Dance for Wellness
The New York City Ballet Education Dept took a rare and beautiful step recently by showing how much it cared for its greatest resource - its dancers.
Dancers are both aplenty and often undervalued. If one is injured, sick or retiring, too many are waiting in line to take his or her place. The dancers who can't 'push through the pain' and keep dancing, who do not grow artistically, who grow too much either vertically or horizontally, or who become too old at 28 are easily and immediately replaced with newer, younger models. Dancers who cannot divorce themselves from their art, who cannot imagine a life without dance, go beyond the limits of human endurance in pain and persistence until the injury becomes irreparable.
And those are just the physical aspects of the art. For dancers, their mental health and well-being are rarely considered.
James Nicholas did a study at Lenox Hill in 1975 that rated 61 professional activities according to focus, concentration, strength, creativity and more. The most physically and mentally challenging profession was ballet. Next was bullfighting, followed by football, then hockey. Not much has altered in thirty years.
The New York City Ballet Education Dept. is beginning to change that lack of attention in all areas.
September 24th and 25th, 2005, at the studios of the School of American Ballet, dancers, teachers and experts in orthopedics, nutrition, psychology and physical therapy joined for a two-day conference called The Dance Wellness Weekend. The event included classes and lectures in the screening process for ballet students, cross-training for dancers, physical therapy and principles of self care, career transitions for dancers, adolescent wellness, issues for older dancers, a cooking class, a class in the New York City Ballet Workout, stretching and injury prevention classes, several roundtable discussions, and a short performance to conclude the weekend.
The session opened with Dr. Linda Hamilton chatting with dancers such as Jenifer Ringer, James Fayette, Abi and Jonathan Stafford, Elizabeth Walker and Dena Abergel. When Hamilton asked which one of them had not had an injury, no one raised a hand. Some had been luckier than others. Fayette "hadn't missed more than a week his entire career."
Jonathan Stafford was surprised to learn that after having danced daily for ten years, ballet alone was not enough. "How can my muscles not be strong enough?," he questioned. He discovered "activities outside of ballet" that were useful, and that "that certain little muscle you may not get to" could be the one that causes the injury which interrupts your dancing." He "appreciated dance more" after being sidelined. Walker used her down-time to "learn about my body." She also learned that she didn't miss the snow scene.
Post-injury, with help, dancers returned better educated and stronger. Walker feels her dancing is "easier because I'm more efficient."
Dr. Linda Hamilton brought up how important mental health is to a dancer. "Mental strain also adds to injuries." Fatigue is a strong factor, but physical fatigue is not the only kind of fatigue dancers experience.
Plus points for the NYCB Wellness Weekend included the special attention paid to both adolescent and older dancers. Young dancers may seem invincible, but Hamilton warned that teachers and choreographers often forget the importance of their growth plates, which don't close. Many who shape dancers, often literally, forget that bones are verbs so to speak. They are malleable and in motion, getting stronger or weaker, throughout one's life. The more ill-trained the dancer, the more over-worked the dancer, the more injured the dancer. And the more damaged the dancer for life physically and emotionally.
The NYCB's Education Dept took the conference past the usual stages of awareness and need, to a place where solutions were offered. Dr. William Hamilton, senior attending orthopedic surgeon at St. Luke's Hospital, has been consulting orthopedist for the New York City Ballet and the School of American Ballet for the past thirty years. His sessions on screening students were enlightening and informative. "The myth in ballet is that if you just work hard enough, you can do it. Unfortunately, that's not true." He was clear and helpful when explaining the problems of knock-knees, tight hip joints and other detriments to ballet, and why even the perfect 'ballet body' needs attention. "What they (the dancers) are doing isn't going to get easier. We take the elite who are fit, and make them more fit."
That screening, injury prevention and awareness, extra attention to weak areas and muscular imbalances, proper nutrition and good mental health work to create and keep dancers healthy was shown by the NYCB's lower injury rate and the lower Workman's Compensation and insurance rates charged to the company.
Overall, the Wellness Weekend was well done for a first effort and offering. The outline and premise are in place, and other companies, dancers, teachers and choreographers could find the format useful and helpful not only to their company, but also to their dance community. If interested, you encouraged to contact them at wellness@nycballet.com for information on the next session. It is simply too good to miss.