Alan Foley, ballet dancer and director of the Cork City Ballet Company, tells Patricia Westonhow he maintains his high fitness level
You must be very fit?
I am indeed. When it's your job to be very fit, you just have to get on with it. I have a big show coming up so I'm in the gym and doing rehearsals everyday.
What's your daily training schedule like?
I take a dance class at 10am for an hour and a half, have a 15-20 minute break and then I'll be in rehearsals all day. I finish up at about 6pm. It would be like that two to three months before a show. I finish earlier on performance days.
What do you do at the gym?
Specifically I do cardio and I do weights because you need a lot of strength to lift a ballet dancer. When I come off the weight machines my muscles become very tight and tense so I really have to stretch a lot. I also do cross training, which I think is fabulous. I find it very helpful.
How hard is ballet dancing on your body?
Ballet is very scientific; it's all about what the body can do. It's a cruel thing that as you get older, your level of artistry gets better but unfortunately you're coming to an end age-wise and your body begins to give up. Classical ballet demands absolute perfection from the body. It's very physical. It looks graceful on stage but, like a swan, you only see what's going on on the surface, beneath the surface there's a lot of very hard work.
I love the challenge of approaching the barre every morning, your body is like an untrained horse that keeps rebelling and you have to control it.
How do you take care of your body?
I find it very hard. Up to my late 20s I had a body like a greyhound. I got injured for a year and I got lazy and very bold and I just ate nice things. I have to be careful about what I eat. Steak for me would be a huge treat. I stick to chicken and fish and I love potatoes and vegetables. I like chocolate with tea so I have to freeze the chocolate so I don't eat it as quickly! I also love burgers and chips.
Alan Foley will be appearing in the Ballet Spectacular 2007 at the Cork Opera House on May 1st and 2nd.
Patricia Weston's exercise prescription:
Flexibility is very important for everyone, not just dancers. Improve your flexibility by stretching after exercise for at least 20-30 minutes. Try these ballet stretches but never hold the stretch if it hurts and don't bounce. Gently ease into each stretch and relax by breathing deeply:
The straddle stretch: while seated, spread your legs apart on each side of your body while in a seated position and turn your torso to the right and bend forward, aim to touch your right knee with your forehead with your arms outstretched. Do this for up to 60 seconds then move to the other side for 60 seconds and then to the centre for two or three minutes.
The pike stretch: in the same seated position, do the pike stretch by keeping both legs together with your knees facing the ceiling. Bend forward again, aiming to touch your forehead with your knees keeping your legs straight. Hold for 60 seconds to two minutes.
Repeat both of these stretches in a standing position.
Patricia Weston is an NCEHS fitness instructor, personal trainer and Pilates teacher.
pweston@eircom.net
Consult a physician or qualified healthcare provider before embarking on any exercise regime and stop exercising if you feel nauseous or dizzy.