drdance

On 3/29/2018 at 12:23, Lemongirl said:

At the end of term, dd tripped on the stairs at school and injured her ankle.  It was strapped up well and she was on crutches for a few days.  The pain reduced but it was still very bruised and swollen.

 

Now she's home for Easter and I want to make sure it's healed properly before she starts dancing again next term.  The school nurse thought it was probably sprained but could have been a torn ligament.

 

It does seem improved but there is still some swelling/bruising.  I did think about taking her to my excellent osteopath to get it checked but would a sports physio be better?  

 

Any advice please?

In addition to my post regarding the debate re imaging - I'm not saying don't get an x-ray or scan, but as the OP stated, her DD was seen by the school nurse who would've sent her for any diagnostic imaging that was necessary. It's important not to get carried away with the fear surrounding injuries. I know that historically dancers have injuries that are poorly diagnosed and therefore treatment hasn't been appropriate but in this case Lemongirl has stated that her DD was seen promptly by a medical professional (who has, no doubt seen a lot of these in their time) and did their job by strapping up the ankle and giving crutches. I stand by my earlier advice - trust the nurse who saw the injury initially, give it plenty of time to heal whilst keeping it moving, and worry about physio if it's still hurting after a week or so. I am assuming that there is a physio connected to the school?

Just a thought to add regarding diagnostic imaging - not every issue that is symptomatic will be shown on an image. MRI scans, CT scans, x-rays etc are not 100% reliable. In fact, studies have been done recently where PAIN FREE individuals have had diagnostic images taken (for research purposes) and lots have had what would be considered as 'clinically significant' findings showing up on their images! 

Oh my goodness what a tough time you've had - but I'm pleased to hear that hopefully there will be a positive outcome and to hear your DD being positive is wonderful. You were right to trust your instinct and I wish you both all the very best!

Not really any need too be honest - a physio will possibly confirm a diagnosis but a diagnosis is only a guide for treatment. If there is ligament damage the treatment will be a period of rest with non-weight bearing mobility work. In other words,  keep off it but keep it moving. Suitable exercises include writing out the alphabet with the foot, moving the foot gently up and down, and side to side. If walking is not painful then some walking will help to keep it moving. Avoid the temptation to push the ankle to end-of-range movements while weight bearing such as pliés or rises. 

Hi! I have LOTS of experience on this topic! I have PM'd you :-D

Yes Grade 8 is different! The barre is seen but not examined (although I always tell any student of mine to act as though it is being examined). Then there are no centre exercises as such, but a series of dances. Students enter and exit the studio and begin the next dance without instruction from the examiner so rehearsal with a pianist or music operator is imperative. The dances are all done solo so again, make sure that she has rehearsed these by herself so that she knows exactly where to be, in the studio, throughout the dance. If she is dancing the Valse Printemps for the allegro, I always make my students dance it full out, twice, without a break in between in order to develop their fitness. It is a sprint of a minute and a half requiring lots of power (in terms of jumoing) but with lots of control, right at the very end!

It's a lovely exam but as other people have said, the format etc is very different so rehearsal of the exam itself is vital!

At MIDAS we do not do barre. It is my belief that after a good warm up, a carefully planned class starting in the centre can be much more beneficial. Spending too long at the barre gives a false sense of weight placement, and only trains one side of the body at a time. It is much better to encourage students to be 'on their legs' from the start of class. I should stress that at MIDAS the ballet classes do not simply begin with 'barre in the centre' - we do lots of different exercises to help students with correct posture, weight placement and turnout. There are occasions when students need to hold on to something to help their balance while working on a movement; in these instances students work in pairs with one offering gentle support with their hands. The 'supporting' student also has a role during these exercises, looking for technical things such as stretched knees, properly aligned hips, turnout out legs etc. and coaching their friend. Therefore these situations become learning opportunities for all. 

At the risk of courting controversy, I believe that the traditional format of the classical ballet class needs a thorough re-think if it's purpose is to prepare dancers for the demands of performance. The research that I did 10 years ago (!) in my PhD suggested that class did not adequately train dancers for the performances that they were being asked to do which is where my 'golden triangle' training philosophy came from. There was an article published recently in Dance Magazine (http://www.dancemagazine.com/ballet-class-2534954449.html) in which the following was written: "A number of studies show that barre is not as effective in training dancers' balance as is commonly assumed. Curious about the transfer of training from barre to center, Virginia Wilmerding, a research professor at University of New Mexico, carried out an electromyographical comparison of a développé devant at barre and at center and discovered—drum roll—that the standing leg works 50 to 60 percent less while using the barre. "You may be training a myriad of other things, but you are not training your standing leg," she says. "So then you go into the center and look at all the tendus you have to do because you wasted 45 minutes at barre not training the supporting foot." 

