Balletmum22 Posted February 25, 2018 Share Posted February 25, 2018 (edited) Hello! I am really concerned about a comment my dd’s ballet teacher made recently. She told me that one of my dd’s legs is longer than the other but not to worry as it is probably due to a growth spurt d they will eventually even up. My dd is 9 years old and very serious about ballet. I worry this may stand in the way of her chances for vocational training at the age of 11 when auditions take place. Has anyone else made similar experiences? I am having to wonder why it is that my daughter’s legs are unequal and not the legs of the other girls in her class who are also growing? She has being doing a lot of stretching over the past year so I am also wondering if she might have overdone it and some damage... Edited February 25, 2018 by Balletmum22 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foreverdrivingtodance Posted February 25, 2018 Share Posted February 25, 2018 We saw a physio about a year ago and physio advised us this is how the body grows and is sign of growth spurt as one side grows then the other. I never knew that! So do not fret about it I say! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balletmum22 Posted February 25, 2018 Author Share Posted February 25, 2018 Thank you Dancer123! Feel better already 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kate_N Posted February 25, 2018 Share Posted February 25, 2018 Most people have leg length differences - it just depends how much! Our bodies are rarely completely symmetrical. The member of my family who worked as a professional ballet dancer (reached soloist) has a 2-2.5cm difference between leg lengths. They had other very good indicators for a career obviously! Long legs, good line, flexibility turnout, musicality etc. They have more issues with that difference now, as retired, than when dancing, because the strength of abdominal muscles in training kept the body stable. If it's permanent, good & careful training, slowly and steadily, will teach your DD how to adjust. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lifeafterballet Posted February 25, 2018 Share Posted February 25, 2018 Ds was told at the physio assessment for vocational 6th form that his legs were different lengths ! He was offered a place, and then grew dramatically 😊 Don’t worry x 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mimi'smom Posted February 25, 2018 Share Posted February 25, 2018 I agree - don't worry! Our dd had an uneven growth spurt in year 7 and it actually caused her to have shoulder pain and gave her a temporary little twist in her spine but she soon levelled out and all of the associated problems it had created cleared up without any medical intervention. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted February 26, 2018 Share Posted February 26, 2018 Balletmum22, there's another thread on leg length differences here which may prove useful: http://www.balletcoforum.com/topic/3468-leg-length-difference-and-tight-piriformis-muscle/?tab=comments#comment-41161 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted February 26, 2018 Share Posted February 26, 2018 It really is not a major problem unless the leg length difference was quite considerable. An awful lot of people have slightly different length legs and it shouldn't make a massive difference to a Dance career all other things being equal. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuthE Posted February 26, 2018 Share Posted February 26, 2018 9 hours ago, LinMM said: It really is not a major problem unless the leg length difference was quite considerable. An awful lot of people have slightly different length legs and it shouldn't make a massive difference to a Dance career all other things being equal. 14 hours ago, Balletmum22 said: I am having to wonder why it is that my daughter’s legs are unequal and not the legs of the other girls in her class who are also growing? Indeed - you presumably don't know for sure that the other girls in her class *don't* have similar issues; the teacher will, after all, only have spoken to you about YOUR daughter. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna C Posted February 26, 2018 Share Posted February 26, 2018 I'm pretty sure that growing unevenly (one side, then the other) is very common. My Yr 13 daughter only stopped growing last year and although she is now perfectly even in leg length, she had one leg longer than the other every time she had a growth spurt. I, on the other hand, only recently found out that one of my thigh bones is 2-3 inches shorter than the other! Uneven growth is often not visible unless you are specifically measuring it, so I agree with Ruth; chances are that lots of your dd's peers also have one leg longer at present. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted February 26, 2018 Share Posted February 26, 2018 Goodness Anna C 2-3ins does seem like quite a big difference. Do you mind me asking how this has affected you....or not as it were? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna C Posted February 26, 2018 Share Posted February 26, 2018 I didn't notice it Lin, to be honest - I was being measured for my wheelchair and the assessor re-did it 3 times to check! Whether the tib/fib on the same leg are longer, to compensate, maybe. But sitting down, there is a marked difference in lengths from hip to knee. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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