Injuries

So let's face it... Injuries are a dancer's WORST nightmare. Unfortunately, any dancer will end up having an injury sometime in their career. In this post I am going to talk about how to find out if you have an injury, what NOT to do and what you should do if you have one, the recovery/strengthening process, and then end with a little motivation! I just found out recently that I have fractured not only my L5, but my L4 vertebrate and have to be off dance for quite a few weeks. Not only dance, but I can't do ANY physical activity (besides walk and swim).... Needless to say I am semi losing my mind; but it inspired me to write this blog post. Okay, so here goes!

How can I tell if I have an injury?

ALWAYS listen to your body. There is a huge difference between being sore and having actual pain. Yes, you want to push your body so you can get stronger, but don't push yourself to where you have pain! If you are having pain, tell your instructor, sit down, and ice! If the pain continues to occur, then go see your doctor. Sometimes you may have just tweaked a muscles, but if you have consistent pain or pain that gradually gets worse, you must see a doctor immediately before you cause any worse damage. Remember, it is always better to be 100% safe than sorry! Common dance injuries include tendonitis, stress fractures, jumper's knee, snapping hip syndrome, lumbar spine injuries, strains and sprains (anywhere where the body is experiencing constant impact), bunions, bulging discs, sesamoids, and many more. 

What NOT to do with an injury!

As hard as it is, if you have an injury, you need to allow the proper healing time!!! I cannot stress this enough. You are only given one body and you don't want to jeopardize your whole dance future based on the fact that you want to dance now. You have to look at the entire picture; this includes your future. If you don't take care of injury, you can lead to permanent damage and, in some cases, never be able to dance again! Some of you may think I am exaggerating, but I have personally known people who kept dancing on an injury and now have damaged their muscles and ligaments to a point where they would be lucky if they could ever step on a stage again. An injury should NOT be taken lightly! Follow all the doctor's instructions. Once you are able to dance again, make sure you do it in baby steps. Don't start doing full out grand jetés across the floor! Work your way up to where you were! It will take hard work, but you will be back at it in no-time! It isn't a myth, but a fact that when injuries heal, that part of your body heals stronger than how it was before! So the key is patience and taking care of yourself. Do not rush an injury! It just isn't worth it.

How do I treat a dance injury?

A good answer is RICE! Now you may be asking what a yummy grain has to do with healing your body, but no, I am not talking about the food here; I am talking about the acronym! The R is for REST. Remember that resting, resting, and more resting is guaranteed to make your injury heal faster, you just have to baby it and try to put as little impact on it as possible. The I is for ICE. Ice is a dancer's best friend. It is very important that you apply ice correctly. Don't just take an ice pack, pop it on and leave it. You want to get a fluid icepack that will mold around the injury, then apply the ice for around 10-20 minutes depending on the severity of the injury. Remove the ice for 20 minutes and apply again. Also remember that ice is most beneficial right after the injury has occurred (24-72 hours) since it decreases inflammation and swelling. After the 72 hour mark, it is a good idea to switch to HEAT, since that encourages blood flow to that area. It is perfectly fine to alternate between ice and heat. Both ice and heat help with pain, and many trainers actually recommend alternating between the two every few hours.The C is for COMPRESSION. Wrapping the injured area in an ace wrap is always a good idea to keep down swelling and inflammation, just don't wrap it too tight! We don't want any purple body parts here; oxygen is our friend! Finally, the E is for ELEVATION. Prop your injury above your heart as this causes the fluid to drain away from the injured area and it reduces swelling. If the injury is on your hip, buttocks, or back, try propping that area up with a few pillows so you are at least at level with your heart. 

How can I strengthen my injured area back to where it used to be?

You did it! You survived the hardest part which is waiting for the healing, but now you notice you aren't as strong as you used to be. No worries, your muscles are trained for this and building them back up will be a breeze! Especially with consistency, hard work, and baby steps! I, unfortunately cannot answer this question as different injuries call for different strengthening processes. Make sure you contact your doctor. A lot of good rehabilitation comes from physical therapy. If it was an ankle injury, you can never go wrong with therabands. Just make sure you consult your doctor and figure out the best way possible to get back to dance WITHOUT re-injuring yourself! Again, take baby steps! Maybe the first week back at dance, just do barre, then start with relevés in the centre, then work your way up to petite allegro and turns. Save the big jumps for last as they cause the most impact! 

Motivation Time!!

Here is a quote that I have been living by for the past few weeks that I hope you all enjoy! Remember that injuries will only make you stronger in the end. With proper care, it will soon just be a distant memory. Always look at the long term, not the short term! You can do this, I promise! If you need me, feel free to email me at jaythedancer23@gmail.com or leave a comment below! I love you all and have a beautiful week! XOXO❤️

Photoshoots

Hey everyone! Yesterday I had such a blast doing a dance photoshoot and wanted to share some pics with you! But first, I would like to highly recommend getting a dance photoshoot done to increase and enhance your dance portfolio. Not only can you get some stunning photos of yourself, but if you're serious about auditioning and getting in the dancing/entertainment world, these are pictures that you can show directors to 'wow' them!

1) How do I find a photographer

~ It's a lot easier than you think. The wonders of the internet will lead you right towards the answer. There are lots of aspiring photographers on Instagram who would probably be happy to experiment with dance pictures! Just DM and make sure to ask smart questions about dates, pricing, etc.. If a photographer wants money first, I would avoid them... This is a common approach for scams.

2) What do I wear?

~ You will most likely have some freedom to choose what outfits you wear, so make sure you pick nice, moveable clothes. You want clothes that show off your body, but not ones that will prohibit your flexibility in any way. Remember, you are showing off your talent!

