Pointe Readiness: When is the Optimal Time to Start Pointe Work? Michelle Perry PT, DPT The combined forces from body weight and momentum when dancing en pointe places significant stress on a dancer’s leg; the equivalent of up to 12x the individual’s body weight. Thus, adolescent dancers looking to start pointework and even those dancing…
Third in a planned series on ballet By Katherine Hartsell, PTA As a physical therapist assistant and yoga teacher, I am both invested in and inspired by the continuing education opportunities that come my way. This past weekend I began a Dance Medicine Practicum, joining a diverse, intimate group of movement specialists dedicated to the…
Second in a planned series on ballet. by Katherine Hartsell, PTA If you are sitting to read this article, please momentarily stand up. Glance down at the habitual stance you have assumed and note if your body relates to the Degas Little Dancer sculpture in the photograph above. If you are a dancer, you are…
by Meagham Harwood, DPT Whether the boom in viewers of shows like Dancing with the Stars have been a factor or not, there has been a definite increase in the popularity of barre classes. It seems that we all want to “tone up” our tummies, arms, and thighs to get that sculpted dancer’s physique. Although…
First in a planned series about ballet by Katherine Hartsell, PTA Ballet is a form of dance that aims to appear graceful and natural, but masked beneath the beauty of this art form is physically demanding work that requires precision, strength, integrated flexibility and control. Central to it all is a concept called turnout. This…
Learn about detraining and overtraining in the dancer.
by Michael J. Velsmid, DPT, MS Detraining in the dancer during summer lay-off is the partial loss of endurance, strength, balance, flexibility, and skill in response to an insufficient training stimulus. We all have experienced that when we stop exercising, we generally begin to lose both strength and aerobic fitness. After only three months, researchers…