Expert: Dianne M. Buxton - 10/5/2007

Question
OK,my name is April. I am 17 years old and am a senior in high school i have been dancing for about four years and was really dedicated, so much so that i kind of unfortunately opted to not do so well in school so i could focus on dance.(Or rather i was not able to find a happy balance between the two). I have always had some hip problems, but they got worse and i was advised not to do ballet as a career because of it. I went to a really intense dancce program this summer and got a taste of what it would be like to become a professional. At the time i thought i was miserable, but now that i look back on it, it was probably because i wasn't giving it my all and even so, i miss it so much. It was overall, probably the best experience i have ever had. During that intense 4 weeks i decided that i would never dance again and finally just focus on school like my mom said i should and scrounge up what little of a chance
i had left to do well in high school. The only problem is i've only been not dancing for about 3 months and i miss it so much and everything about it, even the not so great stuff about it i miss. It makes me so anxious. Every time i see a performance i can't help but wish that it was me up there. I'm thinking about starting up classes again, but i'm so
undecided. I don't know what to do. What do you think?

Answer
You know, April, sometimes Dance just doesn't let go! And I hope your mom reads this too, because I understand how moms worry about the future and welfare of their kids.

Your hip problems aside, because I don't know exactly what they are - or were - I would say dance now, because it is a physical training that needs to be done while you're young. Especially ballet. That doesn't mean flunk high school or anything, but I know that grades can be re-created at a community college, and an academic career can ensue from there. However, the physical ability that a younger person has is not there later.

What is your real goal? To qualify for a 4 year dance department university that could lead to a professional performance career? To "run away and join the dance circus"?  Talk to your mom and tell her that you are having a hard time living without dance. Maybe you can take a class or two a week in your last year of high school and still get fair grades.

Defining goals is not easy - adults have trouble with it all the time. I'm not sure how your hip problem will resolve and what your true physical capacity is - but keep on thinking about this and talk to your parents and tell them you're trying to resolve this. Ballet and dance do not just go away. I know that sounds a little spooky, but that is a fact.

Like, if you know anyone who is studying cello or piano, for a career with a classical orchestra - it's the same thing. There is no balance, as balance is usually defined in our culture ("some of this and some of that")  That sounds scary to some people. But it just is that way with the arts.

Now for a more practical approach - let me refer you to someone wonderful. Deborah Vogel at thebodyseries.com writes wonderful dancingsmart newsletters. Write to her, tell her about your hip problem, and see what she says. She is a dance medicine specialist, and if you go the thebodyseries.com and read the archives of the newsletters you'll see how expert she is with functional anatomy and more. She'll give you a sound clue of how you might progress with your hip problem, I'm sure.

I hope this reply doesn't sound too abstract - it's  just that dance is one of the soul level "spirits" that calls some of us. It may take you in any direction - it's hard to ignore. It will make sense...just explore all your options. Just tell your parents that you are tracking a solution, and that you need their support and help.

You actually have an amazingly intelligent focus and approach to all of this! Good for you.

Cheers, Dianne

A brief follow up - I've recommended to almost everyone to read my articles and blog entries at http://www.theballetstore.com You have to create a user name to log in to see all the blog entries - your privacy is safe! I really apologize that I didn't tell you this - I'm not a technical person!