Aside from all the associate schemes/courses/classes that everyone has already mentioned - another note - I would be concerned if your DD's teacher isn't in the room during classes, leaving students in charge. Apart from not getting the best teaching, this is dangerous if anyone got hurt or injured. If your DD wants to take her dancing more seriously, I would advise you to consider moving to a different school but I understand your predicament! I know a lot of people feel loyal to dancing teachers and there are lots of teachers who demand loyalty from their pupils but at the end of the day dance teachers are business owners, and parents/pupils are customers. If a pupil of mine did not feel like they were getting what they needed from my lessons I would have to respect their decision to 'buy' elsewhere; if you as a parent do not feel like you are getting what you need or want from your current teacher, then as the customer, you have the right to 'shop' elsewhere.

Wonderful news Pictures! Congrats from all of us at MIDAS xx

You mean muscles?!

Seriously though - speaking as a teacher and dance injury specialist I do not like the use of these stretchers. A dancer needs to use her own strength to control her feet and ankles especially on pointe. Any excessive stretching will cause ligaments to loosen and render the foot and ankle much more prone to injury. Your teacher should be able to provide your DD with exercises to do but if you're still at a loss please feel free to PM me.

Hahaha! Unfortunately, for me at least, these groups tend to be more frustrating than anything else - and not just because of the abundance of grammatical and spelling mistakes!

Just a note - No report slip will be taken in for RAD exams. 

Have a break! Rest is just as important :-D

If you're interested - number 104 is Audrey Freeman, from Australia. She won the YAGP semis in Paris recently and was offered a place at RBS US starting in September, but she's only 14!!!! :-O

Personally, I'd advise you to hold the positions for at least a minute or so, making sure you're not holding your breath. You might need to build up to that though!

I hope you don't mind me asking, but you say you have a dance physio - therefore have you asked them for help with this? They are your best option as they know you and can explain things clearly. Without knowing you, or your injury, any one of us here (however good our intentions) may give you advice that may be incorrect or harmful. 

The thinking regarding knee surgery for cartilage injuries has changed in recent years. Arthroscopy surgery is now NOT recommended unless the persons knee is constantly locking or giving way. If there's no locking/giving way, the recommended course of action is strengthening the knee and hip and careful monitoring while the inflammation is allowed a chance to settle down. Therefore the surgeon is most likely keeping in line with current advice. But like other posters have said - seek a second opinion if you're that concerned.

Using lower abdominal muscles is vital in achieving the pelvic alignment required in classical ballet. Try lying on your back with your knees bend and feet flat on the floor, and then using your abdominal muscles to draw your tummy towards your spine, and your spine towards the floor. If it helps, you can slip your hand under the arch in your lower back and then try to squash it. To make this harder, do it with your legs extended, and to make it harder still, put your arms above your head. 

@MuddledMama

In response to your original question - YES! Technique absolutely can be improved. From a teachers' perspective (and also one of being a student who moved dance schools several times to find the right 'fit', including situations as described in your post) I can say that your DD is rushing through the grades and needs a teacher who can help her develop her technique and confidence. Knowing the work is only a tiny part of it. A nurturing teacher will help every student in the class to develop their dance technique, musicality and performance to not only be able to perform the set exercises in the syllabus, but to understand the technique, timing, intention etc behind every movement. Therefore my advice to you on this issue is to find another teacher.

It isn't easy as a parent. Often the schools that appear the most successful are large, an awful lot of teachers out there have their own hidden agendas/insecurities/axes to grind, and sadly this ends up being manifested in how they teach and while some students get lucky and thrive with a teacher, many others will suffer at the same school/studio. 

Also - I want to echo the comments of other posters, but in no way do I mean this as an insult or a criticism of you - do not underestimate the impact of all of this on mental health. I know of adults in their 30's who have 'suddenly' started suffering fairly moderate to severe mental health issues as a result of teenage emotional abuse/neglect or bullying. 

On a tangent - the BRB production is different, and the childrens' roles are different too (this may reflect the lack of a nearby school at the time of the creation of the production by Sir Peter Wright). All the youngsters are JA age, I believe, the party children don't dance as much as in the Royal production (probably due to their youth) but they still get to be mice and soldiers. In the recent Albert Hall production I believe Elmhurst and RB upper school students danced as snowflakes and flowers too.

I managed to pick one up from Tesco and it's a bit bouncy but fine. Bear in mind that come January ALL the supermarkets will have them in to cater for the 'New Years Resolution' types 

I'd always worry about young dancers trying to follow any sort of 'generic' app or YouTube tutorials etc by themselves as they are just that - too generic. They don't account for the dancers age, experience, physique, bone structure, strength etc etc etc 

In my opinion the best way to work on flexibility is to spend some time with a specialist conditioning teacher, dance or sports physio, or similar professional who can help you put together a programne (that you can supervise) based on what she wants to work on and where her strengths/restrictions currently lie.

Hi, Where abouts are you?