As dancers, taking care of our feet is important. There is a great resource here in Seattle that you may not be aware of. Dr Woodle works with the dancers from the Pacific Northwest Ballet, so he understands the issues that dancers have with their feet, particularly ballet dancers. If you are having some issues that you think a doctor should take a look at, he is the one to call.
Dr Alan S Woodle D.P.M.
8111 Greenwood Ave. N.
Seattle, WA 98103
Phone: (206) 784-3144

There are a couple myths that I think a lot of people have about dance, whether they realize it or not. When I first took over Centerstage, I was surprised when people asked if I “used to” dance. As a 32 year-old and a Middle Eastern dancer, my dance career was far from being over. However, this question made me realize that many people believe that dancing is only for the very young. When I was in college, my grandmother asked me what I wanted to do with my life, and so I told her that I wanted to be a professional dancer. She exclaimed, “But, Dearie, you wouldn’t be using your mind!” And here we have Myth #2 - that dance is good for the body but not so much for the mind. Or put even more harshly, dancers are oftentimes dumb. As a society that values higher education and intellect, I think dance is often devalued as a sort of fluffy pastime.
The truth of the matter is that dance isn’t just for kids, and it doesn’t just benefit the body. According to a study done in
2003, dancing regularly (at least twice a week) can drastically reduce your chances of developing dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease. Researchers have found that regular physical activity causes the brain to release extra chemicals that build nerve cells, and dancing in particular helps the brain maintain memory skills.
It seems to me that dancing, in any style, is the best form of exercise around, and it is something that we should do at all
stages of our life, whether professionally or socially.

Lisa Howell, author of The Perfect Pointe book, has written a companion manual for parents, and amazingly enough, she is
offering it to the world free of charge!

Here is what one parent has to say about it:

“Dear Lisa,

Thank you so very much for producing a wonderful tool for dancer and parents from your many years of working with dance students. Your insights and advice have proved to be invaluable to our family. Our teenage daughter has, more recently, been struggling with the many frustrations of ongoing injury coupled with the expectations of her dance school and the academic expectations of her parents. Your manual has proven to be, not only a fantastic resource, but an ally for me in bringing up the difficult subjects; Subjects such as the immense value of good nutrition & the struggle with not always being able to be perfect. Your manual has clearly and concisely explained how nutrition is so vital in the recovery of ongoing injury and given us guidelines to follow.

Reading “The Perfect Pointe Parents Manual” has also given me a valuable insight into the issues faced by all dancers that I had not considered. This again has enabled me to be conscious of the struggles young dancers face and has enabled both my daughter and I to have extremely proactive discussions. We are following a different pattern whereby we can discuss & resolve existing issues and be aware of others resulting in a harmonious outcome.”
(S.M)

Click here for your free copy.

For more information about the Perfect Pointe Book, click here.

Celebrate Valentine’s Day throughout the month of February….
Give someone you love the gift of Therapeutic Massage, AND
get one for yourself for free! That’s right - 2 people,
2 massages, for 1 price! It’s 2 for 1 SUNDAYS all through
February.
To make an appointment contact Cynthia Callison (ext. #10) or
Michelle Wallar (ext. #12) @ Seattle Advanced Bodywork
Associates:: 4033 Stone Way N:: Seattle, WA 98103
(206) 675-1740
Tell them Centerstage sent you!

A lot of girls (and their parents) are understandably scared of what pointe work will do to their feet, and are worried about it being painful. In the past, with badly fitting shoes and often poor strength in the feet, many dancers did get terrible pain and had problems with their feet.

But this is not the case any more!

The Perfect Pointe Book has a fantastic new program that teaches you how to strengthen your feet and body in the shortest space of time. Now that pointe shoes are available in so many different fittings, if your feet are very strong, and the shoes fit well, it is quite possible to dance with little or no pain at all! If you start off knowing what to feel, and how to get the most out of your shoe, you can have a long and happy career dancing on your toes.

Written by Dance Physiotherapist Lisa Howell, this one-of-a-kind book teaches you how to test yourself, and work out what any weaknesses may mean. It then guides you through four special exercise programs designed to really target those areas and improve your technique and strength as quickly as possible!

