How to Dance with a Minor Injury and Prevent a Future Dance Injury!

How can we tell what is an injury and what is just a part of the normal "wear and tear" that comes with being a dancer? Dancers and dance teachers must answer this question almost every day. The body constantly sends us messages and we must evaluate them and decide whether to stop and rest or continue on. It is always better to err on the side of caution and seek the advice of a qualified medical practitioner when you are unsure about the pain and strain you feel in your body. It takes times and experience to learn and trust our bodies.

As a college dance major, in my freshman year I developed acute pain in my left hip. Below is a paper I wrote chronicling my journey through this time and how I dealt with the injury.

As the second half of the semester began, I felt that although my balances and pirouettes were defiantly much improved, I needed to more consistently execute long balances and triple pirouettes. Unfortunately, I developed pain in my left hip, which hindered my dancing and prevented me from more consistently reaching this goal. I decided that my new goal for the second half of the semester would be to learn how to dance to the best of my ability with an injury. This in turn required that I understand how to listen to my body, adapt certain steps and moves, and work very clean and meticulously. A dancer's livelihood is their body and I decided to use the time as an opportunity to better understand injuries common to dancers. I chose this goal because the knowledge of how to treat and prevent further dance-related injuries will be essential to my success in the professional dance world. Through self-assessment, in class observations, outside reading and research, and advice from qualified professionals, I was able to analyze the problem and learn new ways to remain in shape without inflaming the injury.