While major injuries are devastating, it is often the smaller injuries which have more of an effect on a dancer’s wellbeing, such as being covered in bruises or burning the feet constantly. Dancers can become desperate for a cure, such as for cuts, split skin, blisters and bruises.
For cuts and split skin, lots of dancers use fat-based balms to keep skin softer so it’s less likely to split in the first place. Use a pumice stone to reduce the thickness of skin or calluses, or nail clippers to trim tough edges so they don’t get caught and pull the wound open. Some dancers also develop taping methods for prevention. Cuts need to be kept clean and sterile, to prevent microorganisms from growing and tape can be used to hold the skin together.
Despite being small, blisters can be painful and troublesome. They form due to friction on the skin but by placing a layer between what rubs and your skin can eliminate the friction, such as by using tape, tights or clothing. Your skin will also toughen up with exposure so you will be less susceptible to blisters once your skin gets used to a new shoe or to dancing barefoot. As with calluses, dancers can use a balm or oil to make sure their skin stays soft and doesn’t dry out and harden around the blister: make sure you keep an open blister clean, sterile and covered. Don’t pop the blister, but if it is no longer intact, leave the skin over the wound.
Bruises are difficult to prevent, as they occur when capillaries, and sometimes tiny veins, are broken due to impact, allowing blood to collect near the surface of the skin. Try to control descents to the floor with strong muscles and smooth, coordinated movement. If you do bruise easily use balms and creams such as Arnica to help the healing process, and don’t let the small stuff get you down!
Leroy Dias Dos Santos is a passionate dancer, choreographer, model, singer and a social mentor who continues to strive for perfection. In 2007, he graduated from Middlesex University after studying Dance Studies.
Eighteen youth dance groups from mainstream and SEN secondary schools across London have been selected to perform at Sadler’s Wells in London’s biggest celebration of youth dance, taking place on 5 July.
Musical theatre is captivating for many people, where the magic of illusion makes anything possible. For professional musical theatre performers, being on stage is the culmination of years of training and hard work; often encompassing more skills than were originally required by becoming a triple threat of singing, acting and dance. Now productions require an ever-increasing range of skills, such as puppetry and stilt-walking (Lion King), acrobatics (Pippin), playing a musical instrument (Fiddler on the Roof) and roller-skating (Starlight Express).
It is often a revelation to dance in a studio without mirrors. Some dancers may feel uncomfortable and uncertain at first not to have mirrors, as they are not to be able to see what they are doing and check they are performing the exercises correctly. Despite this many would argue that the movement will feel right for the body, and mirrors are not required to feel this as they encourage dancers to ‘make shapes’ rather than initiate the movement from an internal source.
The Queen’s birthday honours recently recognised a multitude of talent in the awardees: actors Daniel Day-Lewis and Maggie Smith were recognised in the honours list, which also sees Young Vic artistic director David Lan and English National Opera’s John Berry honoured. The arts faired well as Day-Lewis was made a knight, and Smith was made a Companion of Honour.
Directed and choreographed by Will Tuckett, the Vaudeville Theatre will see the Royal Opera House production of The Wind in the Willows return to London’s West End this Christmas, running from 26 November 2014.
It has been rumoured that the hit musical Billy Elliot is to be screened in over 300 cinemas in September. A special matinee performance on 28 September will be broadcast live, with a repeat showing to be broadcast in the evening and Ruthie Henshall, who recently joined the cast as Mrs Wilkinson, will star in performance alongside some special guests making the screenings a milestone in the musical’s history.
Returning to the venue that hosted their first public performance – as George Piper Dances in 2001 – the award-winning BalletBoyz® will perform at Roundhouse Summer Sessions on 31 July and 1 August 2014. This will mark the final UK performances of Russell Maliphant’s piece Fallen and Liam Scarlett’s Serpent. The sessions will also offer an exclusive first look at new work Young Men.
Karen Pilkington-Miksa, choreographer and artist, is the Founding Director of The New English Ballet Theatre. She holds a degree in education and is an Associate of the Royal Academy of Dance (ARAD). She ran her own dance group and school, and has choreographed for ballet, opera and the BBC.