Dancer's feet are notoriously disformed and full of problems due to the nature of this art. Dancers often have bunions, hammertoes, nail injury, heel pain and sprains in their feet and ankles. This will be a biweekly update and go-to guide on dancing and how we as dancers can take care of our feet.
Dear Jenn,
I've found that I'm spraining my ankle a lot lately. I've been intensely training in ballet 4 hours a day, and I find that I'm spraining my ankle often. What could be the problem?
I've gotten a couple of e-mails about this, so it must be a common problem dancers are having! I personally have never sprained my ankle dancing, but with a weak right ankle, I'm sure it will happen someday.
An ankle sprain is an injury to one or more of the ligaments, typically on the outside of the ankle. Ligaments "band" one bone to another and bind joints together. These are especially important in the ankle because they allow side-to-side movement and stability.
An ankle sprain can be a minor or major injury, depending on how badly you injured the ligament. Is it stretched, partially torn, or completely torn? Remember that sprains are not the same as strains, which involve the muscles. You could perhaps have an ankle strain instead.
Sprains are usually caused by falls, spills, twists, and blows that force the ankle out of its normal position (in ballet, that means every position!). If you have weak ankles or previous sprains, you will be more susceptible to ankle sprains.
Symptoms include: pain or soreness, swelling, bruising, difficulty walking, and stiffness in the joint. Symptoms vary in intensity, depending on how severe the sprain is. You may feel your ankle is wobbly and unsteady. The important course of action is seeking immediate medical attention. It is important to get prompt medical attention because leaving it untreated may lead to chronice instability, which is characterized by persistent discomfort and a giving way feeling. A more serious injury could have also happened with the strain, including a bone fracture. The sprain could also be hiding the real source of the problem, which could be a more serious foot injury.
A podiatrist will x-ray your foot and obtain a history of the problem in their evaluation. They will recommend R.I.C.E., along with anti-inflammatory medications. The most important and hardest part of your treatment will be staying off that foot- I know, hard for dancers to do! But if you want get better and stay better, then you need to rest.
Last night when I finished watching So You Think You Can Dance, I cozied up with the latest edition of Pointe Magazine. I came across an ad for Bunhead's latest product, Anti-inflammatory gel. I made a note to check it out online this morning.
Bunheads is a company that makes great dance accessories. In the past I've used several of their products, including Ouch Pouch, ProPad, the Big Tips and smaller tips for the other toes. I was not familiar with a line of products they have that are for the health of dancer's feet in particular. I had seen the foot wipes in an advertisement in Pointe Magazine before. They come in a box, 25 wipes per box and are designed for the dancer with sweaty feet. Use them immediately after dancing to kill bacteria and refresh your feet. Bunheads claims that they are antimicrobial, antifungal, and antibacterial.
The Exercise Band looks an awful lot like Therabands, but perhaps there is a difference. The band comes in three different resistence levels: medium weight, heavy weight, and super heavy weight. It is designed to help you strengthen difference parts of the body, help young dancers strengthen their feet for pointe work, and for those coming back from injuries.
Toe Tape is used to prevent blisters and reduce friction. It's a crepe tape used by professionals, but I think anyone prone to blisters or chafing would find this product beneficial.
I love the name of this next product: Footsie Roller! This yellow roller comes higher in the center and tapers out to the edges. This is a good product for those who get cramps in their feet and arches while dancing and for those who get tired feet after rehearsal or class.
Foot Balm is a little like the Foot Wipes, but is a spray. It is designed to eliminate foot odor and dry up moisture on the foot. The Foot Balm is an all-natural product with seven essential oils that will moisturize the foot all day long. Your foot will not be slippery after spraying this on.
The anti-inflammatory gel is made of seaweed, water, and willowbark extract, along with other minerals and oils. One of the main ingredients is Arnica, which has been used for centuries as an anti-inflammatory treatment. It is combined with basil and Melissa. You would use it specifically on areas that are over-used, like your joints and muscles. This cocktail helps stimulate new cell growth and turnover.
