| Dancers are very self-conscious and are always aware of their body and what it can do. Because of this, they force their bodies to limits that sometimes the bodies cannot handle. This forcing and straining very frequently results in injury, sometimes career damaging (E-Dancewear). Because a good dancer is defined as having a long and thin body, loose joints, good foot shape, and having good turnout, they force their bodies through a large amount of stress and pain (Hamilton). Injuries for a dancer may keep them away from the stage for many months if an injury is serious enough, so all professional and even recreational dancers are in constant fear. These injuries may even end their career, like for William Starrett of Columbia City Ballet (Starrett). Through stretching, being aware of their bodies, and knowing the proper technique, dancers are able to reduce the risk level they have upon them while they are dancing. Quite often, since dancing is such a painful sport and art, many dancers do not realize they are in pain and they get used to it. This can cause serious problems later in their career. While female dancers have extreme stress on their feet because of the Pointe shoes, male dancer�s experience stress to their back from supporting the female dancers in their jumps, lifts, and pirouettes. Ballet�s demands of fitness and strength and its stress to a dancers body causes both physical injuries to dancers of every type and every level which requires them to know their body and their sport in order to stay on Pointe (E-Dancewear). |
