Ballet Is Difficult - Prevent Injuries in Your Classical Ballet Pointe Shoes

Never be afraid of asking your teacher if you feel like you need some better defined direction in your ballet class. Different ballet moves are more or less difficult for different students. Teachers love to know that their students want to work harder or smarter, and are committing more than a recreational presence in their ballet studio.

Ballet IS difficult. Its technical demands override what other athletes consider proper muscle recovery time. Its fashion demands override sensible eating habits to a huge magnitude.

Fortunately both these issues are more widely addressed in most dance schools at this time.The basic technique and quality aspects of ballet are designed to build strength and prevent injury. Understanding the particular short comings of your physique and personality (everybody has some) will help you advance better, maybe faster, and more safely.

Feeling impatient to get onto pointe shoes, or into a more advanced boys' class is a good thing. Do your best to study some anatomy, some cross-training like Pilates or weight training, in order to practice sensibly.

Doing foot exercises, core strengthening exercises, or upper body weight training (pas de deux prep) are things you can add to your home practice. Balance this by choosing days where you have no class, or lighter classes, to exercise outside of the ballet academy.

The finer details of cross-training, pre-pointe work at home, self-assessing your weak points, and understanding how dance injuries happen, are all available thanks to superbly-credentialed dance medicine writers. Optimum health for dancers is available with the help of chiropractic, physiotherapy, fresh/whole food diet, and medical diagnostics when you need them.

Experienced teachers know that the more mature and sensible students often go farther in ballet than the uniquely physically and spiritually gifted, sadly. But happily, there are the mystically endowed talents that also have, or develop (thanks to good people in their life) a streak of common sense. The world of ballet can be overwhelming.

In the pool of the more, or less , gifted ballet dance students, those who are not afraid of asking for individual guidance do better. And if you cannot get it - change dance studios.

You have accepted and feel wonderfully challenged that ballet is difficult. You can learn how to prevent dance injuries - even if your teachers don't know. You can learn to self-assess for pointe work - even if your teachers don't know. (adult beginners included!). There is nothing to stop you from learning more.

Dianne M. Buxton trained at The National Ballet School of Canada, The Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance and Toronto Dance Theater. Click here for free articles on how to get exactly the right fit in ballet shoes and pointe shoes, The Perfect Pointe Book, The Ballet Bible, details about ballet technique, dance books, and full body workouts.