Tools 4 Entry-level Pros

Fitness Means More Moneydancer fitness
3 Pros Share Smart Ideas

REALISTIC ABOUT YOUR BOD?

christian vincentChristian Vincent
“Sandra Colton is right when she says that staying in shape translates into more jobs. As dancers, we sell our skills and talent but ultimately we are selling our bodies and what they communicate. How we maintain our body is a major factor in how much work we will get.

Staying in good physical shape is a must and may require more than just going to a dance class. There is room in the dance world for all different shapes and sizes but the different shapes have to remain tight. This means a workout regime is usually necessary. I do not advocate starving yourself or creating unhealthy eating habits but I do encourage a regular fitness regime.

When I first moved to LA I really started working out. As my body changed I saw different job opportunities coming forth. I did end up going to a lot of auditions where I had to take my shirt off but because I was working out I didn't have a problem with it. This may sound superficial but it is what it is. For men it is necessary to have upper body strength to lift other dancers. I just finished a job where a guy was injured in a lift due to lack of upper body strength. Many dancers in LA opt for a gym regime over dance class lol. That is very typical of LA dancers.

I spoke to one of the agents at BLOC a few months ago inquiring about what they look for in clients and what works the most. Especially with respect to women, the response was good fit bodies like the Pussy Cat Dolls.

At auditions, dancers are asked to wear revealing and body hugging clothing. When your agent calls and says you have an audition and the description is…. dress body conscious and ready to dance lol! Hit the gym so dressing body conscious helps you book the job.”

"IMAGE IS EVERYTHING IN THIS INDUSTRY!"

ramos liz lgLiz Ramos
“Christian nailed it. Keeping your body in shape is definitely a must. Not only for appearance reasons but also so that you don't injure yourself while working on a gig. So ladies and gents, get your muscles ready!! The healthier you are and the better you treat your body will definitely show in your performance as a dancer.

Now you don't have to go out and get a Bally's 1-year membership, or spend crazy $$$$ to attend boot-camp classes at Billy Blanks. There are other ways to really shape your body to what you want and what some of these agents are looking for.

Be creative!!! You can take pilates, yoga, a cardio salsa class, or even run the stairs in Santa Monica. After a while, you will be amazed to see how your body will transform, but you have to be consistent!!!”

"REMEMBER: NO PAIN, NO GAIN!”

kevin steaKevin Stea
“I never paid any attention to my diet in my 20s and rarely drank water, but that golden era doesn't last long even for those of us who have forgiving metabolisms. The one time I actually 'dieted' I overdid it and have had cravings for sugars ever since. If I had eaten well, I'm sure my skin would have cleared right up.

In the last few years, I noticed that even with me eating less and eating better, I was still gaining weight. With five-ten pounds more than usual, my whole energy level changed and it took much more effort to do what came so easily before.

I shed the little extra weight. Most people probably wouldn't notice much difference, but just that little bit has certainly increased my stamina. I haven't changed my habits much, but I've definitely found an 'apple habit' to quench my sugar cravings and started eating slow-burning good carbs like oatmeal first thing in the morning along with simple proteins like hard-boiled eggs. I've found that eating these foods have stopped me from impulse eating.

Yeah, soda is a killer… so many calories and sugars that will block your body's ability to burn fat (high blood sugar leads to increased insulin production and that makes it almost impossible to metabolize fats, not to mention the effect of the caffeine).

Here's a tip: Pickles, cucumbers, celery, rhubarb, lemon, cantaloupe, tomatoes, lettuce and blackberries are some of the few 'negative' foods... meaning they burn more calories to consume than they contain...

If I feel like I NEED to eat something I usually let myself. I don't want to live under the tyranny of my own neuroses about weight. I try not to dump all my self-worth in an extra inch or two more or less on my love handles. Still, I've been learning for years to see food as fuel, and some foods just aren't worth it anymore!”

MAINTAINING WHAT YOU’VE GOT

Proof that Christian walks his talk...

christian vincent12Christian Vincent
We all know as time goes on things change. As dancers, we sometimes take for granted our assets because we have always had them. Our assets may be strong feet, great flexibility, or a thin frame. Over the years I have noticed that some dancers take their assets for granted and do very little to maintain them. This is very typical of us LA dancers because sometimes more emphasis is put on the outfit rather than the training.

I know some successful dancers who state they don't want to dance anymore and do so. When they stop dancing they stop maintaining their assets. The next thing that happens is that they decide they want to dance again. A problem arises when they haven’t maintained their bodies to keep themselves in "dance shape." The skimpy outfits don't fit the same and injuries start happening.
We can dance for a long time as long as we maintain what we've got. As you get more mature things change and a dancer doesn't want to speed that process up by not keeping the body and mind together.’

FITNESS MATTERS

NEWSLETTER SIGNUP

* indicates required