Archive for the ‘foot problems’ Category

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Finally Found: Ballet Tights that Fit a Teenage Boy!

Monday, May 4th, 2009

As a short breather to the Duncan Cooper series (and since I don’t have time right now to post another piece to that interview), I’d like to share that Julian has finally found some ballet tights that fit and that he loves. He says he can’t even tell he’s wearing them! So, I want to share the brand: MStevens Inc. of Los Angeles, CA, in case any other boys his age – 14 – have had trouble finding tights that fit. (He happens to have purchased the footed tights, Style 1099.)

This comes after a very long search for tights. In fact, he’s been wearing the same pair day in and day out. He has a second pair, but he doesn’t like them and won’t wear them. (One more purchase that was a waste of money.) We have found that Discount Dance Supply carries MStevens on line, and we are going to order two more pair. (This week they have some special shipping discounts.) Then he’ll be outfitted with ballet tights and dance shoes for ABT this summer. We still need to buy jazz pants, which he hates, some footless tights for hip hop (no sweats or shorts allowed at ABT), and a Pilates or yoga mat. Then he is set to go.

Today he had his year-end evaluation at dance; it wasn’t as intimidating as it was last time, and his Dad and I didn’t have any “stuff” up around the studio/company or anything like that. (We now are very happy with our/his studio choice.) So, it was pretty smooth sailing. They seem happy to have Julian, and he’s happy to be there. After a bit of a plateau in his dancing, he seems to be improving – or so they say. They also feel sure that going to NYC and dancing with a bunch of boys and under the tutelage of new and excellent teachers will be a superb experience for him. That made us all feel good about the decision, which is a bit of a hardship on our family, to say the least. He does need to work on a few things to avoid shin splints while at the intensive, such as landing and rolling through his whole foot and using his full plie on his jumps. And there was something or other about his hips or pelvis that related to his core. I know from writing about foot health twice now that that affects everything, the legs and feet in particular.

Speaking of feet, my story on how to keep a tap dancer’s feet healthy is now out in Dance Teachermagazine, for those of you who subscribe or want to purchase it. I guess the one about how to attract boys to a studio must have been in the April issue. They failed to send me that one, so I didn’t see it. Look for an article on three teen dance companies, including Julian’s company, Teen Dance Company of the Bay Area, in the July-August issue of Dance Spirit magazine.

Posted in dance attire, evaluations, foot problems, technique | 2 Comments »

Does Your Son Tap? Keep His Feet Healthy!

Wednesday, April 22nd, 2009

I recently wrote an article for Dance Teacher magazine on how to keep tappers’ feet healthy. Previously, I wrote an article for them on how to keep dancers’ feet healthy, but tappers are a bit unique; they use their feet in more ways than most dancers, and their feet take a lot more pounding as well.

While I can’t share the information in that article here – you’ll have to purchase it when it hits the newsstands in a week or two – I can direct you to a little bit of  “overflow copy” they couldn’t use in the magazine and posted instead on line. It actually contains a really essential exercise to help create a cushion for all that impact a tapper’s feet are subject to and how to stretch – something a lot of tappers (especially boys) don’t do before dancing – to avoid injury. (Also, the exercise, called “doming,” was recommended for ALL dancers by the experts I interviewed for my story on keeping dancers’ feet healthy…hint, hint.)

To read this web exclusive, click here.

Check back here for some great information from ballet superstar Duncan Cooper. I interviewed him for a whole hour, and he gave me some super information…enough for at least three posts! I’ll be transcribing the tape and writing, and I hope to post something in the next few days.

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Posted in Dance Exercises and Stretches, dance injuries, foot problems, tap | No Comments »

Boys Working Together at NYCDA

Monday, March 30th, 2009

I am happy to report that Julian had a blast at the NYCDA convention despite his reluctance to go. He loved the teachers, the choreography and the competition.

