Expert: Dianne M. Buxton - 10/23/2008

Question
hi,
I'm 15 and I've been doing ballet for a long time now. (for about 8-9 years). My school is a nice technical school with Russian teachers who are just demanding. I have 4 questions
1. A few months ago, right before summer, I was doing some bar work when suddenly my hips just wouldn't let me  get past 90 degrees. It would hurt a great deal, and my legs would feel like 200 pounds. Getting past 3 inches off the floor was just plain hard and 90 was out of the question. That happened a few times in a week. It stopped after that week, but from that week on, I would get burning pains in my hips every night, or almost every night while I was sleeping. It was so painful that I had get up and walk around for it to stop hurting. I went to the doctors, first my pediatrician, and then a sports therapist. First, they told me to stop dancing for a while, but I would still get the pain even after I stopped for a few weeks. Because I had an important performance, I kept dancing after the break. When summer started, I took a big break from dance and visited my relatives in another country. There, I would still once in a while, wake up, and have the same burning sensation... I went back to the doctors recently because my hips still hurt a great deal. They told me to go to therapy, but they are not sure what exactly is causing the pain. So my question is what is your take on my hip pains? What might i be doing wrong or what can i do to make it better?
2. I'm overweight for ballet. No big secret. I was wondering  if you could give some advice in losing weight healthily without the rumors of anorexia.  
3. My turnout is horrible. I can't get into a proper fifth without bending my knees. I feel like I have no possibilities in the future because of my horrible turnout and feet. Are there any advice you would give me to not force my turnout yet still get a satisfactory fifth so my teachers can stop correcting me about that and focus on something else?
4. My feet are weird. I naturally have a little bit of "bowl legs" and I'm naturally flat footed. My arch would hurt during class a lot and my pointe shoes have to be the hardest kind because I just seem to snap them but my feet just won't arch in them. Is there anyways to enhance the arch because I wear Russian Pointes and I love them. The only problem is my inability to show my arch in them. I was wondering if you have any stretches or exercises to help my feet. Also, even on flat, my teacher would tell me to point, and i would be pointing, and when i developee to the side, my turnout would make my feet seem more flexed. Is there any ways to "enhance" my arch?

Thanks. I really appreciate that you are taking your time to answer these questions. If there are too many questions, please just answer the 1st one because it is the most important. :)

From, Jocelyn  

Answer
Hi Jocelyn. Despite your request, and I can understand that question #1 is very important to you, I am going to answer your other questions first.

2. You are 15, and are still growing. Your weight can be a problem (as a dancer) as you grow. I have various articles on nutrition for dancers both at http://www.theballetstore.com mostly in the blog area, and also the same and more articles at http://www.balletshoesandpointeshoes.blogspot.com Read those, and you will learn a lot about what to eat. I talk about omega 3 oils a lot also at http://www.antiinflammatoryomegas.blogspot.com I mention that to you, because inflammation (which causes pain, which is part of your hip problem) is diet related.

Often 15 year olds have a completely different weight when they are 17, so do not worry too much. The simple way to lose weight is to cut out white bread, crackers, muffins, and other desserts. But keep eating real food - eggs, leaner meats, fish and chicken, salads and vegetables. Do not be hungry! Drink lots of water, please do not drink "diet" sodas. They are just chemicals.

3. Turnout - read my articles on turnout, at the same links above. Russian training is the most demanding for that fifth position. Some hip joints just can't take it. Some teachers allow the bent knees rather than sacrifice the fifth position. I would teach that you work for the strength to hold the turnout that you have, and even work in third position. Deborah Vogel has a book "Tune Up Your Turnout", at thebodyseries.com. It teaches anatomy of the hip joint, the turnout muscle group, and is very realistic about turnout. It will not, however, solve the conflict you have between not forcing your turnout, and getting the fifth position your teachers want to see.

4. I am confused regarding your feet. Usually when pointe shoes just "snap", it is because a student has very high arches, and cannot control them yet. This improves with years of strengthening and developing the sole of the foot muscles. So I am not sure what the problem is for you. When I picture a developpe to the side with the arch not showing, I think that the leg is too rotated, with the knee facing the back rather than the ceiling. And probably, the supporting leg has lost its turnout. If the knee of the working leg is facing the ceiling, the arch is visible. I do have an article at http://balletshoesandpointeshoes.blogspot.com/2008/09/how-to-create-more-flexibi... on creating more flexibility in the ankle joint, if that is truly what you need.

Back to question #1 - with your permission, I want to forward your question to Deborah Vogel, author of thebodyseries.com. If she has time, she will give a better answer regarding your hip pain. It sounds serious and should definitely be resolved. If Deborah can answer the question, I will forward it to you. Let me know if that is okay. She is an experienced dance medicine specialist.

A very famous and contemporary artistic director of dance, and choreographer, William Forsythe, said in an interview for a movie about his company, "Ballet is not anatomically correct". He is not the only person to have said this. But I'm so glad he did! Some of us have physiques that present problems in ballet training. That is just the way it is.

I hope this all makes sense, Dianne.