Tag Archives: dance injury

no sunlight

by

tumblr_ltxst9Wk1B1r4gvk1o1_500

There’s a running joke amongst us “dancer folk” poking fun at the ghostly pale ballerina complexion, a trademark only achieved by spending every last hour of daylight in the studio.  At FBP we even (lovingly) refer to the black-box-conversion studio as “the dungeon”, thanks to two thick, black curtains that block out any and all eager little rays of sunshine attempting to stretch their warmth down into the building.  But are our many days spent under fluorescents instead of sunlight putting us in danger?  New studies say they could be, and here’s why…

The sun provides us with an essential nutrient that contributes to high serotonin levels, strong bones, healthy hearts and even boosting the immune system: Vitamin D.  The crucial vitamin notes treating weak bones, bone pain, and bone loss as some of its main benefits, with aiding in muscle weakness and arthritis not far behind.  These are all issues that dancers deal with daily!  A study conducted for the Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport followed 24 dancers at the Birmingham Royal Ballet as they danced between 6 and 8 hours a day (totalling nearly 38 hours a week).  The results revealed all of the dancers as being either Vitamin D deficient or insufficient in the winter months, with only a mere 15 % of the group sustaining normal levels of Vitamin D during the summer months.

After giving half of the dancers Vitamin D supplements and studying the effects, the results were too dramatic to go unreported.  The dancers taking supplements showed increased muscle strength, improved vertical jump performance, and perhaps most notably, they  suffered fewer injuries.  Of the 17 dancers taking Vitamin D, 12 claimed to be injury-free and only 5 reported sustaining 1 injury.  Of the dancers not taking the supplement, only 1 was found injury-free, with 5 others sustaining 1 injury, and 1 dancer suffering 2.

There were a lot of numbers being thrown around there, but what you really need to know here is that although the group of dancers being assessed in this study was small, the results are still convincing, and our next move is obvious: it’s time to take charge of our Vitamin D-intake.  If it can’t soften our vampire-like skin tones, at least it can protect us from injury.  So, spread the word, tell your mom, tell your teacher, tell your brother, sister, friend, cousin, dad, grandma, and her poodle.  Vitamin D supplements for all!

photo via

nature of the business

by

footankle

In the September issue of Pointe Magazine (wow, shit bunheads say) there is an interview with Mikko Nissinen regarding what’s lacking in pre-professional training, in which the Boston Ballet Artistic Director makes a very valid point; “It takes three steps to be a professional: You have to learn how to dance, how to perform, and how to deal with injuries.”

There is such a high probability of becoming injured in this career that knowing how to handle an injury is literally the most important skill a dancer can have, second only to learning to dance and perform.  Of course, dealing with actually becoming injured is difficult, but straight forward: something hurts, you seek medical advice, you are diagnosed.  The part that comes next, the whole “being an injured dancer” aspect, well that is a bit more complicated.

In the closing sequence of Breaking Pointe’s Season 2 finale (I really need to take the bobbypins out of my brain before making references), Ballet West Artistic Director Adam Sklute says, “Ballet can be vicious” and flashbacks to the variety pack of injuries incurred by the dancers during the season fill the screen.  He’s right.  Behind the rhinestones and tulle, we hide pain.  Serious, at times crippling, pain.  It may sound dramatic, but that’s because it is.

Being an injured dancer is so much more than physical therapy, acupuncture, x-rays, and massages.  It hurts so much more than the sprain, fracture, or blister itself.  Your world as you know it flips upside-down.  Everything you have worked so hard for up until this point is taken away in the twist of an ankle, and only time, patience, and optimism will bring it back.  It’s like every hardship you’ve experienced in your ballet career thus far has been a little test of your dedication, and this is a 10-chapter exam.  Are you willing to stay true to something you can’t even do right now?  Will you be able to return to something that damaged you so physically without letting it break you emotionally?  The answer has to be yes.  Or you’re in the wrong business.