DanceLife Blog

Each month DanceLife's 'Body Stylist' Kane Bonke will be answering your questions about all things health and nutrition. For more information on Kane please see his profile. http://www.dancelife.com.au/about_us.php#KaneBonke. 

Hi I'm a female dancer currently studying at full time. Since I'm dancing every day I have increased my food intake for energy but don't seem to be able to burn it off as I am putting on weight. What should I do?

Well it is true since you have increased your energy expenditure you need to increase your food intake BUT you need to have a look at the foods you have increased.  Have you increased foods with high fat content and a high GI rating to get you through class? If so this could be your problem. Make sure you are eating more fresh fruit and vegetables and snack on healthy foods with low GI rating in between classes to give you energy. Avoid chocolate and foods with a high GI rating. High GI foods will give you instant energy but drop you faster than you can Grand Jete and will have you searching for your next snack before warm up is even over in class. You are what you eat so what goes in will pop out.

Hey, I'm a male dancer who is tall and skinny and I really want to put on weight. What is the best way for me to do this without the gym as I don't feel comfortable in the environment?

Eat Eat Eat! Also it depends what you mean by put on weight. If you just want to fill out eat eat eat. As dancers we have a high aerobic output so it can be hard for male dancers to bulk up due to this. So you must make sure your eating enough food to compensate for the amount of energy you're exerting. If you feel your diet is inadequate grab a protein bar to snack on during the day, this can assist with weight gain. If you want to build muscle the best way for this is to lift weights, this doesn't mean that you have to go to a gym. Buy yourself some dumbbells and start to work out in the comfort of your room or every chance you have through the day drop and do a series of push ups the ideas are endless. Anything that you have to resist against will help you build some muscle, you may not become Hercules but it's a start.

I attend dance classes 4 days a week but don't feel like my body is getting fitter anymore. I seem to stay looking the same even with all the classes I do. What should I do to improve my body?

I am all for cross training.  Your body adapts to any form of exercise that you do in around 4 weeks. So once your body has been shocked and has adapted to the stress you are putting it under there will be no more change. What happens with class is that teachers tend to   do the same thing week in and week out which means your body is not being pushed. So you can either increase the amount of classes your doing or go and explore other ways of getting fit. Swimming, kayaking, circuit training, boxercise, yoga anything that  your body is not used to will see you get more results.

As a dancer is jogging bad for me? I have been told that it can shorten my hamstrings. Is this correct?

Jogging is a great form of exercise for cardio fitness and toning of the body. There is how ever a lot of pressure on your knee and ankle joints so I recommend that you wear the correct jogging shoes to limit the pressure on your joints. Any exercise that has a concentric phase (shortening of the muscle) will have a shortening effect but a good stretch session at the end of your jog will lengthen the muscle.

If you have a question that you would like Kane to answer please email us - info@dancelife.com.au.

Body Image - By Kane Bonke - DanceLife's Body Stylist

Dancers and body image go hand in hand. Let's face it, as dancers every time we step on stage people look at our bodies, and being human, judgement passes through their minds. But what really matters is what passes through your mind.

Do you look in the mirror and like what you see? I hope so as we have one of the few hobbies/professions in the world where you stare at yourself in a mirror for hours on end.

Body image is how YOU view and experience your body. It is how you picture your body through your mind's eye. Your own personal body image is formed by your experience of living and moving in your body.

Ask yourself these questions;

How do you see your body?

How do you feel about your body?

What do you think about your body?

How do you feel your body moves?

Get a good image?

Now, we all have days when we wake up and don't like what we see. To have to go into a dance studio and stare at that image whilst we kick, turn and jump our way into a sweaty mess, can be intimidating.

This is normal, but what else is normal is being able to look in that mirror, smile and say "That's me and I like it".

We are who we are because of the gene pool we came from.  Yes, we can mould our bodies into the shape that we desire, but ultimately you only have what you were given.

We need to embrace what we have and work from that.

