Injury: Looking At The Bigger Picture

Photo, courtesey: Southeastern Reporter
Injury – it's a dirty word for dancers of all levels. With it, we associate a diminished existence—where we are stripped of the very thing that gives us joy—they ability to express ourselves without limits, both in class and in performance. At once, you feel useless, devoid of identity, left out, and the fear of being forgotten starts to take hold—these thoughts, as we later learn, are counterproductive to the healing process. Instead, we need to take the opportunity for our body to be heard, to take a rest, and to flesh out the other parts of us that make us the individual and special artists that we are. The views of injuries as “death sentences” for a dancer's career are outdated and old-fashioned. I have countless colleagues who speak of their injuries as positive, mind-set changing experiences—when they used the time to actually heal.

I broke my foot twice while dancing with The Sacramento Ballet, and it only made me a stronger, smarter dancer. I had always been the student that never missed class—I would beg my mom to let me go—sick, injured, whatever. I recall marking rehearsals for The Sleeping Beauty in my street shoes, while I recovered from a foot injury—I would not fall behind or be replaced. This determination and drive helped me achieve a level of dancing that I don't think I would have otherwise, but I was also blessed in that I did not endure any serious injuries as a student. When I broke my foot in company class for the first time, I knew something was different. My instincts and adrenaline took over, and I mindlessly uttered “I'm fine,” though a part of me knew I was done using that foot for the day. In that moment, something in me changed. I was able to see the big picture—I knew I wanted to continue dancing, so I relinquished myself to the healing process as I sat in the lobby with my foot in a cryo-cuff, waiting to be scheduled for the necessary doctors appointments. For the first time in over a decade, I would not get to participate in my favorite holiday tradition: The Nutcracker. I thought I would be devastated—instead, I felt peace.

I consider healing to be the greatest accomplishment of my dancing career; I practiced good habits tirelessly and added new choreography to my movement routine, as I was ready/permitted. Healing properly became my new obsession and I brought all of my dance dedication to it. I read a lot. I experienced (as well as I could in crutches, and later a walking boot), the city in which I was dancing. One could still find me in the studio quite a bit—good luck to anyone trying to keep me out—but the time away opened my eyes to experiences that would enrich my artistry. No, I did not get to perform that December (a minor tragedy), but I became equipped with a strength that could not be broken as easily as my foot. When I broke the same metatarsal again a year later, the healing time flew by. I was pretty disappointed to miss performing in A Midsummer Night's Dream—I had been cast with senior soloist dancers in a featured role—but I knew that it was not the end of my dancing. I indeed came back a stronger and more mindful dancer.

If I could offer one piece of advice to young dancers sidelined by injuries, it would be to not lose heart—listen to your teachers, for they never want to keep you from dancing—they want to keep you dancing—for a long, long time. Missing one show is not a punishment. Compared to the possible repercussions of an ignored injury, it is a drop in the bucket.  So many positive, exciting things are happening in the world of sports/dance medicine, as you can read in the articles I've linked below.  If you allow your injury to be the catalyst for a change in how you view and treat your body--for the long-haul of your dance career, then it's worth the cost of a missed performance opportunity.

Comments

  1. CK PhysiotherapyApril 20, 2015 at 9:02 AM

    People tend to overlook this aspect of dancing, where there are real physical demands and real hazards. It isn't all form, niceties, and grace. Anyway, I hope that your foot heals completely, and that you are able to step onto the floor without having to worry about the physical side effects or whatnot.

    Emmett Fletcher @ CK Physiotherapy

    ReplyDelete

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