Tag: ask deb

Q: How can students build jump work into their practice while at home? Should they wear tennis shoes and jump only on carpet? A: Telling students to jump in tennis shoes isn’t a bad idea, especially when you don’t know what their flooring is like. I might also suggest a training regimen of tracking their […]

Q: How can I help parents understand that time spent in technique class is as valuable as learning choreography for competitions? A: Parents love to see their children onstage almost as much as students love to perform. That being said, no amount of flashy choreography is going to sustain the long-term development of a young […]

Q: I have adult ballet students who are asking me about foot cramping, soreness and achiness when dancing, especially in the heel and arch area. Could it be plantar fasciitis? A: Feeling soreness and pain in the heel and arch area can be a sign of plantar fasciitis. The plantar fascia is a thick band […]

During seated stretches, I encourage my students to sit straight on their sits bones and then fold forward at the hips—even if they don’t go forward very far. One student tells me that if she sits as I instruct, she can’t reach forward at all. Why? Whenever you see a student slouch or sit on […]

I have a dancer who has a very tight back. She can’t even touch her toes. She says it doesn’t hurt, but she feels no stretch. I am able to push her back down further (with no pain for her), but she just can’t do it on her own. How can I help her? —Anna […]

I have, according my dance teachers, the “perfect dancer body.” My legs are hyperextended and I have perfect turnout. If I have the “perfect dancer body,” then why does my body hurt so much while I dance? It is all about balance! Dancers need to have flexibility and strength. It seems that you have the […]

I have a student who is moderately knock-kneed and has trouble closing in fifth position without bending her legs. She has a swayback, and her turnout isn’t very strong. Do you have any advice? As a teacher, knock knees can be particularly challenging to work with, because they stem from a structural condition that won’t […]

A few months ago, both my knees started hurting after I would exercise. Now, the pain occurs at the bottom of my kneecap and is the worst when I lock my knees. I’ve been doing a little research, and I was wondering if this could be Osgood-Schlatter disease. If it is, do you have any […]

I’ve been having a lot of lower-back pain lately. I have an arch in my lower back when I sleep, so I tried changing my mattress to see if it would make things better. Unfortunately, it didn’t help, and I continue to have discomfort. I attend a performing arts school during the day, and I’m […]

I was taught to consistently squeeze my gluteals when dancing, to assist in turnout, and have encouraged my students to do the same. Recently, though, I experimented with relaxing these muscles and have discovered immediate relief from chronic hip pain. Have I been teaching my students incorrectly all along? What you have discovered is that, […]