Knees & Bunions
Dancing Smart Newsletter
June 16, 2006
Announcements
I wanted my newsletter subscribers to be the first to know about a big project Anneliese Burns Wilson and I are doing together. Functional Anatomy for Dancers: A Step-by-Step Teaching Guide has 4 different levels of lesson plans from basic identification to more specific and challenging lessons on anatomy. The series is designed for dancers over the age of 10. Each level comes with activity sheets that can be duplicated and given to the students along with a teacher's guide for presenting the information. Each level contains 30 anatomy lessons that will take no more than 10 minutes of class time. Each lesson is interactive and hands on. The activities blend easily into a dance class format while imparting important anatomical information briefly and clearly. Are you excited? We are! More information will be given out in the weeks to come. Publication date for the first level is August. Stay tuned!
Question of the Week
I recently purchased your Turnout video and found it to be very informative and relevant to many issues I am currently facing. I am a 15-year-old aspiring professional dancer who has been experiencing knee and bunion pain, and I know that this largely has to do with the way I am using my turnout. I am hyperextended, and have been taught to leave a space in between my heels in first position. In the video, I learned that this is incorrect and I now know that this may be why I am experiencing knee pain. I have seen a foot doctor who told me that my knees may also be hurting because of the way I walk (more on the outside of the foot) to avoid pain associated with my bunions. I have also seen a therapist who gave me some isometric exercises to strengthen my quads with, which will give me more strength to be in better alignment. I am working with my ballet teacher to find more correct ways to use my turnout and alleviate bunion pain, but I have some questions: Are there any exercises I can do for my knees that will make it feel better when they begin hurting? Do you think I am beginning this phase of finally listening to my body and admitting I should be using my turnout better too late? Will my body, in its teen years, be able to recover from any harm it has been caused (I have been dancing for nine years)? I hope that having a long dance career is still going to work!
Thank you, Miriam
Deb's Answer
I am delighted with how much progress you have already made! You are beginning to figure out the patterns of discomfort with support from some outside practitioners. I definitely think you are in very good place of listening to your body – AND – it's never too late! Never!
You have begun a program of strengthening your quadriceps, which will help you feel stronger as you begin work with less hyperextension in standing. Go for the hyperextended line in arabesque or in your développés – you are non-weight bearing at those times. It is when you are standing on a hyperextended leg the knee begins to hurt because of the rotation and torque that is happening. When your knees are hyperextended in standing you have a tendency to turn out your feet more to compensate for the inward rotation of the femur caused by the hyperextension – and bingo! – bunions often develop.
There isn't a specific exercise I would suggest once your knees start hurting. Instead I would encourage you to think about what you were just engaged in and see if you can discover any other patterns that may be contributing to your knee discomfort. Notice your shoe wear and how your knees feel when walking in them. Do your knees hurt more at the barre rather than in center? Try bringing your turnout in and lighten your grip on the barre. The more you can notice the small influences, the faster you will work through this challenging period.
Did the foot doctor have any suggestions for your bunions? Did he show you exercises to strengthen the muscles in the foot, such as fanning your toes? If not, ask your physical therapist to give you some suggestions to strengthen the intrinsic muscles of the feet. Some dancers love yoga toes – and/or wearing a bunion strap or brace at night. I agree with your foot doctor that you've got to be able to walk easily and with a correct gait (not on the outside of the foot), in order to truly help the knees.
What's great about your email is you are taking a whole body approach – and that makes sense! I have no doubt that with patience and time you can overcome these challenges and become a stronger dancer. I'd like to quote something my father wrote to my son, who just graduated from high school last week. "Keep your focus on your dreams and follow your heart".
I'm rooting for you!
Warmest regards,
Deborah
"Education is the key to injury prevention"
Have a Question?
Email your questions to Deb at AskDeb@thebodyseries.com or visit her online at http://www.thebodyseries.com.
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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.
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