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An Essential Irish Dance Posture Exercise You May be Missing

Updated: Feb 16, 2023


This month on the Target Training Online Institute, we’re launching a 30 day posture challenge…the 30 Days to Improved Posture. So needless to say, I’ve had Irish dance posture on my mind!


Irish dance posture exercises, Irish dance strength and conditioning

When focusing on improving Irish dance posture, there are multiple muscles you need to develop in your shoulders, upper back, mid back, arms, and core. The two we’ll focus on in this blog are the infraspinatus and teres minor. These muscles are two of the four muscles that make up the rotator cuff muscles in your shoulder and are responsible for externally rotating your shoulder.

So what does this mean for Irish dancers?


Irish dance posture exercises, Irish dance strength and conditioning

If you strengthen your infraspinatus and teres minor, you will have more stability in your shoulder and the strength to rotate your shoulders back and down. This is key for dancers who are constantly being corrected on “ shoulders back”. Instead of squeezing your shoulder blades back, think of rotating the top of your shoulder back and down by using your infraspinatus and teres minor!

TARGET TRAINING TIP - this is also a great exercises to do to help your arms for team


Irish dance posture exercises, Irish dance strength and conditioning

Elevated External Rotation


Irish dance posture exercises, Irish dance strength and conditioning
  • place an exercise band under your right foot

  • grab the other end of the band with your right arm

  • engage your core (pull belly button back to spine), standing tall

  • position arm so that your elbow is in a 90 degree angle and your knuckles are pointing forward

  • as you exhale, rotate your arm so that it looks like you’re dancing a Ceili

  • inhale back to the starting position

  • repeat 15-20x on each arm

INTERESTED IN MORE POSTURE EXERCISES FOR IRISH DANCE?

Check out the 30-Day POSTURE CHALLENGE on the Target Training Online Institute!

Receive 14 DAYS FREE @ the Target Training Online Institute

Irish dance strength & conditioning, ANYTIME, ANYWHERE! Join the Target Training Online Institute today and get a FREE 14-day trial of the Trainer subscription, no code needed.


HAPPY TRAINING!


Ellen G Waller, Irish dance strength and conditioning

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