Ballet Is the Best Exercise

Beginning with the basics of breathing, music, dance clothing, and technique, the renowned ballerina offers her own distinctive warm-up and exercise routine, followed by a complete dance routine that provides a challenging workout

YA Gregory and Matthews effectively demonstrate how ballet can be good for the body. Warm-up, proper clothing, and proper posture are emphasized, as well as the proper placement of the arms and hands, legs and feet, and the torso with regard to ballet positions. The exercises are described step-by-step, and clear photographs illustrate each step. Most of the exercises are not difficult, and they emphasize control over a particular muscle group. The last part of the book is a fully choreographed dance routine. Each step is explained in words and pictures, and is based on most of the exercises covered in the main part of the book. While many readers may not achieve Gregory's technique, they may enjoy knowing a ballet routine that is also aerobic. The ballet and exercises in this book emphasize the natural movements of the body, not the more extreme and difficult positions of the dance. Readers interested in ballet and in exercise will find this book intriguing. Lois Jerolleman, Houston Public Library
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.