Salsa for Athletes
Barbara Bernstein and Edwin from Danceintime pose before running a “Dance Cross Training Program” at the University of Maryland.
DANCING TO PROMOTE ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE
Research has shown that dance instruction improves the following skills, all of which are important in athletics as well:
Agility
Coordination & Timing
Rapid Changes of Direction
Muscle Isolations
Flexibility
Team-Building/Spirit
Barbara taught Salsa to the Baltimore Raven’s Cheer Squad for a fun Team Building Activity.
Danceintime director Barb Bernstein has developed sport-specific dance activities and drills for a fun cross-training program for athletes! She can also construct exercises to address particular issues the coach wants his/her team to work on.
All-male teams do Salsa footwork drills which are essentially solo dancing, similar to tap dancing. All-female or mixed-gender teams blend footwork with partnership moves. In both cases, the dance practice is great fun, and it translates to improvements on the playing field.
For more details and to discuss a program for your team contact Barb@DanceInTime.com!
"Competing with (universities such as) American, James Madison, Princeton, Syracuse and a talented post-eligibility team of our seniors is a solid opportunity to see our players' development since January. The women have been working hard on their technical skills. After a fun-filled segment of 'hockey salsa' with dance instructor Barbara Bernstein, our deception and balance has improved."
—University of Maryland Head-Coach, Missy Meharg
Articles on How Dance Improves Athletic Skills
“Top Ten Reasons Why Dance Is Incredible Cross-Training for Sports,” Elevate Dance Center, July 2018.
“Football Players: Should You Be Looking into Dance Classes?” by Rachel Mazanec, NCSA College Recruiting.
“When World Athletes Did Ballet,” by Meedhu Miriyam, The Lewis Foundation of Classical Ballet, August 13, 2016
“Music in Sport and Exercise: An Update on Research and Application,” By Costas Karageorghis and David-Lee Priest, The Sport Journal, publisher- United States Sports Academy, ISSN: 1543-9518.