The World is Full of Wonderful Things

thedancersblog:

All of the girls in my dance are so flexible but I can’t seem to gain flexibility no matter how hard I try. I stretch everyday twice and I’m not getting anywhere. This is really hard for me. Since all the girls are so flexible I tend to get pulled hamstrings, groins, and hips ALL the time. It takes an abnormally long time to heal a minor pull, about 7 months at the very least . I don’t know what to do; I get more injuries than I can keep up with. Help!

Use the internet—or, if you can afford it, it’s always best to hire a personal trainer for at least a few sessions—to study up on movement-based stretching techniques, like Active Isolated Stretching. AIS teaches your muscles to work actively toward a new position, where static stretching doesn’t necessarily train your brain and your body to be comfortable with the new position as quickly; using a rope or strap and/or a partner for AIS also helps you adjust to an increased range of motion beyond what your body would normally allow you to achieve. Foam rolling, though not as active, can definitely help you avoid injury by quickly relieving tension in cold, knotted muscles. Make sure to warm up before you stretch, too.

The injury problems also may have almost as much to do with strength as with flexibility. AIS in coordination with Pilates or yoga will help you, again, program your muscles to reach new positions and increase your range of motion from a place of strength. Pilates has done more than anything to improve flexibility in a lot of dancers I know, because it teaches you to work with your body in the most efficient, effective way. Plenty of people who can drop right into the splits or bend over backwards without breaking a sweat still hurt themselves while dancing because they don’t have the strength to control their movements and use their energy properly as they move from line to line.

Lastly, don’t be too hard on yourself! You really will be able to improve your flexibility if you are patient and diligent, and, too, preternatural flexibility isn’t the be-all end-all to great dancing.

Damn I miss dancing with professionals.

That is such a spoiled, bitchy thing to say, but I can’t help it. I am spoiled. I spent the first six years of my life as a dancer primarily dancing with a professional who danced 30+ hours a week and became a national champion. There are four other leads I danced with regularly at various times in my adolescence who were national champions in various professional and open amateur divisions and who were excellent social dancers. Besides those leads, a significant portion of my other social dances were with the teachers at my ballroom and the other studios I frequented, because I was such good friends with them.

Certainly, I danced with other students much of the time, students of all levels, and it’s always enjoyable. But dancing with someone whose job it is to be a good dancer… it’s like what I imagine sex with a skilled prostitute (with whom you get along very well/have great chemistry) would be like, without the ethical concerns. The basic moves and techniques are completely effortless, and creative, exciting innovation becomes the focus. It really is a kind of intercourse, moving together, challenging and leading and following each other, and it’s really fun and stimulating and relaxing, all at the same time, to do it with someone who’s better at it than you, so they can teach you and inspire you to be better just by leading.

Don’t get me wrong; I love my dance partner. We’re great friends. He works really hard and is improving very quickly. He inspires me to get better just because he’s so damn driven himself. We have a ton of fun. But it’s not quite the same.

Every time, I think “maybe now enough time has passed that I won’t be both heartbroken and desperately jealous”. But nope. Sucks just as much. It’s rhythm day and I don’t even LIKE rhythm, but I can hardly stand just sitting here and watching. The only thing worse would be knowing everybody else is here and I’m not.

And yes, in not too long I’ll be competing again, and that’ll be great, but it won’t be like dancing with one of the top-ranked instructors in the country who also happens to be one of my closest friends and favorite people in the world.