The Positive and Negative Effects of Dance on the Body

Dance is a dangerous and rigorous profession. In some cases it can cause bruises, broken bones, and pulled muscles. In the worst cases it can lead to bulimia, anorexia, constant fatigue, low self esteem, and depression.

The History of Dance

The Italian princess Catherine de Medici married the French Henri II and introduced ballet de cour, or “court ballet” to the Court of France in the sixteenth century. In the 1600’s, King Louis XIV especially loved dancing and starring in court productions. When he grew too old and fat to perform he continued to be one of ballet’s greatest patrons. He founded the Académie Royale de Danse, which would later become the Paris Opera Ballet.

However, around 1730 danse haute superseded danse basse. Dancers took to the air. Rather than just move elegantly from lovely pose to lovely pose, they began to jump, hop, and leap. And women began to rebel against their restrictive costumes. Marie Sallé literally let her hair down and donned looser clothes for her ballet d’action. Her rival, Marie Ann Cupis de Camargo, took the heels from her shoes and shortened her skirts to better perform the flashy new steps that had heretofore been done exclusively by men. (Entrechat quatre and cabriole)

Marie Taglioni often gets the credit and the blame for being the first to dance on Pointe. But no one really knows for sure. It is established that in 1832 Marie Taglioni danced in the full length La Sylphide on Pointe. Before we consider what Taglioni did and how she did it, let’s look at why she rose on Pointe at all. The 1830’s were the heart of the Romantic Age. The artists and poets of this era– Keats, Byron, Shelly and Chopin– were often concerned with beauty, passion, nature, the supernatural, and the power of love.

A history of Pointe shoes is also a history of Pointe technique. They evolved together; they created each other. But the Pointe shoe itself is seldom given recognition for its role in steering the development of technique. (www.gaynorminden.com)

How a Pointe Shoe Works

A stiff insole or shank supports the foot from underneath the arch. The box of the shoe tightly encases the toes, so that the dancer’s weight rests on an oval-shaped platform. The shank has varying degrees of flexibility, and the box may have different configurations. The outer material is usually pink satin and can be dyed for performance to costume designers’ specifications. Most Pointe shoes will fit either foot; there is usually no left or right. Except in rare cases, Pointe shoes are worn only by women. The pain of Pointe work discourages beginners and plagues even professionals.

For a Pointe shoe to look, feel, and function just right it must be fitted just right. Achieving that precise, professional, customized fit in a traditional Pointe shoe often requires a “Special Make-Up,” with traditional delays, traditional expenses, and traditional hassles. One fits by selecting six crucial specifications: length, box shape, width, shank stiffness, vamp height, and heel configuration. (www.gaynorminden.com)

The Dangers of Dance

There are several risks involved when dancing as a professional or to become a professional. A person’s own behavior might be affecting a person to have a low opinion of himself. Other factors are how a person is treated by others. If a teacher isn’t giving a person constructive criticism, it can lead to doubt. Young men and women may be so afraid of gaining weight, yet so hungry, they binge on eating then feel guilty and throw it all up. A dancer is constantly pressured to be thin and professional dancers are watched for anorexia and bulimia.

Depression drains your energy, diminishes your interest in everyday activities, and if serious enough, leads to thought of despair or suicide. Life seems bleak, useless, and unworthy of engaging in when you’re overcome depression. Depression occurs when a dancer feels pressured by someone other than himself to dance. When the adrenal glands become fatigue and unable to handle stress, dysfunctional psychological symptoms set in. A dancer can easily get this because of the constant need for adrenaline. (http://www.drlam.com/A3R_brief_in_doc_format/adrenal_fatigue.cfm)

A bruise is a skin injury that results in a discoloration of the skin. Blood from damaged blood vessels, deep beneath the skin, collect ear the surface of the skin resulting in what looks like a black or blue mark. The easiest way to break something is of course falling off of Pointe. But in other types of dance, doing the move incorrectly or landing out of a jump wrong will also cause the bone to break or fracture.

Quotes

“I don’t mind being bruised because I’m not afraid to try new and risky moves.” “If you are taught how to dance the proper way and to use the right muscles, you won’t get injured. There is always a chance you will hurt something, but dancing the proper way will not cause injury. (Stacye T. Cassidy)

In order to dance and dance well it has to be something you want to do. Always look for ways to challenge yourself [and] share [your talent] with as many people as possible.” (Nikia Messick)

Personal Experiences

I’ve sprained and shocked my left ankle, which has caused it to become weak. My back and knee pop out of place and it has become very painful. I have permanent bruises on my knees as well as on my toes. I barely have an arch in my foot so during Pointe the pressure is not where it is supposed to be causing my toes to become numb. All of the se things make dance that much harder. But no dancer is perfect and the more a person learns advanced types of dance the more problems that person will have.

Although dance is very dangerous, if done incorrectly; it can also be very rewarding by creating lasting friendships, increasing confidence, building muscle strength, and being able to isolate almost every known muscle.