I had a blast, although I was only there on Saturday night for the competition and on Sunday, and here’s why: I had such fun watching the boys prepare for and perform their “part” in the ballet class taught by Duncan Cooper. He had choreographed a special part just for the boys, which Julian thought was totally awesome — both the choreography and the fact that the boys had a part of their own. And during the class on Saturday, the boys congregated at the back of the room and began rehearsing together. They worked and worked and worked…and helped each other. It was not an individual effort but a team effort. Yes, they were each going to be performing the choreography as a solo act — and later auditioning alone (well…in a group but each as an individual), but they practiced it together as if it were a group performance. And that made their performance really something special. Some of the boys even shook hands at the end as they stood at the edge of the stage to allow the judges to write down their numbers (or not). It was awesome.

I commend Duncan Cooper….and the boys. Well done!

Also, I was thrilled that Julian seemed to have found something within that changed his dancing this weekend. He used his upper body better and was much more expressive with his dancing. He even said that he felt so much better in general about his performance. In fact, here told me several times how happy he was because of the way he had danced.  He felt he had made a huge step forward in his ability. He did receive a scholarship and felt proud to have been complimented by two teachers, but he said this was nothing compared to what he himself felt about what he had achieved. Those words, and his sense of pleasure with him self and with his ability, did this mother’s heart good. He finally realized what really matters — and it’s not that piece of paper he had in his hand when he came off stage (and that he may never even use). He even said that the scholarship really didn’t matter to him; he just felt great about how he had danced.

However, Julian hurt his heel dancing on the hard ballroom floor. He has had a problem with his heel before, mostly while he was in the ballet program at Ballet San Jose but not so much since he hasn’t been doing just ballet. The chiropractor said he strained it and should take it easy this week. No jumping or leaping.

Those conventions are really hard on the kids for that reason — the flooring at those hotels is really not suitable for spending hours dancing. I hear all kinds of stories about kids who end up with sore joints and backs afterwards. I suppose there is no where else to hold them, though. Where else could you fit so many kids into a room to dance?

On another subject, I had a great idea — don’t know why I didn’t think of it before — for this blog. For my other blog, www.writenonfictioninnovember.wordpress.com, I ask experts to write guest blogs for me during the month of November. I usually comment on the subject, too, but they offer advice and information. I thought, given that I’m not an expert on dance per se — I’m not even really a parenting expert although I have two kids and two step kids — I’d occasionally ask a dance exert to write a blog for me or to let me interview them. You see, my expertise comes from my experience as a dance mom raising a dancing son and from my research as a journalist and author into the lives of male dancers and into dancing in general. But I’ve never said I have all the answers. I just pose some questions, say what I think and maybe too often tell you what’s going on in my son’s dancing life — and in my life as the mom of a dancing boy.

So, to avoid some of the drivel (which I write when there isn’t much going on)…and to stay with my new focus on bigger topics…I thought I’d let the experts do a little talking now and then. In light of that, this past weekend I asked Joe Lanteri of NYCDA to guest blog for me a few times. (I’m not sure about the topics yet, but I will likely pose the convention choreography one to him.) I also asked NYCDA ballet instructor Duncan Cooper to either write a blog or let me interview him.

If anyone has suggestions on great male dance teachers that I should contact that you feel would be willing and available to write a blog or chat with me by phone, please let me know. If there are male dance teachers — or professional male dancers or older male dancers who feel they have wisdom to share — reading this blog, please contact me as well. And, as always, email me or post comments detailing the types of issues you have with your sons’ dancing or about men/boys who dance, so I can get these experts to address them. You can contact me at cpywrtcom@aol.com.

Recently there have been some people upset with my blog’s focus. I hope everyone will be happy with the new focus. I only want to serve those who read this blog. If you have suggestions on ways for me to improve what I’m doing, please feel free to contact me at cpywrtcom@aol.com.

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Posted in competitions, conventions, dance injuries, foot problems | 1 Comment »

Conventions and Sore Ankles

Monday, February 16th, 2009

This past weekend Julian and the rest of the Teen Dance Company dancers went to the Nuvo dance convention. Julian had a blast hanging with his buddies from TDC and seeing some old friends from other studios. He also saw some friends from school or from the Nutcracker performance he was in last December.  Additionally, he got to observe and talk with two other male dancer he has met previously

The TDC dancers had recently had an hour-long class involving instruction on how to work with choreographers. The gist of the class, according to what Julian told me, was to “copy” the movements and not to change the movements to make them “your own” unless told to do so by the instructor. Julian noticed another male dancer doing what he deemed “just the opposite” — in his eyes — and making it his own to a great extent. And this boy was rewarded by being put on stage. He was upset. And maybe Julianwas just jealous…who’s to know. Or maybe he was just confused given that he was told to do something, which received no recognition, while someone else did the opposite and did receive recognition.

