Posted by marie (4.18.229.10) on May 25, 2005 at 03:25:20:

 In Reply to: dance practise

Posted by shantha on May 22, 2005 at 17:22:00:

 Shantha,

Hi, thanks for your feedback. Having other activities is a good idea, I am going to think about how to begin to integrate them back into my weekly routine. I got an injury a year ago and couldn't do other cardio I loved like long distance running, hiking (including the elliptical!) so with the little I could do I would dance. Now I have noticed my endurance weakening the past 6 months because of it. I still am dealing with the injury and am trying to find ways to dance well without dancing hard, as well as get my cardio back up. I am in my mid-twenties too, and have been dancing for 2 years only, so I am learning all the adavus still. I feel like I have a long way to go and the injury has really gotten me down. I have been very driven and done well in other sports that I didn't like as much as dance, and never got an injury. Now that I've found dance and love it more than anything, I have an ongoing injury. It's ironic. I have started a more aggresive yoga asana practice which gets my heart rate up and works on flexibility, that has been very postive. I really miss running and hiking though. You sound very committed, it is inspiring. Thanks!

By the way, I have found an excellent explanation of proper turnout which might help you knees in the future, just spreading the word because I see so many dancers get this one wrong. It is in relation to the plie position, same as aramandi:

http://www.esportsmedicine.org/advisory/lext.html