Title: Ballet Dancers: Strain, Pressure, and Resilience
Similar to figure skaters, ballet dancers also subject their bodies to extreme exertion. They engage in rigorous practices for up to 8 hours daily, tackling a year-long series of performances, a feat far from easy. With their high level of professionalism, they frequent treatments not only for injury prevention but also for maintenance.
During a recent conversation with a principal dancer, I learned about the immense pressure they face to continually refine their skills and outperform rivals. This pressure underscores the importance of maintaining their bodies in optimal condition, despite the inherent vulnerabilities resulting from years of strain.
Allow me to share an incident from last November's performance of "Swan Lake." While this ballet enchants audiences with its myriad highlights, it demands strenuous movements involving jumps and toe work, particularly taxing for ballerinas. The principal dancer, who embodies both the white and black swans' contrasting personas, executes demanding feats including 32 consecutive spins, requiring exceptional elegance, captivating expressiveness, technical prowess, endurance, and speed. Five days before the performance, an accident occurred when the principal dancer became immobilized due to a recurring old injury. This setback, coupled with the weight of her leading role, left her despondent.
In such instances, my role encompasses:
- Devising treatment plans with high safety margins, anticipating worst-case scenarios.
- Methodically assessing movements to pinpoint issues and ensuring the patient comprehends their condition.
- Providing clear explanations to instill confidence in the treatment process.
When patients understand and endorse my approach, they approach recovery with optimism, expediting the healing process. Moreover, ballet dancers typically maintain exceptional levels of physical upkeep, facilitating clear descriptions of their conditions, which significantly aids assessment.
For instance, I would explain how certain muscle fibers ache during specific movements, referencing insights from the National Ballet's therapists. This approach proved successful, leading to the principal dancer's full recovery just before the performance.
As a token of appreciation, I was invited by Odette herself to a dress rehearsal, seated in the grand ring at the center of the Four Seasons Theatre. Though my Japanese heritage amidst a predominantly non-Asian audience felt incongruous, witnessing Odette's sweat-drenched welcome backstage reassured me.
Moreover, viewing the stage from the Four Seasons Theatre's vantage point, encircled by the horseshoe-shaped fifth-tier seats, evoked both glamour and palpable pressure. It was then that I realized the significance of creating exercises, such as the "Partial Push-up," to emulate the mesmerizing wing movements of the swan:
- Find a surface, like a table, to support your body at chest height.
- Step your right foot forward for stability, keeping your body straight at a 45-degree angle while supporting yourself with both arms.
- Bend both elbows, performing a push-up motion.
- Focus on extending the shoulder blades backward, not just the chest muscles.
- Stretch the inner and rear sides of the shoulder blades until just before discomfort.
- Hold this position for 30 seconds.
- Repeat this motion 2-3 times.Performing step 3 with tight elbows also helps tone the upper arms, addressing concerns often heightened during the summer.
This translation has been rendered at a university level.