Anyway, the kids had a blast at the convention, and they were given the opportunity to compete simply for the sake of “performing” and giving the company a bit of publicity. That turned out quite well, as they came in first and got high honors in every category in which they competed. Of course, the kids were thrilled. (Who doesn’t like to be a winner, even if it’s not supposed to be about competing and winning.)

However, in one of the numbers Julian was set down a bit harder then usual after a lift and turned his ankle a bit. Between that and his two tap numbers, he has a sore ankle ankle and foot today, so he stayed home from dance to rest it. He has rehearsals gearing up at the end of the week for their spring concert; he wants to be in tip top shape for that.

He got to take class with Travis Wall, an idol of his from So You Think You Can Dance. He loved his choreography and has wanted to dance like him since he saw him on television.

It’s been a year since Julian attended a convention. He has two more to go…

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Posted in Attitude, conventions, foot problems, So Your Think You can Dance | 6 Comments »

The Benefits of Pilates Physical Therapy

Wednesday, May 14th, 2008

Three weeks ago my son started Pilates physical therapy for dancers. He’s working with a great former dancer who really knows her stuff. She made him slow way down — Julian was taking lots of extra ballet classes to try and get back into shape. He had, however, developed a case of tendonitis from over use. Remember he’d been in that boot for a month without dancing at all. So, the extra classes were not a good idea. (Don’t listen to the school director who says she knows best how to get your son back in shape, because she’s a dancer…)

In any case, the Pilates therapy seemed just the thing. She noticed that he had lost 30% of his muscle in that hurt leg, and they set to work on building it back up with machines, tennis balls, bands, and a variety of exercises. He was amazed at how much he had to use his core (abdominal) muscles for many of the exercises, and he was tired afterwards.

The best part, however, was all the work they’ve been doing in front of the mirror. She makes him do plies and releves and watches exactly where his hips are and if his knee caps are “sagging” and how he holds his shoulders and if he is leaning back too far. It’s great! It’s the best posture class for dancers I’ve seen Julian take to date! And he’s really learning how he has to hold himself.

I’m sure this will pay off not only in his ability to dance better — he’ll be more balanced — but also in less injuries as well.

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Posted in foot problems | No Comments »

My Foot Hurts…Again and Other Pains of Being a Young Male Dancer

Tuesday, April 1st, 2008

I’ve got a son who dances. 13-year-old Julian dances six or seven days a week. He spends most of his time doing ballet, because he knows it will make him a great dancer in terms of technique. He has a scholarship at Ballet San Jose. He also does jazz and hip hop at a Studio 10 in the San Jose area, where he is taught by Keith Banks, who also taught So You Think You Can Dance first-season-winner Nick Lazarinni for a while. And he takes tap lessons with former ballet dancer and now world-renown hoofer Sam Weber. When he can, he does some break dancing with ReMinD, but he’s moved away, so that doesn’t happen often anymore. Julian, who started dancing when he was three years old, wants to be an all-around dancer and possibly to hit Broadway, since he also loves acting.

At the moment, however, he isn’t doing any dancing at all. For the second time this year, he’s laid up. This time, he’s actually got his left foot in a “boot” to keep the ankle immobilized. He has hurt the growth plate on the side of his foot where a tendon that runs down the ankle attaches. (I could get into the biology of it, but I’ll keep it simple.) That tendon is used for turning and jumping, all the things a dancer does, especially a young male dancer. In fact, he hurt it having turning competitions with a female dancer. Too many turns and the next morning he was having trouble walking. A trip to the podiatrist for x-rays, and we were told it was tendinitis at the point where the tendon joins to the bone. A trip to the sports specialist with x-rays in hand, and we were told it was actually an injury to the growth plate itself. Into the boot. No dancing for 2 weeks. Yesterday, the sports specialist said the boot has to stay on for another two weeks. Not great news when you’ve got a recital in June and a ballet school ballet and showcase in mid May.

