Saturday Dance and Tumble Classes
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Planned and taught by Coach Kelsey, an experienced gymnastics coach with a multitude of accreditations and qualifications.
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Held in a safe sporting environment on a variety of sprung and matted surfaces, great in reducing impact.
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Uses a holistic approach to movement training for the modern athlete to develop healthy minds and bodies for now and later life.
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Focuses on teaching skills in a safe and progressive manner.
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Keeps in mind the participant so lessons can be tailored to help them achieve their goals.
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Enhances a dancer's already formed dance skills.
​Sessions
See the timetable for the most up to date time and day information.
In term 1, 2024 - the dance and tumble class is set for Saturday, so it's the perfect end to the week with some extra work to take your skills and strength to the next level.
Apparatus
Saturday Dance and Tumble Classes use a wide range of gymnastics and fitness equipment like:
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Sprung and rod gymnastics floors
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Weights
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Barre
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Exercise balls
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Trampolines
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Other training aids specific to the individual’s need’s
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Who is this class suited for?
Dancers in the local community ages 9 - young adult who:
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Want to take their dance to the next level!
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Need to get stronger, leap higher and tumble better.
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Want to prevention injuries.
*This class is not suited for beginners with limited dance experience. If you’re unsure if it’d be suitable, please contact the office.
Gymnasts - Especially those in the MGS competitive pathways of:
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Artistic Gymnastics
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Acrobatics
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Rhythmic Gymnastics
(Development classes upon invite)
Why is this class so valuable?
This class consists of a selection of 4 handpicked components that Coach Kelsey has been able to fuse together based on her unique skill set.
They include:
1. Power Tumbling Skills (also known as acrobatic dance)
Competitive dance is using more acrobatic gymnastics skills, thus it's important to learn the correct technique, which gymnastics coaches are highly trained in planning and delivering appropriate progressions and drills to teach the skills.
On the other hand, gymnasts require these skills to excel in the sport and perform them with precision or incur deductions from the judges.
We can help you conquer the fundamental skills of
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Handstands
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Cartwheels
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Walkovers and limbers
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Handsprings
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Ariels
​*If you have a specific skill goal you wish to learn, please ensure to let the coach know upon trial or enrolment.
** If you are interested in group acrobatic skills like lifts, throws and balances, please check out acrobatic gymnastics instead.
The club does have a class suitable for inexperienced tumblers - see the tumbling page. Otherwise trampoline sports and artistic gymnastics teaches floor elements.
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2. Strength + Conditioning
Serious dancers and competitive gymnasts need to be lifting weights!
Why is cross training with weights important for these athletes? It allows for muscles that aren't normally used to be challenged and grow stronger, thus helping to protect those joints that are commonly at risk to injury like ankles, knees, hips and backs.
There are many benefits and a lot of research into a regular suitable weightlifting program. A quick search on reputable sources like Shift Movement Science can show you this.
"You cannot perform efficient skills on a deficient body", so "don't bring a technical solution to a physical preparation problem".
In other words - if your leaps need to show more split, despite traditional thinking, sitting in splits on the ground for 2 minutes won't help you. You need to strengthen the muscles to explode off the ground and work against gravity. You need active and loaded strength work.
Dance classes are busy enough and often don't have the equipment, time or teachers available for such a program. Therefore, let us help out!
Learn how to do some:
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Basic weight training exercises like squats, lunges and deadlifts that will help you fly in the sky with powerful leaps, unlock flexibility and stabilise the lower body for take off and landings!
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Loaded core exercises to support the spine, hips and shoulders in gymnastics moves like walkovers, handstands and handsprings.
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If you need more customised strength + conditioning training, please contact Simon, our in-house exercise physiologist and gymnastics coach.
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In case you're concerned about lifting weights:
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We ensure that the prerequisite safe technique is achieved before we start increasing weight loading.
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Yes, it is safe for children to lift weights - they do it all the time, just not normally in a formal way unless they're involved in sports or gym.
E.g. picking up their back packs, carrying around the dog or helping out in the garden.
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Lifting weights with our program won't make a bulky body like a body builder (who undertakes a very specific lifestyle and training schedule for hypertrophy), our program is to help strengthen muscles and unlock flexibility.
3. Injury Prevention
Empowering athletes on how to take care of their body
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Learn some:
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Self-myofascial release techniques with balls and rollers
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Strengthening exercises with body weight and therabands
(as based on the PBT program).
Our feet go through a lot every day. Dancers and gymnasts go through more using their feet as tools in every move. Whether they're perfectly pointed in the air, landing a jump, holding a releve for turns or training to go en pointe one day, learning a few tips and tricks can help the longevity of the dancer.
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4. Dance
Did you know that intermediate and above artistic, acrobatic and rhythmic gymnastics coaches are accredited to teach basic dance!?
Lets work on alignment and technique in:
A) Dance Skills
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Turns like pirouettes and chaines
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Leaps and jumps like split/jette, sissonne, stag and ring
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Balances on the floor like in a variety of ways on feet, hands and elbows.
B) Progressing Ballet / Contemporary Technique Program (PBT / PCT)
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The elements in this program continues to develop a strong and flexible body through safe technical movement through the use of training aids like exercise balls and TheraBands. Skills to be gained include learning about what muscles to engage, using correct alignment and posture as well as musicality and artistry.
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The program has a variety of exercises that are performed lying, sitting and/or standing in the center or at the barre, which means that exercises can be modified for different abilities and goals.
The PBT program is also used to cross train!?
No matter the sport, athletes can find such great benefits with adding PBT to their cross-training schedule. In fact, people like soccer players and boxers use dance to cross train with, therefore PBT is suited for all athletes, not just those in aesthetic sports like dance, gymnastics, calisthenics, synchronised swimming and ice skating.
PBT can be used in conjunction with a rehab program post injury too!
Parts of the class are non-weight bearing, so these exercises are usually great for the sportsman or woman in conjunction with their rehab/physio program (of course seeking medical advice prior to starting).
Read more about the PBT program here.
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Did you know MGS is the only gymnastics club in QLD that has an in-house Progressing Ballet Technique Teacher!?
Want this program as a clinic or cross training program delivered for your dance school students? Contact us!