Thursday 22 October 2015

Blog Action Day 2015




                                         A Ballet dance en pointe.    (not me, that's just the title of the clip.)




This year, for Blog Action Day (click here for more information) the theme is "Raise your Voice", where we choose an issue important to us, and write about it.  I chose to do health issues for dancers. This may seem like a small problem to some, but being a dancer myself, I know it is easy to obtain injuries due to dance.
Pointe Shoes
https://pixabay.com/en/ballet-shoes-
black-dance-ballerina-311217/



Some of the more common injuries due to dance, are around the lower back, shoulders, knees and ankles/feet. This can be caused by long hours of constant practise, which means constant stress on certian parts of your body. the place you dance at, (if it is cold, unless you warm up properly, you can injure your muscles) or the shoes, such as pointe shoes. 
Being 'En Pointe' puts a lot of weight on certain areas of your foot, and this can lead to injuries.
One of these is injuries is called bunions. This happens at the base of your big toe, when the bone structure of your feet has been altered. Your big toe starts to lean into the second toe, changing your foot framework. This is often a genetic thing, but can be from wearing too tight shoes. Pointe shoes have to be tight to support your foot properly, so this can cause bunions.



These injuries can be prevented, by being careful and using good quality shoes. But, my issue is that most professional dancers don't receive proper care when they do get injured. This often cuts there dance careers short, most dancers retire at 30. 

Yes, dancing is hard, and it is their choice to make whether they pursue that career, but so is every other job out there. I think they should still get proper support or care when injured, to prevent future problems that may happen as they get older, and when they retire. 

Also, many dancers have to pay for expensive treatment themselves, or dance on that injury until they earn enough money to pay for it, which only worsens the problem. Can you imagine having a serious injury on your ankle or somewhere else, then having to dance around an hour en pointe? The stress around having to earn enough money? That is what professional dancers have to go through, just to get treatment for an injury.



I think a small portion of money should be set aside for dancers who obtain an injury through dance. This may keep them healthier, and keep them doing what they love for longer.





















Bibleography:
http://danz.org.nz/Health%20Issues%20for%20Dancers
http://www.stopsportsinjuries.org/dance-injury-prevention.aspx
https://pixabay.com/en/ballet-shoes-black-dance-ballerina-311217/
https://pixabay.com/en/ballet-shoes-black-dance-ballerina-311217/




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