If you are planning on any form of career or continued practice in ballet, this book is an essential part of your ballet bag. Whether you are just beginning pointe, or have been en pointe for years, you will learn so much about your body and how it should work by going through this process.

“This is an excellent manual for both pre-pointe and advanced dancers. It is simple to use, and will be a great help to students who are serious about developing good pointe work. Lisa has written many helpful exercises, with clear photographs to demonstrate how to improve strength and prevent injury. This manual would also be very useful for teachers, and particularly student teachers, who want to learn how to safely prepare their pupils for pointe work. ”

- Lindsay Ellman-Brown LRAD ARAD
Grade Examiner for the Royal Academy of Dance
Junior School Head Teacher - Ecole Ballet Studios, Sydney, Australia

Click Here for more information about The Perfect Pointe Book

“Building A Strong Foundation Builds A Strong Future!”

The physical benefits of yoga are well known. Flexibility, increase in strength, better posture, to name a few. But did you know that yoga can help with stress, anxiety, stage fright and focus? As dancers we can experience all of these whether we are just training and preparing or are actually in a performance. The demands of being in a company or troop can also increase stress.
The physical postures of Yoga can help us to learn to communicate with our body, spirit and mind. They teach us to be present in the moment and feel what our bodies need. As we learn to listen to our bodies we find that it is easier to focus. It becomes easier to be the movement rather than thinking about the movement.
The breathing that is learned in yoga can also help relieve stress and improve focus. As we learn to control our breathing we increase the oxygen that our bodies receive. This allows our muscles to relax.
Stage fright can be a minor problem for some or a major hindrance for others. Learning to use our breath to decrease the feelings of adrenaline can help us to get through the pre-performance jitters. Try this exercise to help relieve stress, or for panic attacks and stage fright: Put one hand on your stomach and one hand on your chest, take a slow deep breath while counting to 6, as you inhale through your nose you should see your hand on your stomach rise first then the other hand as you fill your diaphragm with air and then your lungs. Exhale to the count of six, repeat and increase the count to the best of your ability up to 12 or more.
As dancers we learn to use our diaphragms to breathe while we are dancing but we often forget to do so when we are not dancing. This kind of breathing should be done all of the time. We are able to get much more air if we are filling our stomachs with air first. When we are tense or stressed we tend to breath very shallow and with only our lungs. This exercise will increase the amount of air your body is receiving and help to relax and rejuvenate you. Namaste

Brooke Murray is a registered Yoga instructor teaching private
and small group lessons.
For more information call 206-853-4997

Click Here for Part 1 of this series.

“Comfortable” is probably not a common word used to describe dancing on pointe in the best of circumstances. Add a few blisters, and the experience can be downright painful. So, how do you avoid blisters?
There are three main causes for blisters from pointe shoes. The first is friction. If a pointe shoe is too big or too wide, the foot will slide around or “sink” into the shoe when the dancer goes up on pointe. Wherever the shoe rubs, a blister will develop. This is one of the reasons why pointe shoes should not be fitted with any extra room.
The second reason is moisture. During class, a dancer’s feet will release a lot of moisture, which is absorbed into the pointe shoes, and so it is important to dry out pointe shoes between classes. In order for the shoes to dry out properly, all padding should be removed from the shoes. Since moisture breaks down the shoes, allowing the shoes to dry out completely will not only save the dancer’s feet, but it will also extend the life of her shoes.
The third reason for blisters has to do with how the dancer points her toes. Instead of pointing the feet so hard that the toes curl under, the dancer should think about lengthening through her toes. In other words, the dancer should think about keeping her toes long from the base knuckle through the end of her toes. Some dancers have naturally “bendy” toes and may opt to use tape to keep the toes nice and long. Tape also has the benefit of protecting the skin from friction. There are a variety of tapes on the market to help with this issue.
If you have a problem with blisters, see if any of these reasons could be the culprit, and, as always, talk to your instructor.

