Tag: injury

How to Beat 5 Common Cheats Dancers Commit

Y’all, we get it. Dance is really, really hard. So what’s the harm in taking the easy way out on a technical correction? Answer: an increased chance of injury, and a whole slew of new technique problems that could take a loooooooong time to fix. Lucky for you, Dance Spirit has enlisted the expert help […]

How to Avoid Injury as You Head Back to the Studio

If you’re one of the many dancers heading back into the studio soon, “excited” doesn’t even begin to cover it. You’ve missed dancing alongside your friends, you’ve felt the lack of IRL corrections, and you’re desperate to really jump and turn for the first time in months. (And if you’re not back yet, you’re probably […]

How to Take Charge of Your At-Home Dance Health

Despite all pandemic-related odds, you’ve more or less managed to keep up a dance training routine, whether it’s via your home studio’s Zoom schedule, Instagram Live classes, or Mark Kanemura’s living room dance parties. Slow. Clap. That’s a feat to be celebrated. But dancing in less-than-ideal environments—i.e., pretty much every at-home space—can take a real […]

The Washington Ballet's Maki Onuki Describes Her Path from Injury to Recovery

Maki Onuki has been with The Washington Ballet for a remarkable 14 seasons. She’s danced lead roles in almost every ballet in the company’s repertoire, from Serenade to Giselle, Swan Lake to Don Quixote, Le Corsaire to La Sylphide. This fall, Onuki was in rehearsal for TWB’s fall program, NEXTsteps, set to originate a role […]

Dear Katie: Is It Worth It to Work Through "Bad Pain"?

In our “Dear Katie” series, former NYCB soloist Kathryn Morgan answers your pressing dance questions. Have something you want to ask Katie? Email [email protected] for a chance to be featured! Dear Katie, I’m an injured ballet student, and my physical therapist and massage therapist are giving me opposite instructions. For example, my physical therapist believes […]

Is Your Cell Phone Affecting Your Port de Bras?

Scrolling your feeds endlessly can have a serious impact on your posture and alignment. “Since 2008 or so, I’ve seen a lot of heads and shoulders hunched forward,” says Kim Fielding, a former dancer who created a Pilates class specifically to counteract the effects of technology. “Some dancers will overcompensate for this, leading to splayed […]