If you have a product that you would like to review, please contact me at: jenn@centralctfootcare.com. I will entertain products of all kinds that would be helpful for dancers and their feet.
Dancingly,
Jenn jenn@centralctfootcare.com
Dr Tina Boucher, Dance Podiatrist
I had called my mom to talk with her after getting home from an adventure with my husband and since So You Think You Can Dance was on, I asked her how the episode was going so far. "I'm not impressed," she commented. Overall, I would have to agree. Why does it seem that every other week, the shows are good? Perhaps last night was less than enthralling because the choreographers were mostly new to the show? And yes, when I saw a round-off, I did scream as promised.
Impressions and comments:
*Boy's Group Number: I loved how they had Marko in the center. He was very strong, believable, and my attention was drawn to him every time. I thought Jess also stood out in this routine. I'm having a difficult time this season believing some of the concepts these choreographers are coming up with. I don't know that I saw all seven stages of grief. I think the choreographers are trying too hard this year to come up with stories to entertain. Instead, why not just come up with a piece for dancing's sake alone?
*Melanie and Marko: When I looked at the choreographer, I assumed that his style would be Fosse-like, or jazz-Broadway. But when the routine began, it was not at all what I expected. The costumes were good, but again, I didn't see the concept played out. What I saw were two very good dancers doing a Spanish infused piece, with strong dancing.
*Sasha and Alexander: Here is a prime example of choreography gone wrong. Nigel said how he thought it was hip-hop 101- well, the dancers aren't to blame for that, the choreographer is!!! Sasha and Alexander had already proven that they could do hip-hop very well in the NappyTabs soldier routine, so this is clearly a case of bad choreography. I liked the use of the tree as a prop, and they were cute in the routine, but it was something you may have seen at your local dance studio.
*Jordan and Tadd: Odd, weird, but beautiful (?!) routine. I think Tadd stole the show once again. For a b-boy, his port a bras is amazing. My husband came down to watch the show for a while, and every time Tadd moved his arms, I went crazy. It proves that if you work hard enough and get over any kind of hang-ups you have about doing a genre outside of your own, it can be done. A side note: my new scream of the week: if I see Jordan do that one leg up in the air thing one more time, ahh!!! Find something else. Put the leg to the side, in front, somewhere else! We all know you can do that, so please stop. Now.
*Clarice and Jess: Finally! A piece where I felt like the chemistry was not forced between them. It was believable, real, and raw. When Clarice put her hand on Jess's side, and he pulled it away, the emotion that was on his face I bought. It was the first routine where I felt like they truly connected. However, isn't this routine about a couple breaking up? So they don't like each other anymore... Perhaps they channeled that from their own relationship!
*Ashley and Chris: Yuck, yuck, yuck. I almost fast-forwarded through this routine. Two weeks in a row, they've bored me. Compare this routine to the samba Caitlynn and Mitchell did last week, there are no comparisons. Mitchell didn't know how to do the steps either, but he was so much more believable than Chris was. Ashley to me just doesn't exude sexiness. She came across as cute, fun, but definitely not sexy!
*Ryan and Ricky: Another weird routine. Good song choice, and decent choreography, but I didn't see how fashion had ruined them. They looked like zombies who got into a closet, pulled out some clothes, and went dancing.
*Caitlynn and Mitchell: !!! What an awesome routine. Done by Mandy Moore, of course, who choreographed one of my all-time favorite SYTYCD routines- the jazz with Neil and Sabra. You remember that one. I didn't necessarily see that it was a love story, but more a celebration of love, happiness, and good feelings. The leaps Caitlynn did were unbelievable, and the passion, technique, and power it took to perform that are beyond anything anyone else on that show could have done. I thought it was sweet how emotional Mitchell was afterwards- congrats to him for making something out of his life and rising above hardship to follow his dream. He's an inspiration to all poor kids who want to dance.
*Girl's Group Number: Liked this routine from the new jazz choreographer much better than the one he did for Melanie and Marko. The girls were cunning, devious. Loved the walking bit the most!
