Dancer's gym mantra

If you think dancing is enough you don't need to hit the gym, think twice.
I made that mistake once. 6 months sabbatical from the gym and it took me 18 months to get back in shape.Dance is a visual art. Besides being technically good,the dancer needs to be appealing, I constantly compare my old photos to check if I am putting on.
Dance tones the legs and arms but what about the abs? Nothing other than the dreadful crunches works. The odissi belt accentuates the waist.Unlike the saree, the dance attire isn't too flattering. Well,Protima Bedi with her perfect 10 figure popularized the dhoti style attire!
High intensity cardio like kickboxing, step and treadmill are excellent for stamina. 5 minutes on stage translates to 15 minutes of high cardio.Dance pieces like Battu and Dasabatar are killers.You have to work on building your stamina.
Weight training is good for bone density and muscle toning. I combine this cardio routine with yoga - vinayasa style. Yoga has increased my flexibility and calmed me.I don't have to hear Madonna to last through a weight class, I can exercise to softer instrumental music.
It's good to bring variety to your routine. A relaxing swim or latin dancing is what I do. Dancing in my own orbit and matching new choreography is so much fun. When I can dance in a carefree manner,it releases all the pressure of being on stage.I have been fortunate enough to train with one of the best Latin dancers of the state.
My mantra is eat right, exercise right but hit the gym anyway.