Being 5'7 I knew I was never going to be 6 foot. Just like a majority of people will never have abs carved out of stone or legs like a dancer at the Lido. The girl born with the big booty, she will always have a big booty!

All this just makes you unique. 

Guess what? Unique works. No two people are the same and definitely in the dance world being unique makes you stand out, just as much as long skinny legs do.  Every dancer's body is different as is every style of dance. So what may be the ideal body for a ballet dancer is completely different to the belly dancers body.

There is no right or wrong shape for dancers. What's right is knowing what we were given from the beginning was perfect but understanding that even perfection can be tweaked.

Healthy isn't being Uber thin or being Hercules its having a healthy body image.

Remember:  You are who you are, you have what you have. Learn to look at it and love it.

I'm a 17-year-old female dancer who likes to go the gym and use weights. How do I stop getting to bulky?

For anyone to gain a lot of muscle mass they have to be lifting heavy weights. Resistance/weight training can actually contribute to weight loss and is great for toning and strength so I encourage you to keep it up. As a female dancer though I would work on muscle strength, toning, and muscle endurance. To do this keep the weight light with high repetitions 10-15 and perform at least 1-3 sets of an all over body work out.

Generally day-to-day what's the best way for a female dancer to eat her meals to help keep weight down but still have energy?

One thing to remember is that our metabolism is like the sun, so metabolism is fastest in the morning when the sun is rising. Breakfast should be a meal full of goodness, your largest meal should be between 12pm and 2pm when the sun is at its highest and your smallest meal at night when the sun is going down. This of course is different if you have a class/performance at night.

I am a male dancer who has heard people talking about Low GI and High GI foods. What does this mean?

GI stands for Glycemic Index which is the ranking given to carbohydrates based on the immediate effect they have on blood sugar levels which effect the bodies energy levels. Foods with High GI ranking give the body a quick burst of energy but drop you quickly leaving you feeling tired. Foods with low GI ranking provide a slow release of energy with no sharp drop at the end. So try and eat foods with a low GI ranking for a steady release of energy during the day and especially before class.

I only dance for fun a couple of times a week and I love it. I really would love to be more flexible so I'm working on that. I have seen people stretching and bouncing while they do, so I started but was told this is a no no. Can you help?

I definitely don't recommend this type of stretching, which is called Ballistic stretching, for dancers. To get more flexible we want to stretch the muscle then allow it to relax into the stretched position. Ballistic stretching doesn't allow the muscle to relax as the constant bouncing stresses the muscle and can actually cause the musce to tighten by repeatedly activating the muscle stretch reflex.
Avoid this type of stretching at all cost, to improve your flexibilty, sit into the stretch and once you feel your muscles relax and adapt go a little deeper. Take your time don't force to hard. Breathe and relax.

As a dancer fitness is a high priority. However it is important to remember that your body adapts to any exercise you are doing in 4-6 weeks, and if the exercise doesn't change in intensity then neither will your body.

When you're attending a class on a regular basis your body will adapt to the specific class and although you may feel like your getting a work out every time your muscles are actually only doing what they have done before. This doesn't leave room for your body to be shocked into improving or changing. Look at it like this, when you attend a regular class where the warm up is the same every time, you could do it with your eyes closed. Well your muscles are the same; they just repeat what they know with out any extra effort because it's familiar. This is commonly known as muscle memory or when you're performing in a musical 8 times a week it's known as being "show fit".

So to keep improving your fitness and your body shape make sure you increase your classes, try some different styles or try some other activities that will constantly challenge your body.

I am a fan of keeping my body on its toes by mixing up my training schedule with my dance schedule. I also encourage cross training with my clients. Zoe Ventoura(actress/dancer)and I go kayaking on the harbour, which is great for upper body strength. It's enjoyable because we live in one of the most beautiful harbours in the world so it hardly feels like exercise. Swimming is a fabulous low impact form of exercise that is amazing for toning and a cardiovascular work out at the same time. Go use an ocean pool while cleansing your skin at the same time. How can you say no!