Until next week!
Dancingly,
Jenn jenn@centralctfootcare.com
Dr. Tina Boucher, Dance Podiatrist
So after a lack-luster second week, where I was horrified and upset about Iveta and Nick being sent home (both one of a kind in their genre- what were the judges thinking? Especially after Iveta had been trying to get on the program for three or four years), I was hoping last week's episode wasn't going to be the same.
I must say I'm getting a little sick about hearnig how fabulous and beast-like the girls are this year. You're completely passing over the talents of Jess, Tadd (my favorite guy this year), and Marko.
Impressions this week:
*I didn't really care for either of the group numbers. The concepts were cool, but I don't think they were executed by all dancers as well as they could have been.
*Sasha and Alexander: It is clear which person people are voting for in this couple: Sasha. If the judges are thinking of beasts, Sasha is the prima beast. her every move, transition, and emotion is pure and raw. I feel what she's feeling. I can't say the same about Alexander, who I agree with Nigel has some room for improvement with regards to emotion. My favorite part of this routine was the end, where her hands come out of the piano. Genius.
* Caitlynn and Mitchell: All I could think about during this routine was how much Iveta would have killed it! I also commented several times about Mitchell's rear- he's got quite the bottom on him, which he moved well in the samba! This was a good routine, and I was surprised that they ended up in the bottom three couples. It had a current artist and song, and I always thought that people tended to vote for these types of dances (rather than the foxtrot. I'll talk about that soon.)
*Miranda and Robert: I wasn't disappointed to see Miranda go, but voting Robert off was a huge mistake. Just because he's been in the bottom several times doesn't mean that he's the cause of it- I think Miranda was. Can we talk about how Miranda needs to get better, non-loungerie costumes? It's like she's doing a strip show each time. Anyway. Here again the concept was good, but I really didn't believe either fully embodied the characters. The dancing itself was ok, but it wasn't a routine that I loved.
*Melanie and Marko: My favorite routine of the evening! Loved it. Was Marko truly crying, even after the routine ended? The kiss was just an added touch too. Glad to see NappyTabs back since I didn't think they were in an awful lot of episodes last year. It got a little silly and out of control when Nigel kissed Mary, but it was all in good fun.
*Ashley and Chris: Ugh. Worst routine of the evening. This is one that you can't blame on the dancers however. Sonya is just whack. I don't know if I've ever really liked one of her routines- they're just too weird. And if I see another round-off that ends on the floor, I'm going to scream!!! The music was weird, the dancing was weird, the concept was weird. Not surprised Chris and Ashley ended up in the bottom, but I thought it was going to be Chris that went home, not Robert.
*Jess and Clarice: Can I say how awkward I feel every time I see them dance together? Does anyone else feel the same? And it's not from Jess that I feel that coming from, it's Clarice. I feel like she's oozing "I can't stand you, I don't like you" vibes every time they dance. I was completely surprised that having done a foxtrot, which is not a "popular" dance, they did not end up in the bottom three. It was old-fashioned and I was surprised modern audiences "got it". Does the average 11 year old even know who Frank Sinatra is?
*Ricky and Ryan: Ryan had been one of my favorite girl dancers at the beginning of the season, but she needs to do something about her facial expressions when she's dancing! It seems like every time she's dancing, no matter the subject, she's smiling! This routine was clearly not a smiling routine. I loved the concept, and wanted it to work for Sonya, but it just wasn't as deep or emotional as some as the other routines we've seen on SYTYCD (remember the breast cancer routine? Or even last week, the soldier coming home routine?).
*Tadd and Jordan: What a fun routine. I couldn't believe that with all of Jordan's sexiness when dancing, that she was embarrassed to perform this routine. Tadd clearly stole the attention away from Jordan- as he should because he's a b-boy and hip-hop is close.
Let's see what transpires tonight!
Dancingly,
Jenn jenn@centralctfootcare.com
Dr. Tina Boucher, Dance Podiatrist
