Ballet

[Priestess]

How high is the danger of damaging your feet if you're too heavy for ballet? My friend who does ballet is worried about getting stress fractures in her feet.

Two of her classmates who are about about 5'8.5 and 65 kilos (that coverts to about 143 pounds) both have stress fractures in their feet because they're too heavy for ballet. What would be causing this? Their weight? Improper technique? Or a combination of things?

 

[nextnewface]

^ I think it could be a combination of things but hey, I'm not an expert by any means How long have they been at it? Maybe if their muscles aren't strong enough, combined with wrong technique, it could explain it... the weight factor can't tell us much... I weigh about that and am that tall... but they could have a totally different body!
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[teakrist]

glad its not just me then I try to brake them in, and treat them kinda rough, compared to what I have done to other pointes, but its just not getting that much better... maybe Ill try one of your suggestions after a little while on the blochs... it kinda sucks to buy new pointes (its not exactly cheap) and then dont like them.. well well... I used to dance on capezio pavlowa but they were a little narrow for me, so they kinda gave me a scare

 

[barbiedoitbetter]

hey guys... got a problem: i dont know if this year i should start again ballet, because last year it took me too much time(all saturdays i'd been praticing, ) but i know that if i dont start it again im gonna regret that because next year it'll be my last high school year and there is a big exam and definetly i will not be able to do ballet...argh!! dunno what to do, what do you think??

 

[primaballerina]

always dance! yes, you have to balance school and your other committments, but no matter what always find a way to dance occassionally otherwise you'll regret it

dance ballerinagirl!

 

[JATE]

I quit ballet for Jazz dance a like 10 years ago and I want to go back. I was never a pointe dancer but even still I am terribly far away from ballerina shape. I was alot younger and it was easier for me not to gain weight..I guess because I was not independent and didn't have the stress or the crazy schedule to deal with-but now I am really ready to work at my weight.
What are some exercises and nutrition advice current ballerinas suggest for getting back to ballet weight (that would be dropping about 11-15 pounds) for me

 

[alix*]

^ Well what other kinds of exercise do you do?

 

[Gypsy_Doll]

count me in on ballet. love it.

 

[DandyWarhol]

ive done ballet for like . .. 5 years?? or something.
but i stopped last year, am thinking of starting it again.
its really fantastic.

 

[barbiedoitbetter]

yeah i know! but i have done it for 11 years... and for real i think im goin to take a break!

 

[RRRoosa]

I just started dancing ballet! It's an adult ballet class though, so after this year i there's no group i could join so i have to stop I'm so sad I didn't start ballet as a little girl, I guess it's too late to start at the age of 16..

 

[flutterbugfly]

^^ Why can't you continue taking adult ballet classes? My friend started ballet last year when she was 14, she's getting a LOT better (although she still doesn't know how to control her body). You can start ballet at any age! (okay well maybe not ANY age)

 

[Gypsy_Doll]

it's never to late to start. just keep going and going and never stop!

 

[haleyanne]

I really want to start, I'm 17 and it is sort of hard to find classes where I live. I don't really want to take adult classes because there are definitely going to be people in their 40s and 50s who aren't serious about it so I need to find a class with people around my age, I think.

I did gymnastics for about 6 years and ice dance for like 4 so maybe that will help me...

 

[prettypouf]

I don't know if I'd be too helpful, but I've done ballet for a number of years and enjoy it very much. It's good to be familiar with the terminology used at least. Words like Degage and demi and a word that sounds like "Perevesque" is used quite a bit. I've found a lot of ballet work outs such as New York City Ballet: 1 and 2 are quite helpful in conditioning. It's very rigorous and it makes your body top-notch and in great tone, it's a very wonderful thing to be involved in and I give you credit if you do so. The role of the male dancers is usually quite different, but I know how to walk en pointe and that's a major area of injury for women ballet dancers. En pointe is something that requires an enormous amount of skill, and there are literally at least 20 different injuries you can obtain from it without proper warming up/ stretching/ or just frail bones. Ballet is comparible to football for me, because while you're not gaining muscle mass, you're gaining movement and skill which is very commendable. Good luck to all wanting to tread water in this area, I hope it's right for you!

 

[haleyanne]

^thanks!

I just signed up and I'm really excited!

 

[Alber Elbaz]

Any pointe dancers? :]

 

[misstarshine]

I'm thinking of starting ballet, not seriously but just an adult class, i did it when i was younger but didn't really like the competitiveness. I'm excited though

 

[prettypouf]

For anyone who wants to do any ballet of the like and wants a good tv-bound work-out, I would suggest New York City Ballet: Volumes 1 and 2.

 

[knowstyle]

Any pointe dancers? :]

i take pointe, and i've been doing ballet for 8 years