Ballet dancers have a short career, but while they are still dancing, it consumes their every waking moment. There are classes and rehearsals � even while performing evening and nights � to keep their bodies firmly athletic and their minds honed to the demands of the dance. But this can play havoc on their bodies, especially for the ballerinas, who dance on point. For Justine, the constant demands on her body have been easy. She has a naturally athletic frame and was a champion gymnast as a child. However, the unnatural stance of point shoe work began to take its toll and three years ago, she was on the verge of retirement. �It was,� she says, �like dancing on glass.�
With physiotherapist, Sue Mayes, and a scholarship from the ballet, Justine headed for New York to see if she could find a cure for what she now knew to be an arthritic-like bone degeneration, which was forcing the cuboid bones in her feet to become dislodged. Once she discovered the problem, she immediately set out to overcome it with physiotherapy, a better diet and medication.
�I did a lot of research on arthritis and I�ve now got a maintenance program. I know how to keep my feet in control and now, two years later, I think I�m really on top of it, and I�m ready to keep on dancing.