Earlier this year, Julian was taking a jazz class at another studio in south San Jose, NorCal Performing Arts, and dislocated a toe. He was wearing those little pads on his feet that are popular with lyrical dancers. He’d used them for a lyrical number he’d performed in competition the year before. He rolled his foot a little too far over and caught the pinkie toe… Since he’s a regular at the chiropractor’s office, he actually adjusted the toe back into place himself. (Ouch!)He ended up with a hairline fracture and couldn’t dance for two weeks and couldn’t jump or turn for about four weeks or more.

I’m beginning to wonder what can be done to help our sons’ feet stay healthy and strong. If anyone out there has any suggestions, I’d love to hear them. In the meantime, Julian is stretching, picking up pencils with his toes, and waiting to be told he can start physical therapy with a former dancer who works with other dancers using Pilate’s. She’ll show Julian what he can do to strengthen his feet and legs, and hopefully he can go home or to the dance studio and do this with bands and such on his own.

The problem, of course, is trying to get a 13-year-old who spend so many hours in the dance studio — when he isn’t laid up — to do any type of stretching or exercising once he gets home. By then, he doesn’t want to do anything at all. Which isn’t to say that he doesn’t dance around the kitchen or tap his way to the television set!

And he’s frustrated by going to class at this point to stretch, do a little strengthening and simply watch. He cried, (Yes, cried…) the other night when he told me, “Mom, I hate just watching. I don’t want to just sit there and watch.” Yet, his ballet teachers want him there watching, and he needs to watch his jazz class and his ballet rehearsals so he can mark his dances.

Ah, the times dancers are hurt are, I believe the hardest on them. I know, when I interviewed Benji Schwimmer, he told me that, indeed, this is true. Next blog, maybe I’ll offer his suggestions on how to cope with being laid up.

Back to why I wanted to start this blog: I am a journalist and an author, and I’m working on a book about mentoring boys who want to be professional dancers. So, I’m hoping to make this blog not only about the escapades of my son and his dancing feet but about how to help young boys make it in the world of dance. They may get all the accolades once they are on stage — and sometimes in class, too — but it’s a tough road to hoe when you’re the only boy in a class full of girls and you’re teased at school by the other boys (and sometimes the girls, too) and you always feel different for choosing dance over sports. There are more issues, such as those that realte to sexuality, finding good role models, having friends who can relate to you, learning to dance like a guy, being stereotyped, and locating dance clothes suitable for boys, but suffice it to say, from about the age of 8 until they are 15 or 16, boys need a lot of support if they are going to not give in to peer pressure and their own personal issues and give up on their dreams of being professional dancers. So, helping them succeed in the world of dance is important, and I’d like to help not only my son but other boys as well. That’s what this blog is about — helping boys who want to become professional dancers achieve their goal and helping the parents of boys who want to become professional dancers help their sons realize their dreams.

In the process of researching my book, I’ve already interviewed such notable male professional dancers, choreographers and artistic directors as Jason Samuels Smith, Sam Weber, Dennis Nahat, and Benji Schwimmer. Next on my list is Rasta Thomas. There will be at least five or 10 more great dancers included in the book before I’m done. (If you know any great agents or publishers who might want to help me get this book out, drop me a note! If you have suggestions for really superb, young professional male dancers I should consider interviewing, send those along as well.) While I can’t share all the information I glean from the interviews here, I’ll be dropping little pearls of wisdom they share with me and telling you a bit about the experience of interviewing these dance greats. I’ll also try to share good web sites and other helpful resources. There aren’t many places on the Internet to go for information on boys in dance, so hopefully this will be it. And soon Julian and I will be creating a web site to go with this blog, so look for that (hopefully before year end).

Until next posting, keep those boys dancing! (And don’t step on their feet. They’ve got enough problems with their tootsies without anyone making it any worse.)

Posted in benji schwimmer, dennis nahat, foot problems, jason samuels smith, rasta thomas, sam weber | No Comments »

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