Feet & Legs

Dancing Smart Newsletter
April 28, 2006

Announcements

Can you believe that May is going to be here next week! I can't! Seems like it has been a downhill slide since February. Summer and recitals will be here before you know it. As preparation for that hectic time, start intending that you will be surprised how easily everything flows this year! I'm nearing the end of the semester and am constantly reminding my students that finals do not have to be stressful - that they know getting adequate sleep will make their efforts more productive - and - to stop thinking they must prove how hard-working they are by living on coffee and staying up all night and ultimately getting sick. Which, in turns gives them the perfect excuse for not doing as well as they wanted to. Our thoughts create our behaviors. In order for things to change we must change, starting with our thoughts.

Please send in your registrations, or an email to me if you are interested in the summer workshop. The early bird discount ends on April 30th! Thank you!

First Question

The causes of leg cramps are generally dehydration, muscle fatigue brought on by heavy exercise more than what you are conditioned for and electrolyte imbalances. Multiple relevés or jumps might fatigue your calf, making it more susceptible to a cramp. Working to strengthen the muscles more slowly and consistently would help. The easiest adjustment to make is to drink more water! It's amazing how many systems of the body are influenced by being even slightly dehydrated. Certainly injuries occur more often when tired and dehydrated. Stretching the calf, slowly and with awareness will help tone your muscles. It may be that you aren't holding your stretches long enough to feel the muscle release. Try these suggestions and see if they help, Nena!

Next Question

The focus for getting a higher arabesque should be on stretching the hip flexors. You can do that with the runners lunge, or any variation of that. That stretch will allow the leg to lift more easily. You might want to check out the last Pointe Magazine where I wrote an article about this very topic!

Last Question

Normal is good! Having a very high arch can sometimes make for an unstable foot. There are plenty of dancers on pointe, who have normal size arches. What I question more is why one seems so much better than the other. If you feel that you are being stopped at the ankle joint from being able to point as well as the other foot can, then have it checked out by a physician who can see if there is an impingement at the ankle joint. Otherwise, work on strengthening the intrinsic muscles of the feet by doing things like slow pointing of the toes, separating them and keeping them long and stretched. You will feel this effort in the arch of the foot.

 

On with the dance!

Deborah

"Education is the key to injury prevention"

Copyright ©2003-2006 The Body Series. All Rights Reserved.

Deborah Vogel is a dancer, author, and master teacher who conducts workshops across the U.S. for both student and professional dancers. Her numerous articles on dance technique and injury prevention have appeared in Dance Spirit and Dance Teacher magazines. She is the Director of the Institute for Performance Studies and a faculty member at Oberlin College and the OC Conservatory of Music. During her years in NYC she co- founded the Center for Dance Medicine. Deborah makes her home in Oberlin, Ohio.