Are there any drills or exercises that I can do to help with my dance posture? My wife and I have a new instructor, who is awesome and I want to surprise my wife and the instructor with better posture and frame. He has told us that we have plenty of ammunition (steps) we just need to learn to load the gun and hit the target! ( I love his terminology! lol)

Thanks, Billman

I would recommend buying a Dance Frame. Google the name. It should get you there.

As one who has had considerable problems with posture but has (i think!) gone a long way to solving them, may i offer the following:
1)You cannot solve a posture problem fast.
2)You new instructor will spot your posture 'problems' instantly, so ask his advice on how to resolve them
3)Go to a good physio about it.
4) Think of your posture in EVERYTHING you do.
My experience is that you must learn to engage the correct muscles and simply develop a good habit. Everyone is different.

If you DO find any good solution, please let us know!

First thing: Stand sideways in front of a full-sized mirror. What do you see? If it isn't correct, fix it, i.e., suck that stomach in, tuck that butt in, move your chest slightly forward. Ask your instructor to help you with what is correct. Get an idea what it looks like to have good posture, and then practice it. When you walk past a store window, look at yourself as you go by. If you are standing and walking properly, great, if not, fix it. It takes practice like everything else. You have to train muscles to maintain that posture and balance, so expect muscles to ache that never have before. Stomach and lower back exercises will help greatly.

Neglected Muscle. There is a muscle which controls the Scapular. It is called the Rhomboideus. It expands and also lifts the Shoulder Blade. With age and lack of use it ceases to keep us in the correct position. A good exercise is to sit on a bench . Legs each side and do an exercise called Dumbell Shrugs. Use two bottles of Coke as dumbells and lift and rotate the shoulders from the front to the back. This may help to keep you standing upright and get rid of that round shouldered look..

It really is a lot to do with muscle memory and time. You're retraining the way your body moves through space. Most people can't just do it first thing, you build it over time by practice and correcting one bad habit at a time as you build strength. It's tiring to keep your arms up there. If you don't know it, hold your arms straight out at the same level and see how long before you can't keep them up there anymore.

The key for me is building core strength. It changes everything, so while you are busy with all these other chores and exercises devote some time to your abs. I dance Latin and Smooth (Yes I know mixed genres) at a Silver level. Ballroom has given me great posture, lean muscled legs and defined abs, not to mention muscles in my arms that would scare off an MMA fighter. I didn't get those in my first month of dancing. If you want a boost go after your core. It is your dance.

It is my opinion that you should dance from your heart and your soul, which reside in your core. You will know what it is to truly dance when it is your core and through this your heart, that drives your movement, not your feet.

I found several things that helped me.

In the car I would hold the steering wheel at 10 and 2 an lift my arms so that no weight hung off my hands as I drove.

I also told the chiropractor and trainer at the gym what I was doing--my chiropractor dances so she understood! They talked and we made a workout that supports my dancing.

When at the computer I do my core muscles by lifting my legs as I work.

I also have simple exercises given me by a physical therapist.

I took a belly dance class and this introduced me to muscles I didn't know I had and loosened me up for latin.

I also got a body awareness DVD which is great.

From a tape by former British champion who is one of the leading coaches John Wood. His advice is, imagine a skeleton suspended on a hook from the ceiling where all the bones are hanging in their correct place.
When we lift our arms everything above and below stays as it is. Easily said but not easily done. Keep the shoulders down and keep from showing any strain by lifting and becoming round shouldered.