3) Do I really need to warm up?

~ YES! Sometimes, we get caught up in making sure our hair and makeup looks good, that we forget about one little (actually huge) aspect of dancing, which is the warmup. Find time to do a mix of passive and dynamic stretches, or even a ballet barre to really open up your hip sockets and to get your blood flowing. Warm up your ankles for jumps and make sure you are ready to showcase that flexibility. Without proper warmup, it is easy to tear and pull your muscles, and nobody wants that.

4) What if I run out of pose ideas?

~ With the outfits, you will also have some freedom about poses. If you are extremely flexible, show that off with some cool needles or tilts. If you are a great jumper, whack out a firebird or a grand jeté. But some of the most magical photos comes from just exploring your surroundings! Be spontaneous and don't overthink things. Something that may seem crazy may turn out to be your dream shot! Just make sure you are always safe. But feel free to step a little outside your comfort zone. At my photoshoot yesterday, I was hanging in a tree, just wrapping my legs around some branches and got some very uniquely awesome lines and angles.

**Remember that you do not need to go crazy with photoshoots. Sometimes simple is better! Just a simple arabesque with the right surroundings, lighting, arm positions, and angle can turn into something enchanting! Like I said, just explore!**

5) Also remember to bring lots of water and snacks to keep your muscles energized!

Now; here are some photos that were taken of me yesterday! I hope you all enjoy! And if you have any questions or comments, I'm just a message away! XOXO❤️

Turning Tips

Good morning, lovelies! Today's post is all about turns turns turns! I have lots of tips to share with you that won't only help your pirouettes, but you chaînés, fouettes, piques, and more! 

Now, there are lots of things you need to focus on (supporting leg straight, ribcage closed, etc..) which I will get into later, but I am going to begin with one of the most important things; ankle strength. Especially with consecutive turns, it is NOT just enough to practice and be able to do a lot of one-footed releves. Being able to do 20 releves on one foot is great, but it really only uses the primary muscles in your foot/ankle. Which is why you may be able to balance forever, but once you start turning, you aren't able to stay up so well. There are a bunch of little stability muscles inside your foot that are responsible for the rest of the job while turning. If these aren't strong, you won't be able to turn like you wish. So the question is; how do you strengthen them? The solution is quite simple and really only involves 5-10 minutes of your day! The best way and the way in which you see fastest results (in my opinion), is using a good, old fashioned theraband. I have attached a short video of the exercises I do daily which I have seen tremendous results from. I only show one foot in the video, but make sure you do BOTH feet so you don't become lopsided! For additional help, here is a video that is very informative and may be of good use too☺️ 

Now that you have a great idea of how to truly strengthen your foot, let's look at the other important factors you need while turning.

1) Obviously, a STRONG core! When I turn, my abs tighten so much that nothing can break me. You want to think of squeezing each of your ab muscles for a very strong core

2) Speaking of tight, make sure your arms are held steady. Loose, wobbly arms will make or break a turn. Make sure to always initiate arm holding from your back... This gets your whole upper body engaged. 

(*NOTE* When you think 'tight', you DO NOT want to think 'tense'. Tension is a no-no for dancers. Instead of 'tense', think of 'resistance'. Your muscles are resisting each other in order to produce a strong foundation. It is the same concept as when you plié, you think 'up'.)

3) Do not lead with your arms/shoulders. In chaîné turns, it is very easy to let the shoulder that is coming around move and help you turn. This will prevent you from being able to do the fast as well as throw off your balance. Initiate from your back, keep your shoulders square, and hold them tight. Shoulder blades together! This is the same for when you prep in any turn. Keep them square!

4) Spotting is your friend. No matter what kind of turn you do, always know your front and be fixated on it. Spotting may mean the difference of a double, triple, quadruple, etc.. Whip that head!

5) If you experience a falling back sensation, you have most likely fallen into the trap of opening your ribcage. If your ribcage is open, this throws off the entire balance of you body; you spine becomes curved in an unnatural way, your hips tilt, and your shoulders go back. Remember that with that tightening of your core, you are keeping your ribcage locked. 

6) You always need a straight supporting leg. Unless, you are doing consecutive and have to plié for a second of course. You should have a nice resistance throughout your leg and really connect with the floor. For me, it helps to think of the ball of my foot as a screw being driven by my body, the screwdriver.

7) Focus and keep a positive mindset. Remember that dance is a huge percent mental. Stay positive and keep practicing. What seems impossible for you now will eventually be your warmup! Don't overthink things and don't be afraid of falling... After all, you are only a few feet from the floor. Mistakes are just proof that you are trying. So keep at it and FIGHT FOR IT!

Well, I hope these tips have helped you and feel free to email me at jaythedancer23@gmail.com for any more questions, comments, or concerns. Or just leave a comment below!

Until next time, darlings!

XOXO❤️

Hello Lovelies

Hello everyone! I am so sorry for the lack of posts! I have been going through a very rough time these past couple of months. But do not worry, I am back up and running! I plan on posting a blog all about how to get solid turns (fouettes, pirouettes, chaines, etc.) and it will up either tonight or tomorrow morning! Thanks everyone, for sticking with me through this tough time and a special thanks to my sister Tara for staying up with me many nights to help me through this! In the meantime, here are a few quotes for y'all if any of you need a pick-me-up! Remember that nothing in this world is permanent; so if you are going through a hard time, it will pass! Just keep staying strong! New post will be up within 24 hours! I love you all, my beautiful followers, and remember to send me in any questions and I am more than happy to offer tips and advice! 

XOXO❤️