Yoga and Dance
Part 1
by Brooke Murray

Dancers tend to push their bodies to extremes. We work long
hours to train our bodies to become stronger and more flexible.
Over the years, dancing can take its toll and many dancers end
up with health concerns. These include arthritis and repetitive
stress injuries. Incorporating a regular Yoga routine into our
lives can reduce the impact that dance can have on our bodies.
It can also help to strengthen muscles and improve flexibility,
giving us an advantage when learning new techniques.
First, you need to find a Yoga instructor that is trained and
certified. The Yoga Alliance is a great organization that
certifies instructors. A teacher registered with Yoga Alliance
has been trained to meet high standards of safety and has
completed at least 200 hours of training.
Make sure your teacher understands that you are a dancer. This
is important because as dancers we will have issues that are
very different from other Yoga students. The teacher should
include some hands-on and personal instruction so your
individual needs can be addressed. Smaller class sizes or
private lessons are good for these reasons. A teacher that
simply leads you through poses without instructing you on the
specific technique of each individual asana (pose) should be
avoided because injuries can occur if poses are not done
correctly.
Yoga is great for alignment of the body, so your teacher should
emphasize safe ways to improve posture as well as improving
other alignment issues. If we can learn to feel good posture in
our bodies, then we can improve our dance technique. Finding our
neutral point is where we usually start any dance position, so
if our neutral position includes rounded shoulders and
collapsing chests then our dance does not look as good as it
should.
Yoga is great for everyone who is trying to improve their
overall health or address particular health concerns. Dancers
in particular can benefit greatly from building a Yoga routine
into their lives.

Brooke Murray is a certified Yoga instructor and dancer she
teaches small group and private lessons. To contact please
call 206-853-4997

I ran across this video by Lisa Howell, an Australian dance Physiotherapist, and thought it might be helpful for some of you, particularly if you have a problem with a shank breaking too low or breaking just generally in the wrong place.

As always, consult your instructor before altering your pointe shoes!

Benefits of Massage

I was 31 years old when I first took over Centerstage.  As a Middle
Eastern dancer, I was just entering my prime, so imagine my initial
surprise to hear the question, “Did you used to dance?”  It’s a
question I still hear on a regular basis, and my answer remains, “I
still do.”  Since people were assuming that I was a ballet dancer,
I decided to look into the typical lifespan of a ballet dance career.
I found that principle dancers typically retire between the ages of
35-40.  However, it is not uncommon for a career to end even earlier
due to injury.  According to Cynthia Callison, a licensed
massage practitioner, massage could extend a dancer’s career by
preventing injury, which is–let’s face it–an occupational hazard.

Cynthia explained, there is a difference between a strong muscle
and a tight muscle.  When a muscle is tight, like an old rubberband,
it loses its elasticity and cannot deliver as much force, so it is
actually weaker. In addition to limiting the muscle’s ability to
contract, a tight muscle can increase tension in the body that may
eventually lead to injury.  Massage decreases muscle tension and
can help prevent acute and chronic injuries from occurring.

In addition to injury prevention, Massage Therapy is used to treat
musculo-skeletal injuries like strains, sprains, tendonitis, ’shin
splints’ and other common conditions. Besides reducing pain, a
massage therapist finds and treats the actual cause of the pain.
For example, a painful Achilles tendonitis may be the result of a
tight calf muscles.  (For a dancer this could have developed from
repeating fouettes without enough plie in the supporting leg.)

Massage also improves physical and mental performance.  By
increasing circulation, massage helps the body eliminate waste
products and bring in fresh blood supplying nutrients to muscles
and other tissues.  This allows for faster recovery especially
after a strenuous class, rehearsal or performance.  Massage can
also help ‘calm the nerves’ and clear the mind, increasing focus
and concentration before getting on stage.

Most dancers feel dread, if not downright terror, at the thought
of being unable to dance because of injury.  After all, the
dancer’s body is what gives form to his or her art.  Massage
can help fine tune this instrument and keep it working in top
condition because, to use our quote of the month in a slightly
different context, “the body must not stand in the way of the
soul’s expression.”

Cynthia Callison is a longtime employee at Centerstage, and she
also used to dance professionally with The Washington Ballet in
D.C. and locally with ARC.  She now has her own massage practice
at SABA in the Fremont area.  Cynthia will be at Centerstage on
Saturday, February 10, from 10AM-2PM to give free chair massages.