Ariana Grande’s live performances feature some pretty impressive dance moves, but is she able to do the splits?
Ariana Grande can do the splits. She executed this move during her set at the 2020 Grammy Awards and in the music video for the Chris Brown collaboration “Don’t Be Gone Too Long”.
Grande’s Fitness Routine
A split is an extremely popular gymnastics move that requires a lot of flexibility, and it can take years to perfect. It’s unclear if Ariana Grande learned to do the splits as a child, but her intense workout schedule could explain her ability to perform this move.
The “Dangerous Woman” singer is known for her petite frame and devotion to a vegan diet, and she’s been very outspoken about the importance of healthy eating. Her live performances are a great exercise, but Grande also enjoys hiking on a regular basis.
“I try and live a healthy lifestyle; eating right, exercise and sleep are all so important. I try and stay really active all the time. I like to hike when I can and being on stage is a great workout,” Grande told The Daily Mail.
Grande’s personal trainer Harley Pasternak told SELF that she tries to keep things simple during her workouts. The singer can’t risk getting injured because it would lead to the cancelation of her shows, and that’s why her fitness routine doesn’t involve any explosive movements.
Venues where Grande performs usually don’t have a gym or any equipment, and that’s why her fitness routine consists of two basic moves – walking lunges and glute bridges.
The 2020 Grammy Performance
Ariana Grande won her first and only Grammy so far in 2019 for the best pop vocal album Sweetener but skipped the ceremony after a dispute with producer Ken Ehrlich. She accused him of stifling her creativity and self-expression after being asked to perform a song of his choosing.
It was all water under the bridge by the next year, and Grande was finally able to deliver the performance that she always had in mind. Her set included a medley of “Imagine”, “Thank U, Next”, “7 Rings”, and The Sound of Music tune “My Favorite Things”.
Grande’s performance featured several pretty epic moments, and the audience completely lost it when she did the splits in the middle of her set. She dropped into the splits during elaborate “7 Rings” choreography and kept on singing like it’s the easiest thing in the world.
Grande performed the front splits, which can be done by extending one leg forward and the other leg to the rear of the torso until the angle of 180 degrees is reached. This is a pretty popular yoga move, also known as Hanumanasana or Monkey Pose.
Despite her amazing performance, Grande’s fans were disappointed by the end of the night since she didn’t pick up any awards. The singer’s mother Joan didn’t feel that way, and tweeted, “[she showed] true warmth, sincerity & respect… & she had a great time! Ariana won!”
“Don’t Be Gone Too Long”
Ariana Grande demonstrated the ability to do the splits long before her Grammy performance, but most people weren’t aware of it. Back in 2014, she impressed us with her ballet moves in the Chris Brown duet “Don’t Be Gone Too Long”.
This track was featured on his sixth studio album X but without Grande, and it was never released as a single. It was put on hold due to Brown’s legal troubles, but they already filmed a music video before this happened.
The medieval visual showed Grande and Brown playing two star-crossed lovers doing everything in their power to be reunited. It also featured several ballet sequences, including one where the “Thank U, Next” singer did the splits.
“Don’t Be Gone Too Long” was leaked online, but it never received any promotion and most people aren’t even aware it exists. Brown later said they weren’t able to release it due to the confrontation with their labels, and added he has “nothing but good things to say” about Grande.