Dance Spirit receives tons of letters from readers, and we love it! You tell us about your struggles with and accomplishments in dance and about the dancers on our magazine’s pages who inspire you. And often, those letters inspire us. Recently, we got an email from 14-year-old Kayla, whose story of her battle with a […]
Model: Daphne Fernberger Consultant: Hilary Cartwright Bio: Following her career as a soloist with The Royal Ballet, England, Hilary Cartwright became a director, teacher, coach and stager. She’s been teaching Yoga for Dancers for the past 20 years, after opening White Cloud Studio in NYC. Daphne Fernberger is a Level 7 student at American Ballet […]
When modern dancer Elizabeth* first saw a neurosurgeon after discovering she had two slipped discs in her back, she was told her condition wasn’t operable. For almost six months, she’d been experiencing nerve pain down her left leg when bending forward or stretching her hamstring, but she still passed the neurological exam with flying colors—she […]
A year ago, I was in an onstage accident. A stage manager sent another dancer on before his cue and we collided. I fell to the floor and knocked my head. Seconds later, I was being helped offstage and felt like I had just woken up from a nap. Nonetheless, I quickly got my bearings, […]
For most dancers, the joys of dancing are coupled with inevitable aches and pains. You’ve probably heard about a bunch of alternative healing therapies, but how do you tell them apart and choose which one is right for you? Each of the therapies described here is meant to treat musculoskeletal injuries, but they’re also great […]
A knee injury may seem like the end of your career, but with time and proper care, many dancers return—often in better shape than before: Proper rehab corrects the muscle imbalances that may have contributed to the injury. We’ve put together tips to beat a few knee injuries common to dancers. Always see a physician […]
When you run and jump, your legs absorb a force approximately three times your body weight. That force travels through the knee, which is the body’s largest joint—and one of the most easily injured through overuse. Here’s what you need to know about four knee injuries that are common to dancers. Patellofemoral Syndrome (Moviegoer’s Knee) […]
The day-to-day grind of class, rehearsal and performance can, over time, strain the ligaments and tendons in your feet, eventually leading to overuse injuries. Whether from bad habits, such as rolling in and not keeping heels down in plié, or from wearing shoes that are too tight, these foot conditions plague students and pros alike. […]