While walking my dogs the other day I did something that I seldom do...... I corrected another father in front of his kids.. I'm sure it went unnoticed by the children and I doubt the father understood why I was so bothered but what he said., but his disparaging remark had minimized the accomplishments of one of my children and that really bothered me.
Let me explain what went down.... A group of 3 or 4 kids, ranging from preschool age to maybe 2nd or 3rd grade were in the street taking batting practice with the aforementioned father. One of the children took a mighty swing at a pitch but completely whiffed on it and let the momentum of the bat spin him round and round, laughing as he staggered and stumbled to the ground. That's when the father said, "Come on, get serious, this isn't ballet practice ya know, now let's get to work!"
Nothing too malicious there. Unless, of course, you happen to have a daughter who has danced practically her whole life and is now studying dance at a Big-Ten university!! I felt that I needed to say something.... but what?? I knew that a detailed explanation would be a waste of breath so all I said was "Ya know E. is majoring in dance at U of I." I added, "You wouldn't believe how hard she trains."
I guess I shouldn't judge my neighbor too harshly. Maybe he has only seen an entry level dance class. I know that when E. first began taking dance (see picture at right) there wasn't much to her practices. Hell, it was a battle just to convince her to put on her dance tights before class. But thing$ began to inten$ify as the year$ went by. One class a week ($) quickly became three ($$), and shortly after that came the dance teams ($$$), a wide variety of dance shoes ($$$$),
and the costumes ($$$$$) and the out-of-town competitions. ($$$$$$). (I'm sorry, but you're out of luck if you'd like me to quantify the $$$$'s for you. I'm not really sure I can... I asked the "how much it all this costing?" question once and was told "honey, you don't want to know.")
And I guess I really didn't appreciate the athletic side of dance until one evening when I went to pick E. up from ballet. I went a little early so I could sneak a peek through the one-way mirrors that encircled the ballet studio. I watched in amazement as the girls finished up their class doing the same type of wind sprint drills that I had done as a soccer player.
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| En Pointe |
I wish I could have conveyed the message of how strenuous dance can be, but the father was too wrapped up in batting practice and the dogs were getting anxious,so I resumed my walk home.
Common injuries (From Wikipedia)
- This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.
- Blisters
- Blisters are caused by repeated rubbing of skin against the rough, hardened inside on the shoe's box, especially if the shoes are poorly fitted. Blisters can be prevented or lessened by wrapping the toes with medical tape or by using padding.
- Bunions
- a joint deformity usually in the big toe caused by cramping of the toes within the shoe's box or by poorly fitted shoes. Dancers can prevent bunions by putting a spacer between the big toe and the next toe.
- Bunionette
- a joint deformity usually in the dancer's little toe.
- Bursitis
- Bursitis is the inflammation of one or more bursae (small sacs) of synovial fluid in the body. The bursae rest at the points where internal functionaries, such as muscles and tendons, slide across bone. Healthy bursae create a smooth, almost frictionless functional gliding surface, making normal movement painless. When bursitis occurs, however, movement relying upon the inflamed bursa becomes difficult and painful. Moreover, movement of tendons and muscles over the inflamed bursa aggravates its inflammation, perpetuating the problem.
- Bruises
- bruising is common on the tip of the toe, especially if no padding is used.
- Bruised toenails
- caused by heavy pressure on the front of the nail when the nail is not cut short. This can be very painful and may cause the dancer to burn a hole in the nail to relieve some of the pressure.
- Calluses
- Calluses are thickened areas of skin which form on the bottom and sides of the feet. While a small amount may be helpful, too much callusing can indicate poor posture or poorly fitted shoes. Especially thick callus may crack or bleed and can be painful, causing a burning sensation. Calluses can be kept under control by soaking the feet in warm water and mild soap for 10 – 15 minutes. Excess callus can then be filed off gently, not removing the whole.
- Contusion
- A bruise, also called a contusion
- Corns
- Cuts between the toes
- Cuts can occur between toes as a result of the pressure of a dancer's toenails digging into the toes next to them. However, with proper trimming, filing and fitting, this can usually be prevented.
- Dancer's heel (Plantar fasciitis)
- When the tendon on the instep of the foot tightens, causing the instep and heel to hurt very badly.
- dorsal exostosis
- Extensor tendinitis
- Hallux limitus and rigidus
- Hammer toes
- when the toes bend up permanently at the middle joint.
- Ingrown toenails
- Jammed big toes
- Neuromas
- Sesamoiditis
- Sprained ankles
- Stress fractures
- Thickened toenails
- Tendonitis, most commonly Achilles Tendinitis
[edit]Injury prevention
Because pointe work can cause friction between the toes and the hard box of the pointe shoe, dancers use several methods to prevent chafing and blisters. Dancers often use lamb'swool or toe pads made of foam or gel, or even folded paper toweling. If any type of padding is used excessively, it will impair the ability to "feel the floor." Many dancers also use sports tape around their toes in order to further prevent blisters and bruised toenails. Also, keeping the toenails clipped as short as possible (without bleeding) is useful in preventing bruised toenails.
