​The Similarities of Dance and Soccer

You may not think so at first, but soccer and dance have a lot of similarities between them when it comes to foot movement and the strength found in both types of athletes. Dance and soccer are two activities that rely on the strength and agility of the feet. Both activities require having a good sense of rhythm. Yes, we all know that dancers possess a strong sense of rhythm due to the necessity to flow with the music, but soccer players possess an amazing specific rhythm to maintain control of the ball and keep it moving at a focused, steady pace.

The Auditory Art Theory

Soccer is all footwork! If you were to watch a soccer practice it is likely that at least half of it would consist of footwork drills, similar to a ballet class where connection to the feet and specific technique is stressed. This brings us to the idea of Auditory Art Theory and how it relates to soccer specifically. Some basic soccer moves that incorporate the auditory theory include foundation and ball touches. Foundation is essentially hitting the ball back and forth between the very inside of your feet. During foundation, the goal is to maintain a rhythm. Ball touches are when you tap the top of the ball with the bottom of your foot over and over. In dance, the auditory form can be seen in music and certain footwork patterns, with ballet and tap dancing as great examples of how dancers create rhythm with their feet like soccer players.

Stretching

Stretching also has similarities between soccer and dance in that it is absolutely necessary for both activities in the prevention of injury. Soccer players stretch before each game or practice to help sustain their muscle strength and improve endurance. Soccer players are also often seen rolling out their ankles and doing basic foot stretches to help prevent injury. Dancers often use these same stretches for many of the same reasons. Dancers stretch their feet before each rehearsal or show to prevent injury as well as warm-up and maintain flexibility.

T Spheres Techniques serve the soccer player and the dancer in injury prevention when used in pre-activity massage with a focus on muscle activation, blood circulation, foot care and to enhance the mind body connection. Be sure to check out our video below to be inspired by both our soccer and dance warm ups and learn more!

Pre-game warm up with T Spheres

The agility of a soccer player is so similar to the dancer, but the ability to roll it out pre-game is not as amenable as the dance studio due to the outdoor arena. In this video you will get a glimpse of some of the T Spheres Techniques that soccer players like Rafael use to get the blood pumping and the muscles activated to perform at his best in a pick up game in NYC.