#ski ballet

[vintage-tigre]

Suzy Chaffee. Tahoe, 1980.

Vermonter, Olympian, racer, freestyle skier, social activist (Title IX), she was also a pioneer of ski ballet - all around icon.

[courtyard-tapir]

oh my god why isn’t this still a thing

[maysilleedonner]

i have just learned about the existance of ski ballet and it is simultaneously the most ridiculous and the best thing i have ever seen. i will be watching with rapt attention

[elegantballetalk]

How might skiing impact Achilles tendinitis recovery for a ballet dancer, and are there specific skiing skills or muscle engagements that could benefit ballet technique?like is skiing good cross training?

I’ll have a go just for fun at this question—I’m neither a professional skier or a doctor.

But I’ll venture saying that the ski boot protects your Achilles, and there might be just enough work being done to it that it might be beneficial to your tendinitis, since usually complete rest doesn’t resolve the problem. (Again, not a doctor!)

Let’s think about skiing and ballet:

Well you are surely using muscles and improving your propoception, stamina, endurance, body awareness and thus improving balance, stability and space awareness.

Skiing will do a lot for your quads, so that’s good for jumps.

While skiing you are supposed to keep your eyes, torso and shoulders looking downhill while changing directions… could this be compared to pirouette spotting?? Mmmm Im spiralling.

Carrying around your skiis and holding the arms in the skiing position might work those arm muscles and perhaps even your back.

There’s also core work in skiing, especially the oblique’s, so that’s good for ballet as well.

Navigating uneven terrain or quick directional changes while skiing trains your ability to stabilise and coordinate your upper body.

On the internet I read skiing works the glutes, but I’m not sure it targets the same glute muscles which ballet dancers use in turnout.

Skiing strengthens calves, which are critical in ballet, but keep an eye of them since you have Achilles issues. Same thing with hamstrings, go easy.

Skiing posture involves a forward lean to maintain balance, which is not in line with ballet, but perhaps if you tend to sit in your hips, it might help you out by forcing you forward in an elongated position—at least you are working on dynamic stability.

If you do carving turns you have to control your hips and core, which I mean, same in ballet, perhaps you will come back to ballet class with more stability and a very funny petit allegro.

And if you skii with rhythmic turns it could refine your sense of timing and coordination. ??? I mean this is a bit of a stretch, but what would ballet be without stretching.

I don’t think skiing will do much to your turnout, but perhaps some rest is just as beneficial! Correction: Actually I just read on the internet that you use some of those “turnout” muscles to maintain your skis parallel. Fun.

I’m imagining you like this btw:

[preventthefuture]

LET THE SKI BALLET COMMENCE

[image-junkie]

It's that time of year when I start thinking about ski ballet again.

[escuerzoresucitado]

ski ballet

[escuerzoresucitado]

ski ballet