Dancers’ Health Corner: Pointing you in the right direction
By Katherine Ewalt, MS ATC, NCTM, HHP

Note: The “Dancers’ Health Corner” is a regular column for DSD written by Katherine Ewalt from Performing Arts and Athletic Restorative Training Specialists (PAARTS), San Diego. The column presents information and/or advice about dance-related injury and injury prevention. The information is provided as a resource and should not be used to self diagnose or treat. Dancers who experience ongoing pain should seek the advice of a physician or clinician to avoid aggravating current symptoms or potentially causing other more serious injury. Due to legal limitations, no individual diagnosis or treatment plans will be provided through this forum. If you have questions, e-mail them to info@PAARTSsandiego.com.

Q: I am a professional ballet dancer. Recently, my right big toe joint has been hurting and it is hard for me to stand on demi pointe. I have never experienced pain in this area before and I feel like it may be a bunion acting up. How do I know? -- Leah Nepomuceno

A: A bunion, technically referred to as Hallux Valgus, describes the lateral (outward) deviation of the end of the great toe (big toe) at the first metatarsophalangeal joint (figure 1). The incidence of hallux valgus in adolescent populations has been reported at 22%-36%, and predominantly in female ballet dancers. The cause is controversial with both genetic and environmental factors likely contributors. For ballet dancers, factors that may contribute to the lateral deviation of the hallux (big toe) include wearing shoes with a tight toe box (both street and pointe shoes), dancing en pointe, forcing the turnout, having a flat foot structure, excessive pronation of the foot, and joint hypermobility. Poor technique, such as forcing the turn out, places additional stress on the joint and creates further laxity (looseness) of the supporting ligaments. In turn, the line of pull for muscles crossing the joint, and possibly their strength, is also altered. These changed may lead to displacement of the sesamoid bones to the lateral (outside) aspect of the joint (figure 2). (To read the entire article, please see the May/June 2008 issue of Dance San Diego!)

Authentic Movement: Moving from Within
By Eliana Uretsky and Jessica Radulovich

Most movement practices in our culture, from ballet, jazz and other dance forms to yoga, sports and gym workouts, impress a form onto our bodies and minds, generally with the intent to cultivate a higher level of integration and function. Even cutting-edge dance improvisation trainings involve instruction along with improvised movement. Authentic Movement is among a handful of movement forms in the world in which all movement is coming from inside, free from external directives.

Authentic Movement provides a means to experience and express the richness of the inner world through the moving body. The form is simple and profound: Some people are spontaneously moving while others are witnessing with receptive presence. Authentic Movement is an exquisite visceral pleasure that can support creative process, depth psychology and body/mind integration. It’s a nourishing time of connection, physical contact, self care and play.

Authentic Movement was created by Dance Therapist Mary Starks Whitehouse in the 1950s. Mary was a pioneer, first in the world of modern dance and then in the field of dance therapy. While developing her own work, she was deeply influenced by the teachings of Carl Jung. She birthed Authentic Movement as a form of what Jung termed “Active Imagination,” a process of bringing to consciousness through artistic or other activities that which lives in the unconscious. (To read the entire article, please see the May/June 2008 issue of Dance San Diego!)

Freedom of Movement with Yogic Breath
By Dana Rae Paré

In my last article I talked about the many different styles of yoga and those that were most attractive to dancers. One of those styles, Astanga Vinyasa, is unique in the way it combines the power of breath with physical movement.

Breath is quite simply the breath of life. It is the first thing we do when we are born and the last movement before we die. The ancient yogis believed we were born with a certain number of breaths, and the more you controlled and extended the breath, the longer you would live. Whether or not that is true, there is no question that proper breathing has an enormous affect on every aspect of life.

There are few performers or public speakers who don’t use breathing techniques to prepare themselves before appearing. And we all know that taking a few deep breaths before opening our mouths and expressing anger will bring calm and a little more logic to our argument.

Calm & Focused
Calmness is the key. It is so obvious when you think about it that you wonder why you hadn’t noticed before. Your breathing sends a signal to your body. If you are fearful or in a panic, you hold your breath. When you do this, you become tense and stiff. When you breathe deeply, the body is more relaxed, calm and more flexible. (To read the entire article, please see the May/June 2008 issue of Dance San Diego!)