Health: For You and Your Students

The pain in Amy Giordano’s knees had become constant and, almost without even knowing it, she had acclimated herself to the daily pain. “My body had self-adjusted, so you couldn’t tell that I had no knees anymore,” says the director of the Gus Giordano Dance School in Chicago. After years of using her arms to pull herself up out of chairs, leaning heavily on railings to get down stairs and watching students from the sidelines because her knees lacked the strength to even pull her up from a plié, she decided to have knee replacement surgery—on both her knees.
 

Today’s young people are more aware of the health risks of smoking than any other previous generation, yet 6.4 million of them are expected to die from smoking-related diseases, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Research shows that nearly all first-time tobacco use occurs before high school graduation, which suggests that, if young people can get past this stage in their lives and remain tobacco-free, they are likely to never start smoking.
 

 
Dance educators can help steer students away from using cigarettes if they take the time to squash the urban myths that surround smoking. In “Freedom From Nicotine: The Journey Home,” smoking cessation educator John R. Polito dismantles common misconceptions about smoking and nicotine addiction.
 

It’s a teacher’s job to be 100 percent focused on her students. Unfortunately, this means that she often loses sight of her own health and wellness. DT spoke to three teachers who, despite schedules that leave little time for anything outside of the dance studio, have managed to develop fitness plans that work. Here’s how they do it.
 
FROM CHEESEBURGERS TO CHIN-UPS
 

If you look inside the dance bag of most of your teenaged students, among the shoes, bobby pins and warm-ups, you will likely find a bottle of over-the-counter painkillers. Many young dancers pop an Advil, Motrin or Aleve—types of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)—as a preventive measure before class, to relieve cramps or soreness after a day of rehearsing, or to mask symptoms of what could be a serious injury.
 

It makes sense that in an artform that is handed down from generation to generation, the stretches we teach our students are the same as those we learned as young dancers. But over time, research has shown that some of the stretches we’ve been doing for years can put undue stress on joints and fail to stretch the muscles they are targeting. As educators, it is important to know the difference between a good stretch and a bad stretch.  
 
What is a “bad” stretch?
 

Students need more than just ballet technique to become ballet dancers, especially the men,” says Jacqui Haas, athletic director for the Cincinnati Ballet. “Many dancers should be much stronger.”
 

In secret, young aspiring ballerinas might slip on a pair of pointe shoes, clutch the barre and stand on the tips of their toes with bent knees, wobbly ankles and weak middles. And they’ll often beg their teachers to let them start dancing on pointe. But overzealous students should be warned: Wearing pointe shoes before a body is physically prepared can lead to long-term injury and irreversible damage.
 
Knowing what strengths and weaknesses to look for will help you determine whether a student is ready to begin.
 

It’s a warm summer day, and even with the humidity outside, your students are pushing through, eager to impress and improve. One dancer starts to look a little flushed and, in an instant, she faints. Despite the most equipped teacher’s best efforts, dehydration is a constant danger, particularly in summer months. By understanding the science behind hydration, you can help protect your students’ health and help them perform at top capacity.
 

When students go through puberty, the body they’ve been diligently training may suddenly change. Growth spurts can throw off balance and reduce flexibility, a combination that can increase the risk of injury.
 
You can help your students hold on to their technique and confidence during this transition, as well as teach them how to use their changing bodies safely and effectively.
 
Recognizing Puberty