Led by Houston Ballet Strength and Conditioning Coach Aki Kawasaki, this series offers in-depth Health & Wellness workshops for dancers, teachers and students ages 14 and up. The 2024-2025 season workshops will help improve your turnout, find better balance, and introduce cross-training exercises such as Pilates and GYROTONIC®. Register now for just $40 per workshop!
Create your own 4-pack of any four workshops and receive an overall discount of $20!
Register below and choose the "Package Pricing” option at payment.
Strengthen and Lengthen for Stronger Pointe Work, with Aki Kawasaki
Sunday, January 26, 2025 | 3:00-4:30 PM
This workshop is for dancers who are already en pointe, as well as those who are interested in progressing to pointe work. With an emphasis on the intrinsic muscles of the feet and stabilizing exercises for the trunk and legs, workshop participants will learn exercises they can do independently to improve foot shape, leg line and overall stability and balance in ballet.
Introduction to Progressing Ballet Technique (PBT), with Mallory Mehaffey
Sunday, February 9, 2025 | 3:00-4:30 PM
Progressing Ballet Technique is a conditioning program using ballet-specific exercises to ensure students are using the correct muscles for ballet steps and positions and helps them develop muscle memory they can transfer to their technique classes. Workshop participants will learn exercises they can implement as part of their class warm-up and use to supplement their existing conditioning programs.
Building Better Balance, with Aki Kawasaki
Sunday, February 23, 2025 | 3:00-4;30 PM
Less is more! Especially when it comes to balancing! Workshop participants will learn how to use less effort to achieve the most efficient and expansive shapes in ballet class. The exercises learned in this workshop will improve body awareness and movement efficiency to help dancers minimize lower leg and foot pain and injuries such as shin splints and tendonitis.
GYROTONIC®: Expand Your Body Awareness and Fluidity, with Beth Everitt
Sunday, March 30, 2025 | 3:00-4:30 PM
The GYROTONIC EXPANSION SYSTEM® includes the GYROTONIC®, and GYROKINESIS® movement methods. These methods address the entire body, opening energy pathways, stimulating the nervous system, increasing range of motion, and creating functional strength through rhythmic, flowing movement sequences. Workshop participants will learn the principles of the GYROTONIC® expansion system, to find a deeper connection to their body and mind. Exercises in the workshop will help participants find increased range of motion and fluidity in their movement through mat, seated, and standing exercises.
About Aki Kawasaki
Originally from Ibaraki, Japan, Akihiro Kawasaki holds a B.S. in Exercise Science from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. As a student athletic trainer, he worked with several sports teams including the national championship winning football team at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College (MGCCC). Kawasaki previously served as a personal trainer and strength and conditioning coach for Olympic athletes on the national team of Japan. He is currently the head strength and conditioning coach at Houston Ballet and Houston Ballet Academy. Kawasaki holds certifications in Functional Movement Systems (FMS) – level 2, Y Balance Test (YBT) of FMS, Fundamental Capacity Screen (FCS) of FMS, Rossiter – level 4, Yamuna Body Rolling – Face, Feet, Table Treatment and Animal Flow and Spatial Medicine.