Do your knees hurt when you land from a jump, go downstairs, do grands pliés, or sit with them bent for long periods of time? “Jumper’s knee” could be the problem, a strain of the patellar tendon that runs from the lower kneecap to the upper shin. It is common in male ballet dancers and basketball players, who also jump a lot.
Other problems with the patella include pain from subluxation, where it goes out and back in, and dislocation where it goes all the way out and stays out. These conditions are common in adolescent females with hypermobility, especially in ballet dancers who turn out from the knee rather than the hip.
The juvenile version of the Jumper’s Knee, occurs at the other end of the patellar tendon, where it attaches to the growth plate, which is called Osgood-Schlatter’s Disease. It is a condition often seen in young (mostly male) athletes where they strain the attachment of the patellar tendon at its insertion to the growth plate on the upper tibia. It forms a swollen, tender lump below the knee and is related to running and jumping. It tends to come and go but disappears when growth is over.
In Jumper’s Knee, the pain usually comes from a specific point in the attachment of the tendon to the tip of the patella and not from the knee joint itself. Most of the time it is a chronic, ongoing condition that slowly gets worse with time. The diagnosis can be confirmed by injecting local anesthetic into the sore spot: if it relieves the pain, then the diagnosis is confirmed. It occurs from tightness of the quadriceps mechanism and weakness when the muscle lengthens as you plié. The condition is usually due to one part of the tendon that has pulled loose from the patella and has failed to heal, and must be treated.
After graduating from London Studio Centre’s Intoto Dance Company, Rhiannon toured the UK with various dance groups and appeared in numerous TV and corporate events. She recently finished her first season as resident showgirl and cancan dancer at La Nouvelle Eve in Paris, and has been booked to work with other companies in Paris so will continue to perform there over the winter season.
The nominations for the 15th National Dance awards promise a ‘vintage list’ of eventual winners as traditional dance boundaries are broken down and the spotlight falls on the younger, rising stars. The nominations have been whittled down from a long list of nearly 400 names, and from a year’s worth of performances that took place between 1 September 2013 and 31 August 2014. A new category, the emerging artist award, was added this year to ensure younger and less established dancers and choreographers were acknowledged, keeping the spectrum of talent as broad as possible.
Equity has responded to plans to allow child performers to start work at 7am – an hour earlier than adults – and has called for more clarification on streamlining child performance regulations. The government has just completed consultation over bringing the regulations for children working on screen or stage in line with each other: when children can take part in performances and the breaks they must have.
It has been announced that English National Ballet will become Sadler’s Wells’ first associate ballet company. This exciting relationship will see ENB present two annual seasons at Sadler’s in the spring and autumn of each year from March 2015 onwards.
Rumour has it, the brand new musical adaptation of the classic 1993 movie Sleepless In Seattle could be making its way to the West End in 2015, delighting fans all over.
Thousands of dancers – from professionals to absolute beginners – are set to join Swing Patrol’s Swing Dance balls across the UK from late October to the end of November. The balls celebrate the first tour of the UK from lindy hop legend, Frankie Manning, in the UK’s biggest series of swing dance events. “Swing”, “jitterbug” and “lindy hop” are all synonyms for the street dance style popularised by Manning and other dancers in New York City from the late 1920s to late 1940s as they fused style, energy and fun.
Leeds-based company Northern Ballet has recently announced its plans for 2015, following a very successful year on the stage and in the studio in 2014. Having staged a number of successful productions with the dust slowly settling, 2015 looks set to be another exciting year for the company.
Resolution! Review is a scheme headed by The Place as an opportunity for writers interested in covering dance and performance. It offers emerging writers, interested in honing their live performance review skills, the chance to see three different performances per night from up-and-coming choreographers, and review these new dance companies. Successful candidates will also be mentored by a professional dance critic, and have their work published and promoted by The Place.
American Ballet Theatre is set to mark is 75th anniversary with a celebration which will last 15 months. It will include historic revivals, new works, a new documentary film, a touring exhibition by the Library of Congress and an anniversary gala. With such a huge milestone to celebrate it seems the company is rather justified in its plans. If this news was not exciting enough, guest artists for the season will include Evgenia Obraztsova, Natalia Osipova and Marianela Nuñez, who will be making her American Ballet Theatre debut in a revival of Frederick Ashton’s Cinderella.