Mindfull BodyWorks Pilates Studio

Work with Ms. Donna Silva,  an experienced professional dancer and currently an instructor at major Boston dance schools. She is in the unique position of understanding the needs of aspiring students and professional dancers. Ms. Silva offers both Pilates training and private ballet coaching.

Specific Pilates training addresses common dance movement patterns. Expect to be evaluated for Individual imbalance and alignment  issues.

Private Ballet Coaching:  Ms. Silva will help young students with dance technique, pre-professional dancers prepare for auditions, and professional dancers with everything from technique to character training. Dancers have the opportunity to address the key issues related to vocabulary or choreography that they find difficult to execute.

• specific benefits

• Movement springs from the core.  Strengthening the trunk muscles include all four of the abdominals, gluts, and muscles that support the spine. A strong core results in more control of movements, limb coordination, balance, and jumps.

• Pilates apparatus offers the right resistance to make it easier to find and correct muscular imbalance and alignment in the whole body. Correcting such imbalances leads to stronger and cleaner lines, and safer execution of ballet based vocabulary.
• Pushing from the floor: use the apparatus to understand how to use plie to leave the floor for allegro work.
• Specific exercises build a very strong back required for Port De Bras and extension work ie: Arabesque.
• Stretching with resistance builds strength, tone, flexibility, and resilience needed throughout the whole body.

• With spring resistance, learn to feel the quality of oppositional reaching-out and pulling-in, as in Battement Fondu.

• A crucial area of importance is the standing leg. The gluteal and inner thigh muscles are addressed extensively through a variety of Pilates exercises in multiple planes of movement.

• Pilates emphasizes proper breathing in coordination with movement, an essential requirement for endurance as well as proper and safe execution of choreography.

• When the body is moving correctly in space the neck is free and moves without tension, allowing dancers to spot with ease.