Yoga is another form of exercise that is wonderful for flexibility and also it's a wonderful escape from your ever-busy mind. Join a gym do some weights, which is great for strength and weight loss. After a weights work out fat continues to burn for up to 4 hours, so you're getting stronger and losing weight.

These are just a few suggestions to keep your body in ship shape. Make sure that you also remember that a warm up and cool down is just as important with any exercise as it is in a dance class.

Remember mix it up, keep your body guessing and stay looking hot.

KANE BONKE
Body Stylist
www.bodystylist.com.au

Kane has just launched his website. If you are looking for a personal trainer that knows a dancers body then Kane is your man!

I have just joined the gym wanting to become generally fitter and to help me last longer in my class and in routines. What type of exercises would you suggest to do?

Hey,
Firstly good on you for joining the gym you will notice an improvement in your performances and classes I assure you. To become generally fitter all over I would suggest, and this depends on how many days you are spending in the gym, that you do a session of cardio and a session of resistance work.

So on your cardio day start by spending 5 mins on 5 different machines and as you get fitter you can increase the time spent on each machine. Depending what equipment your gym has you should spend time on the Treadmill, Cross Trainer, Rower, Bike and Stepper. Of course the equipment in each gym is different so use what you have to work with and keep the program you do different, so one you don't get bored and two your body is always being challenged. Once you feel your Cardio fitness increasing you can then increase your time on each machine.

Now with your resistance workout just keep your weight low and your reps high. I would recommend doing an all over body workout each time you go. Choose 1 exercise per body part and each time you attend a resistance session change the exercises so you don't get bored and your body doesn't get used to your routine.

Remember to always warm up and stretch after sessions at the gym. Especially after your resistance work out as you want your muscles to be elongated and beautiful not tight and lumpy.

If you would like me to write a program please contact me through kane@bodystylist.com.au my website and we can go from there.

Do you recommend any additional vitamin supplements, on top of a balanced diet? I heard that B12 injections help you recover faster?

Hey,
First of all no I don't recommend getting B12 shot. If you're considering this I would encourage you to visit your GP to discuss this with them.

Although I don't have a problem with you taking additional vitamins when you are eating a balanced diet it isn't a necessity if you are getting all of your nutrients and vitamins from food. The benefit of taking a multivitamin or vitamin supplements daily is that it's in expensive and assures that your body receives the nutrients it needs if your diet is inadequate. To make sure that you are getting enough vitamins and minerals from your diet make sure you are eating the correct amount of food from the 5 main food groups, bread and cereals, fruit and vegetables, meat and fish, milk and diary and fats and sugars.

Check out the food pyramid to make sure you are getting enough of each food group to make up a balanced diet. If you would like me to take a look at your diet please contact me through my kane@bodystylist.com.au and we can go from there.

I am a male dancer and unfortunately am naturally thin. I would like to get bigger and more toned. Will doing weights at the gym make me slower and heavier?

Hey,
The answer to your question is no, doing weights at the gym will not make you slower and heavier. Of course you will put on weight once you start working out but this most certainly will be a positive. You will have a new found energy once you start to work out and once you start to see results you won't only look stronger but you will be stronger. This will make partnering girls much easier and your body will cope more with the stress that as a dancer we put our bodies through. Remember that you won't see results the first day you go to the gym it will take some time before your body starts to grow but don't be disheartened keep pushing until you see those results.

Now don't see your thinness as an unfortunate as most people would love to have that problem but if your frame is naturally thin you will need to work hard to put on the muscle. As well as working with weights at the gym you will need to look at your diet and make sure you are getting enough of the right food to help with increasing your size.

If you would like any help with your program please contact me at kane@bodystylist.com.au.

I am a female dancer and was wondering what is the best way to get a flat lower stomach? What foods and exercises are best for this?

