A 25-year-old student recently asked a question that brought back a rush of memories for me. And it’s also pertinent to our current COVID-19 restrictions. Not too long ago, a 25-year old who wants to pursue a dance career said she was so busy trying to stay financially stable that she only had time to […]
Q: I have an 8-year-old student who is coming along quite nicely in her technique, but I’ve noticed that one foot doesn’t point as well as the other. What’s up? A: Your student may have an os trigonum problem, where a tiny chip of bone from the talus is getting caught in the joint. Initially, […]
Q: I don’t have the turnout I wish I had. I’m somewhat knock-kneed and I’m wondering if this is affecting my rotation. A: Being knock-kneed does not determine the amount of turnout you have at the hip, but it will influence how easily you can stand in fifth and third positions. Both positions are a […]
Chances are, there is at least one student you interact with daily who is dealing with trauma in their life. In 2019, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a massive study on childhood trauma and elevated it to an official public health issue. They measured adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), which include things like […]
Q: My students have varying degrees of turnout, but it’s clear to me they aren’t always using what they have. Any suggestions on how to help them? A: Great question! Let’s address this with an exercise in standing. Start in first position and lift the left foot off the ground (still rotated), with your toes […]
It’s time to talk seriously about safety in dance education. As the physical and psychological demands put on student dancers escalates—thanks to competitions, social media and ever-evolving choreography—there is a pressing need to consider how we can successfully safeguard young dancers. In the wake of the #MeToo movement, we’ve heard numerous accounts of unethical, dangerous […]
Q: I have a 15-year-old student who has problems keeping her heel fully on the ground during a demi-plié. How can I help her? A: Her problem is tightness in the calf muscle. Start by having her roll her foot on a tennis ball or pinkie ball. This will wake up her feet so she […]
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 […]
After a long tennis match or a basketball game, elite athletes often head straight to the locker room and hit the exercise bike. On first thought, this might seem to be overtraining, but in fact, they are pedaling as a way to cool down properly. “All of our blood vessels get dilated and blood goes […]
Q: Despite stretching, my knees stay at least a foot off the ground when I sit or lie down in butterfly. When I gently push my knees down, I feel a sharp pain deep in the hip joint. What can I do? A: There are wide variations in hip-joint shapes and facings. The socket can […]