of motion in the conditioning portion of the class. To finish, dancers will be guided through a cool-down to aid recovery and restore their spine and pelvis to their neutral position.

Throughout the class, dancers will be encouraged to connect with their muscles to enhance their technique and improve their alignment. This connection is supported by the use of the PBT ProBall, mini-loop bands and Fusion Ball which provide crucial feedback, deepening the dancer’s awareness of key muscular activation and establishing important sensations that the dancer will then aim to reproduce in their ballet classes. During the class, the equipment becomes the dancer’s personal assistant, adjusting and responding to their movements to foster postural improvements while challenging the dancer’s stability and strength. The use of equipment also allows for modifications, enabling both less confident dancers and injured dancers to progress safely and effectively.

Although Move and Groove classes are accessible for all ages and abilities, the appropriate class selection will depend on the dancer’s individual needs. In our junior and sub-junior classes, dancers will establish key fundamentals, training their balance and alignment to then expand on these ideas in later sessions and levels. Importantly: dancers should not be discouraged from trying a class below their age-level. The titles of junior, sub-junior, senior and advanced are simply guidelines and apply to the dancer’s technique level and maturity rather than a designated age bracket.
 

Featured Exercises

Together with her fantastic team of professionals, Marie has sculpted a training system that not only assists regular dance training but enhances it, actively filling in gaps otherwise missed at the early stages of training. One of those key elements, often neglected by budding ballerinas is alignment. One of our featured exercises in the Junior Move and Groove class is Bounce and Balance: a dynamic exercise that uses the PBT Fusion Ball to bring awareness to the activation of the adductors, core and foot stabilisers to support the dancer’s balance and alignment.

A personal favorite exercise featured in the series is Crawl with Resistance. For this exercise, dancers will loop the PBT band around their wrists and ankles, adopting a bear stance as they move forwards and backwards to challenge both their core and pelvic stability. The aim of the game is to keep the hips and shoulders square which can be a struggle for some dancers and expose overcompensation tendencies that can then be addressed in normal training or in other PBT classes.

Tips and Tricks

Throughout the class, teachers will employ visualisation techniques and offer simple reminders to help students both feel and understand how their muscles are working to support the movement.

Picture this: a student is struggling to engage their core and is complaining of back pain while performing abdominal-focused movements. Instead of simply telling the student to 'engage their tummy muscles' or 'tighten their abs', the student is encouraged to sink their stomach into their spine and glue their back to the mat as they lift their knees off the floor to protect their spine. One is an instruction, the other is a guide that not only teaches the student how to do the movement but also how to reproduce that sensation when working on their own. 

Key Takeaways

Whether you are a beginner, pre-professional or advanced dancer, PBT’s Move and Groove series can benefit you. Bringing it back to what dancing is all about: enjoyment, this series teaches technique, stamina and rhythm, providing a comprehensive and tailored complementary training regime that dancers can follow at any stage of their training or career.

We pride ourselves in fostering a generation of intelligent, strong and healthy dancers and Move and Groove is just one string to that bow. If you yourself want to check out the series or are eager to become a certified PBT instructor, simply click on the links below. 

Hope to see you in class!

Online Training: https://pbtstore.com/pages/pbt-online-training

PBT Certification Teachers’ Workshop: https://www.pbt.dance/en/workshops/pbt

Equipment for PBT Classes: https://pbtstore.com/collections/all