Hey,
So the first thing you have to know is that you can't spot tone your stomach. To flatten out your stomach you must lower your entire body's fat percentage. To achieve the results you are after you need to combine stomach exercises with a change in diet. There are no certain foods that will flatten your stomach but eating a well balanced diet will certainly help with your goals. Now there are many exercises that are performed with the lower abdominals in mind.

A few examples of these exercises are the Double Straight Legged Stretch, Chair Leg Lifts, Pelvic Thrusts, Plank, and Lying Scissors.

If you would like any more information on your diet or lower abdominal exercises you can contact me at kane@bodystylist.com.au.

I am a dancer wanting to improve on my fitness and have heard the word "core" thrown around a lot in dance. Does it just mean having strong abs as I hate doing crunches!!

Hey,
First of all having strong abs doesn't mean having a strong core. Your core actually consists of many muscles that run the entire length of the torso helping with stabilizing the spine and pelvis. To have a strong core all of these muscles need to be strengthened and stabilized and just doing crunches will not achieve this.

Pilates is a great form of exercise that strengthens your core or at your local gym there should be classes that are totally dedicated to strengthening your core. Introducing a stability ball into your workout can also help you to turn on your core and stabilize and strengthen it.

Now if none of these options are viable here a few exercise that you can do in the comfort of your lounge room. Plank-full and half and with leg lift, Chair knee raise, Back extensions on the floor, Bridges. These are just a few exercises that will help strengthen your core in your lounge room.

If you have more questions please contact me at kane@bodystylist.com.au.

Everyone train's for a variety of different reasons, some for fun, others to feel comfortable in swimmers on the beach, some to have a beautiful sculptured body full of muscles, others for health reasons and then some because their job requires it.
Being a dancer is one of those jobs that requires you to work on your fitness and to look good, when your job is in the public eye looking good can be just as important as your talent.

One of my clients Jade MacRae knows this first hand. Since Jade has a single "I Wanna Be In Love" out now and her album "Get Me Home " due out October 4th, its important that Jade is looking and feeling amazing. Whenever Jade attends an event or does a gig she is photographed and just last week end appeared in the social papers 6 times, which if your not looking your best can be hard to handle.

So with the added pressure of appearances, photos shoots and the publics love of criticism we have step up the intensity of Jades training session to make sure that she is comfortable enough with her self to appear on TV, to perform in front of hundreds of people at a gig and to be photographed by the paparazzi.

When Jade is in Town we train up to four times a week. We generally do a day of cardio that consists of Jogging and stair work. On the stairs I make Jade skip every second step so she is performing an extended lunge great for her butt and legs. Also to give her the ultimate work out we strap hand weights to her arms while we run and then on the stairs we strap them to her legs, this is adding another 3kgs to her weight, even though this may sound like nothing, give it a go I assure you that you will notice the difference. Cardio workouts are great for singers as it gives them the stamina to be able to sing and perform on stage with out getting out of breathe. Some singers have been known to run on a treadmill and sing their songs at the same time to get into shape for a tour.
We also will do a day of boxing in Rushcutters Bay Park, which is an amazing work out for the entire body and cardio system. Being outdoors in such a beautiful environment on a beautiful day makes exercising feel like a privilege not a chore. When we box we start the work out with skipping, squats, and push ups to warm up, then we glove up go through a vigorous boxing and kicking boxing program that has you feeling like you have been in the ring with Tyson by the end. We also finish this work out with loads of core work just to flatten and strengthen the stomach.

Another session we would spend in the gym doing a resistance work out. We generally do an all over bodywork out doing one exercise per body part. Now we don't lift heavy weights we keep the weight low but our reps high. Resistance isn't only great for toning and strengthening its amazing for weight loss as well. A lot of girls are hesitant to use weights but you have to understand that you will not grow massive muscles unless you are lifting a heavy weight. After a resistance workout your body keeps burning calories for at least 3-4 hours after so for girls this can be an excellent way to lose unwanted weight.
When we have time for a fourth session we generally chose another activity, such as sprints in the park, using a TRX band or going down to Bondi and jogging to Bronte with some push ups and sit ups on the way or we tackle the stairs of death in Coogee. What ever we do its always changing so the body doesn't get used to what we are doing and its always being shocked.

