Over two years ago, the Reigate School of Ballet & Commercial Dance visited Reigate Rugby Club to introduce a new form of exercise to the players, that would literally "...refresh and strengthen the parts other exercises could not reach".
As mentioned in our earlier blog, the men were impressed by how physical ballet can be, and as well as the Australian Rugby Team, Wigan Warriors have now introduced Ballet as a weekly class to its youth team, with the aim of reducing long-term injuries and highlighting ballet and dance as a serious hobby and / or career for males.
Dance still remains a stigma for many boys, and this plan of exercise which is being rolled out to many schools, aims to tackle this stigma head on. The carefully planned course, under the scrutiny of the Hammond School in Chester (in which Miss Evans attended as a pupil), Wigan Warriors Rugby Club, and Leigh College, will be delivered across countless schools in the North.
One Wigan Warrior player recalls that his continued ballet training has improved his ankle and knee injuries, and his core strength is much improved. His answer to anyone who thought ballet isn't for males was that they should try it for themselves before commenting - many players suffer from injuries and if ballet can be the core part of prehab (Prehabilitation / strength training), then this can surely be a great way to make recovery more interesting. Alan Gregory, who developed the plan alongside Donna Harrison, believe this is the way to bring ballet (and dance) to the masses, and increase fitness through this physical art.