The Athlete In The Performing Artist

Maria Menounos (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Many of us have been glued to the television for season 14 of Dancing with the Stars (DWTS) and seen the injuries. There is a little bit of dancer in the athlete, and a lot of athleticism in the dancer. For the purpose of this discussion, they are one and the same. The injuries remain the same. Whether it’s a running back dancing his way downfield, maneuvering his footwork to avoid oncoming tacklers. Or the ballet dancer leaping across the stage, delighting and wowing the audience. They are both prone to injuries that can alter or stop their careers.

Last month there were a couple of injuries worth noting. William Levy sustained an injury to his right ankle during rehearsal.  The results of an MRI done the following day showed a torn ligament, and his doctor advised immediate rest, or risk doing permanent damage if he continued to dance on the injured ankle. But the Cuban heart throb danced on performing an Argentine tango that had judges passing out some pretty high praise. Sherri Shepard mysteriously lost a shoe and sustained an ankle injury that left her unable to dance up to her full potential. This proves that the ankles just aren’t safe on the dance floor.

Whether you are ball room dancing or ballet dancing, the leaps turns, spins and shuffles are hard on the feet and ankles, and very little support for the difficult moves is provided by the shoes. In the ballroom, the typical shoe has a somewhat high heel, is strappy and light, and has the dancer moving on the balls of her feet. Unfortunately, there is no cushioning or support for the lateral movement, jumping and sliding a dancer is required to do.  Ballet slippers are worse. There is virtually no support, a little cushioning but no toe protection. Considering the moves a ballet dancer makes on stage, and the rigorous hours spent training, physical exhaustion and stress, it is little wonder injuries occur. Just ask Maria Menounos who is reportedly nursing stress factors.

If you have an ankle or foot injury regardless of the origin, call Dr. Boucher at (203) 238-3668. Central Connecticut Foot Care Center is the go to place for all dance injuries foot or ankle related.  Expertise in Podiatry and interest and background in dance make Dr. Boucher just the right person to keep you on your toes.

References:

http://www.washington.edu/news/archive/id/1952