When your job is based on performing in front of people not only do they judge your talent they will also judge what you look like. The first thing a panel at an audition see is your image as you walk in the door. If you look amazing they will sit up and take note from the word go, if you have let your self go you may have to work that little but harder to make them believe in you.

Remember if you look good you will feel good.

Kane

Many people ask the question... If I have a 6 pack or a flat stomach does that mean I have a strong core?

The answer is no, A strong core does not mean a 6 pack or a flat stomach.

As dancers we apparently have strong cores and know how to use them. In my own personal experience and from my teaching experience I have discovered that dancers have limited knowledge on what a strong core really is and most do believe that a strong core is a flat stomach or a bulging 6 pack.

A strong core is made up of muscles in your Abs, back, hips and pelvic floor. Many core muscles aren't visible as other muscles hide them. For example your transverse abdominals (the deepest and most important stomach muscle for a strong core) are hidden by your rectus abdominals (also known as a 6 pack).

Picture this, a dancer and a backstage mech. A dancer is seen on stage looking good and making a performance seem effortless like a 6 pack and the backstage mech or transverse abs can't be seen but are often working the hardest.
All muscles of the core have important jobs to fulfil.

In the abdominals the Transverse abs create a strong link between the upper and lower body and help protect our organs and help our posture.

Obliques are found on the sides of our waists and help with twisting and tilting at the waist. Rectus abs ,the 6 pack, sit on top of the other stomach muscles and help keep the pelvis in line and protect the spine. Erector spinae are found on the back on either sides of your spine and help with keeping you standing up right.

In the hips/pelvic floor the Ilio-psoas also known as hip flexors are found at the top part or your leg helping raise the leg upwards. They join at the top of the thigh travel through your pelvis and join onto your lower spine. These muscles need to be strong but also supple as if they aren't they can be a cause of lower back pain.

The Gluteus maximus is your buttock muscle and even though they are not found on your core they are the biggest muscle in your body and play an important role in helping with your core.. The glutes play a major part in day-to-day activities like walking, dancing and are a necessity for good posture which is essential for a strong core.

Another muscle that is not a part of the core but plays an important part in aiding the torso in a backwards movement is the hamstring. The tighter your hamstrings the more negative affect it has on your core strength so be sure to stretch your hamstrings regularly. So with all these muscles working as a team to keep your trunk stable your arms and legs are able to move freely, your back will stay healthy, your posture will improve and so will your balance. All of the above is crucial to a dancer. As a dancer if you don't have a strong core other muscles will over compensate resulting in injury, and how common are injuries in our world of dance.

So next time your crunching away like made trying for the wash board stomach try a few Core strengthening exercises to and see how your body reacts as it gets a stronger core.

Here are a few exercises to try-
Plank
Bridge
Chair Knee Raise
Back Extensions

Remember a 6 pack doesn't equal a strong core.

Kane Bonke
www.bodystylist.com.au

Today DanceLife's Body Stylist turns the Big 30!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY Kane from everyone at DanceLife. We hope you have an awesome day!!

Sydney dancer and choreographer Kane Bonke has been given the task this week to teach Jackie O, Andrew G and Dannii Minogue the dance from Beyonce's Single Ladies video clip. Check out the video above to see how the guys went at rehearsals yesterday.

Andrew G & Dannii were thrown into the hot seat after Kyle was suspended again last week. No one knows what the fate of the show will be. I have to say I'm quite enjoying listening to the threesome each morning.

