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Body Ballet @ Center for Dance and Body
Class Level: Open
Class Fees: Price for single class $29. 10-Class Card $250. 20-Class Card $465.
Date/Time: Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 8:45-10:15 a.m.
Instructors: Anna Lederfeind, Milan Misko, Holt Walborn
FE Reporter: Nicole Touzien
Note: Reporter Nicole Touzien took class three times to experience both class progression as well as each instructor's unique personality.
What is this class all about? Leg and upper body toning and strengthening, ballet fundamentals, cardio, and calorie burning.
Class demographics: The Center for Dance and Body is located on the Upper East Side on a quiet block, upstairs in a clean and well-maintained studio space. Attending one of the first classes of the morning, the studio was quiet and calm. Even as class let out and I saw groups of young children outfitted in tights and leotards, the space was quiet and calm, a nice change of pace from other studios in the city where children’s classes means chaos. Dressing rooms are organized by gender and age, and the studios themselves were clean and well-kept.
I took Body Ballet three times, with each class roughly composed of 15-20 women, mostly stay-at-home mothers in their 30s-40s with little to no dance training. Many of the women came to all three classes, composing a core group of regular students. Fortunately, the core group were open and friendly with new students, not creating an uncomfortable vibe as can happen in group settings.
How was class? The class structure remained the same, regardless of which instructor taught. Class begins with a warm-up, targeted strengthening exercises with stretching, and ballet barre exercises. Familiar movements such as the grapevine, chassez, walking in place, lunging, and jazz squares were done to upbeat pop music. These exercises targeted lower leg muscle groups that were later used at the ballet barre.
As an instructor and the developer of Body Ballet, Anna used positive reinforcement and compliments to motivate and encourage students as well as to challenge our bodies to persevere through strenuous movements. Anna verbally referenced muscle groups that were being utilized in exercises, and addressed alignment to ensure that all bodies were working in a healthy and efficient way. In addition to performing exercises with us, Anna also came around the room and provided hands-on feedback throughout class. After our warm up, brief water and rest break, we stretched lightly and began to work our rotation ("turnout") starting at the hips, rather than at the knee or ankle, which often results in injury due to overrotation. Immediately following this portion of class, we moved to the ballet barre, where we used the same muscle groups activated from the start of class to complete a series of traditional barre exercises.
The second class I attended was taught by Holt, a professional dancer with Rioult. Holt is a high-energy and cheerful instructor who pushes students physically with challenging conditioning exercises. During the center core and upper body strength exercises, many students came to a resting position as they were fatigued and unable to keep up during the duration of the exercise. Barre exercises continued where Anna had left off, adding some new exercises to the series.
The third class I attended was taught by Milan, a professional dancer with the Lar Lubovitch Dance Company. Milan is a calm, precision-focused instructor who moves slowly and articulately through class progression. Milan also focused on core and upper body strengthening exercises, and added to the barre series of exercises.
Who would you recommend this class to? I would recommend this class to intermediate fitness and beginning dance students. This class is a great calorie-burner that strengthens and tones the major muscle groups utilized in a ballet class. For those who would like to work towards taking a beginning ballet class, I would recommend a few weeks to a month of Body Ballet classes first. This way strength and an understanding of some basic ballet exercises are already under your belt. For those who are currently or have recently taken ballet classes, I would recommend taking this class as a supplement to aid in conditioning.
Additionally, I would recommend taking Body Ballet three times per week, as the instructors rotate each class. This not only helps to keep your workout feeling fresh, but it also helps to strengthen the mind as different instructors approach their classes in a unique way. In this case, the structure remains the same, however the content is ever-changing.
Class Description: Body Ballet is our signature Ballet Barre Workout created by CDAB founder Anna Lederfeind. No previous dance experience required, Body Ballet begins with moving the body in the cardio warm-up, developing core strength and flexibility in ballet floor barre exercises, sculpting the body in ballet barre exercises and working on posture that stays with you throughout the day. Here at our private, clean studio on the Upper East Side of New York City we help you achieve a long and lean body – the Ballerina Body.
Address: 428 East 75th Street, 2nd Floor, Between 1st and York Avenues (Upper East Side), NYC 10021
Phone: (212) 517-8113
