Keeping your dancin’ boy dancin’ isn’t always easy, especially as he gets older. The older he gets, the more he likely will dance, especially if he is in a studio with few boys, which is pretty typical. Overuse injuries, tendonitis, shin splints, growing pains, sprains, strains, and any number of other ailments can plague your […]
High School Graduation and SAB Workshop Approaching
The end of the year is fast approaching. When it comes to dance, everything seems to be moving along well for Julian. His foot seems to have healed up, although I’m not there to speak to anyone. The physical therapist says after spring break he need only come back once a week, and he has […]
Summer Intensive Auditions End, REAL Auditions Start
A lot has happened since my last post…I’ve just been too busy to write. I apologize. I’ve got a non-dance related book coming out in a few months, and getting ready for that launch has been taking up all my time. Anyhoo. Since I wrote last Julian has been struggling with his tendon tear. He […]
How We (Almost) Cured Tendonitis in a Dancin’ Boy’s Feet
Julian showed up at home for the winter holiday break with a serious enough case of tendonitis in his feet that he hadn’t danced in two weeks. (He said that was the longest break he’d had from dance in about three years, by the way.) The School of American Ballet (SAB) sent him to see […]
Rupert Pennefather on Being a Dancer
I do have news of Julian and how he is doing at SAB, but I thought I’d change things up a bit today. While I was in New York City I was contacted by email and offered the chance to air an “exclusive” video of Royal Ballet principle Rupert Pennefather speaking about some of the […]
Dealing with Muscle Issues
Julian’s had a variety of muscle issues recently. I think they began from a misalignment in his back, but what do I know? I’m just his mother. In fact, he ended up sitting out part of a class or rehearsal…can’t quite remember now…after doing some jumps and then having his tailbone area hurt. Between school, […]
Fear of Injury Setting In
Despite my focus on positive thinking and strong belief that our thoughts are creative, I’ve found myself falling into a fear of Julian injuring himself. After all, he’s doing more than he did last year and I’m confronted with dancers getting injured. You need only watch Fox’s 2010So You Think You Can Dance to see […]
Keeping Your Dancer Healthy During Intense Periods of Activity
With the American Ballet Theatre Summer Intensive fast approaching, I’ve begun thinking about how to keep Julian healthy for seven weeks. We stay in the city for an extra week so he can dance at the great studios there for another six or seven days after the intensive ends. So, I thought I’d posts information […]
Three Days and Counting Until the End of the ABT Summer Intensive
The American Ballet Theatre summer intensive is winding to a close. The kids are rehearsing their numbers and getting ready to go up to LaGuardia High School, New York’s performing high school — the one the movie “Fame” was based upon — for a run through tomorrow. That’s where their final performance will be held […]
ABT Summer Intensive Half Over: Feeling Good and Wishing for More Time
Last week went off without a hitch — yes, even without Mom around to make sure Julian remained healthy. Of course, he was with a mom who makes sure her son goes to bed early and eats well and takes all his vitamins and supplements and such, so I knew Julian was in good hands. […]
Two weeks down, four to go…
Julian is sad that the weeks are flying by. He’s completed two weeks already and has just four to go. However, they are definitely taking their toll on him. I’d recommend that everyone – girls and boys alike – really get in shape for a summer intensive like the American Ballet Theatre six-weeks in New […]
ABT Summer Intensive Takes Its Toll on My Boy
Okay, well, I guess the New York Times article I read about the boy who went to the American Ballet Theatre summer intensive and suffered from shin splints and such painted a correct picture…or we’ve just hit some bad luck and made some bad choices. Julian is a week and a half into the ABT […]
Does Your Son Tap? Keep His Feet Healthy!
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 […]