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the-vu

online magazine, since 2000

Month: December 2008

Before you celebrate new year….

Just a reminder that even though we all love our hours, minutes, seconds, months, weeks and centuries, none of them are real. One year is real, but it does not necessarily start on January 1st. It’s just one whole orbit around the sun. One day is real, but it does not necessarily start at midnight.… Read More Before you celebrate new year….

December 29, 2008December 6, 2022 thebarak3 Comments

Is Ballet Humane?

By Leda Meredith Today one of the young student dancers I rehearsal direct in a Nutcracker production came up to me and pointed to her right foot. A bad blister had bled through her tights and through her pointe shoe. She looked up at me with wide eyes and a well-trained ballet-school smile and asked… Read More Is Ballet Humane?

December 7, 2008December 6, 2022 thebarak4 Comments
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  1. Nicole Price Avatar
    Nicole Price
    December 7, 2008

    This is really interesting. You probably don’t remember this, but, back in High School, at LaGuardia, I was rehearsing a piece for Senior Concert. I made one move, and subluxed my patella. I was made aware that there wasn’t really the necessity for sitting out from classes and rehearsals, despite a huge amount of swelling and pain. Because my teachers told me I couldn’t afford the time off, I did it. I skipped the doctor, and chugged prescription pain relievers. I found myself painting my knee brace with foundation so it would be less noticeable. Fast forward 10 years, and I found myself unable to walk. An MRI revealed a pretty considerable meniscus tear, degenerative arthritis in my patella from this years old injury, and a massive amount of scar tissue growing across my knee. I was driven to dance through this!! I can’t believe I actually did it. While there are some things that warrant dancing through, we often rely on our teachers and guides to help us decipher what is and isn’t smart, especially as still impressionable kids. Sure, in the short run I was dancing, but had I continued dancing professionally, I would have been up a creek pretty fast.

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  2. Lou. Avatar
    Lou.
    December 8, 2008

    The story by Leda and the comment by Nicole have been an eye-opener for me.

    Over the years I have watched a few ballets while sitting uncomfortably in theatre seats, and never gave a thought about a dancer becoming injured, while performing these incredible movements. Surely it must be hard to smile with constant pain !
    Currently I watch on television, and happy that I never see a beautiful ballerina, with a tattoo or a ring through the nostril.

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  3. admin Avatar
    admin
    December 8, 2008

    Lou,

    If you take a peek at modern ballet, you’ll see plenty of piercings and inkings, so you had better stick to your classical!

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  4. Anonymous Avatar
    Anonymous
    June 8, 2016

    All ballet students need to make sacrifices but I believe it is possible to teach pre-professional ballet students and professional ballet dancers in a humane way.

    When it comes to pushing ourselves and our limits, dancers need to be aware of what their bodies can and can’t do. Their bodies are their instruments, after all. Dancers must push themselves however it would be dangerous to overdo it – for example ignoring pain could be dangerous and dancing with a significant injury when it is avoidable is foolish and will make the injury worse.

    Something I would like to remind all those involved with dance (and this advice also applies to non-dancers): take care of your bodies. Take care of your health. Do not ever sacrifice your health for dance. And when it comes to health, think not just in the short run but in the long run too. A risky but seemingly harmless can cause long-term damage or even death. Long-term damage from a risky practice could be debilitating. So make sure your priorities include health, never sacrifice your health for dance, and remember that a seemingly harmless but risky practice could cause long-term damage or even death.

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