As I was enjoying a premature summer's day at Bondi Beach recently, I received a frantic phone call from the producer of the Kyle and Jackie O Show, wanting to know if I was available to teach Dannii Minogue, Andrew G and Jackie O, Beyonce's "Single Ladies". They had to learn it for a competition on the radio, to see which one of them could learn the routine the fastest. The catch was rehearsals had to start at 9am the next morning. Cutting my sunbaking short, I ran home to refresh my Beyonce booty shake.

Day 1. First day of rehearsals at Brent St Studios, got off to a late start. The girls were being pestered by the paparazzi, and as they did not want to be papped in their leg warmers, they were stuck driving around in their car. That left Andrew G and I to start learning the choreography on our own, his 7 hours of Saturday morning jazz classes helped him to pick up the choreography like a pro. While the girls were losing the paps and shopping, may I add, Andrew G was counts ahead and had learnt the entire chorus in under 20mins. When Jackie O and Dannii finally joined us, Jackie had on her pink jiffies ready to dance. I hadn't seen jiffies since I wore them to my first ever dance class, I just couldn't contain my laughter. After the delayed start I only got to spend 15mins with the girls. With only three days to learn the chory, I started to feel a little anxious.

Day 2. We decided to rehearse at the 2dayFM studios, so the girls were free from the paps. I secretly think they all went home and practised in their lounge rooms, as they all had remembered the steps. They were all taking this seriously. They all were out to win. We learnt the first verse, added this with the chorus, and added a ballet solo for Jackie, a step ball change for Dannii and well, Andrew created his own style and we were done. Phew! We had the chory down and with one more rehearsal to clean it up.

Day 3. The final rehearsal had arrived, the guys were all feeling the pressure of remembering the steps and then performing as well. Jackie was very committed, Dannii had the sexy face and hair flick down, but my favourite and the most outstanding was Andrew G. He was living. Now all we needed now some fierceness.

Day 4. After wrapping up their breakfast radio show, it was time for the performance. But first we needed to add costumes, make up and a hairpiece for Andrew. G. He had taken his role as Beyonce very seriously. It was a little reminiscent of Destiny Child days, with Beyonce in the middle scoring just a little bit of extra something. Andrew G added some gold hot pants and blue leg warmers, just for that added star quality.

I must say I had the nerves of a stage mother waiting for the cameras to roll, but like always the performance came together, except Andrew G swinging his switch a little too hard that it flew off.

Jackie O was focused and didn't get a step wrong, Andrew G has all the fierceness in the world but at times was doing his own show, and Dannii Minogue on the end was being the sex kitten she always is. They all surprised me with how well they did in such a short period of time.

In my mind they are all winners, and all did a great job in learning this hot number. I got to walk away gaining a few more ab muscles from laughter.

KANE BONKE

By Kane Bonke

Melbourne based commercial dancer Troy Phillips is currently working with actors from Australian soap Neighbours. There is huge dance based story line in the works.

Happy Feet 2 was launched this week at Sydney's Fox Studio's. Dancers Tracey Morley, Penny Martin, Simon Lind, Kane Bonke, Jacki Hanson Seymour, Kate Wormald Leopold, Michelle Hopper Doyle, Mitchell Hicks, Lee Anne Cherny and Jesse Rasmussen were on hand to lend their Happy Feet.

Dancer Leighton Sharpe is the featured in the latest TVC campaign for Berocca. He is supported by SYTYCD Top 20, the TVC feature heavily during the shows air time.

Will Sabin is currently in Singapore. Launching a new Casino, with Singer Prinnie Stevens backed by Chantel Curmi and Mary Luangkhoth. You can also catch Will Sabin productions at Nevermind on Oxford Street every Friday Night featuring hot Sydney commercial dancers.

If you're watching the film Nine, keep your eyes out for Aussie dancer Shannon Belcastro.

Squared Division are blazing a head of the pack with every gig they touch turning to gold. If your dancer just starting out be nice to these boys!!!

Kate Wormald and Demi Soron are the faces for Norsca deodorant; you can see the girls dancing up a storm in the latest TVC campaign.