A Call to All Claras

It is really the job of all the young dancers out there, the ones who are performing Clara in the nutcracker, to help yourselves keep dancing past your thirties. To rid yourself of the myth that a dancer's body can no longer coupe with the same rigorous training schedule that it may have started out with. Your health is the most important role you have to play as a dancer. Nutrition and mental stability are the keys to you having the best success in your professional life.

This can be achieved by communicating and knowing that you are not the only one out there experiencing doubt and frustration. The best dancer haven that has blossomed through communication is Boogiezone.com. It is a rapidly growing community of members come from all over the world. There are other internet sites that offer discussion forums and member profiles, news articles, and events calendars, but none cater specifically to the dance community, or can match the unique Boogiezone vibe. Currently, at 13,600 worldwide, members enjoy meeting each other on a daily basis to discuss dance events, news, and dance related topics.

It is designed for dancers to reach out to one another to enlighten, inspire, and support. The true benefits of Boogiezone are the relationships that are built. The member community includes people with various backgrounds of every race, and age; among them are Industry Professionals and Celebrities. Boogiezone has all the information and the opportunites for discussion that an aspiring dancer needs and that a seasoned dancer may have forgotten.

Guidance

In dance an instructor is a second parent, guidance counselor, and sensei all rolled into one. So it is imperative that an aspiring dancer finds the right fit to ensure the best development. To locate the perfect instructor, certain criteria and expectations need to be processed.

The first step is deciding on a level of commitment. If a dancer is extremely devoted, chances are they will follow a strict schedule; where as a recreational dancer will take class occasionally. Companies and schools have strenuous dance training that requires great undertaking, while private studios offer classes and training in a wide range of levels and ages. When first getting your feet wet, start with the minimal amount of commitment and work up.

Always trial-run instructors and studio set-up for at least a month. This provides you with information on class size, instructor strengths and weaknesses, peer evaluation, and scheduling. With this information a pro and con list can be made, which will aid you in choosing to remain there or to keep searching. Always try new techniques and different instructions before deciding on a semi-permanent area of study.

Be on the lookout for opportunities to perform and take part in. Things such as dance workshops or choreography showcases are great ways to improve your technique. Going to the ones that require an audition, also prepares you for job and company auditions in the professional realm. Things that take you out of your comfort zone increase the span of your technique, which makes you more adaptable and a better dancer. Therefore, a teacher that challenges you and gives you hands-on training is the best match.

Whether you choose to dance a lot or for purely recreational purposes, you can find your right match by doing your research. To guide you on your quest I've created a list of studios in Orange County available for different levels and areas of study.

Beginners:
(This is the area for students who are interested in dance, but unsure of whether to pursue.)
The Music Room: Orange
Here students can take from ages 3 to 18. Class sizes are moderate with a large amount of faculty, who are well-trained. There are several performance oppurtunities throughout the year. Most of the Music Room students dance recreationaly, so students are under less pressure. They do have a competition team, but they do not place a great influence on it.

Boogiezone: Irvine, Torrance, Alhambra
Boogiezone is a dane network created to bring dance to the community once a week. Many choreographers and instructors are asked to teach, which creates a wide range of styles and techniques that benefit a dancer. There are three seperate destinations of boogiezone and classes are Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, more information can be found in the forum under community class.

High School:

OCHSA: Santa Ana
The Orange County High School of the Arts has a leading performing arts program, with specific strengths in dance and musical theater. Students are placed in academic classes at high school level and specific art classes at a college level. Choreography and performance are a major priority and training is extended.

College and Professional:

Chapman University: Orange
Institutes a four-year education plan in dance studies including history, anatomy and kinesiology, choreography, performance and training. Main techniques of study include jazz, ballet, and modern, as well as ballroom, tap, turns, pointe, yoga, and pilates.

The Edge and Millenium: Los Angelos
These two dance centers provide classes to adults and professionals who are looking to improve their technique and style, but who have a basic foundation in dance. Majority of the classes are geared towards advanced students. They also give late night classes for those who work or attend school.

Excessive Training

To go along with finding a balance with food, a dancer must also find the time to go to rehearsal, class, performances, and outside activities such as school and extra-curricular. It is too often that dancers push themselves into exhaustion by trying to juggle too many dedications. This is where the body of a dancer really breaks down.

Most often enough dancers get hurt in late-night, long rehearsals. Sleep-deprivation, dehydration, and poor nutrition make slips, falls, and drops hazardous. Slow-reaction time and muscle weakness mean that joints and ligaments are not thoroughly protected and are more prone to injury and misuse.

An example of this is how there always seems to be about four injuries that happen on FOX's "So You Think You Can Dance." The injuries usually happen around Vegas week, where the dancers are asked to rehearse and perform about twelve hours a day for an entire week. That kind force on the body allows for major mishaps...



What is needed is uninterrupted sleep. The kind of sleep that is for a solid eight hours, and not in increments of five and two hours. Dehydration should be eliminated and good quality food should be eaten. Proper warm-up is essential to each rehearsal and class to prevent injury.

Make sure to know your limits so you don't end up doing something stupid like this guy:

The Body of an 80 Year Old

Many young dancers may not realize the importance of bone health and what they can do now to build a strong skeleton, but preventative measures should be taken early on to decrease changes of Osteoporosis. Osteoporosis, which means “porous bones,” is a bone-thinning disease caused by a lack of bone minerals, primarily calcium. The seeds of osteoporosis are planted in adolescence. During these years, the right combination of exercise and nutrition can build bone to last a lifetime, or poor eating and activity habits can greatly increase your chances of getting the disease.

The most rapid formation of bone occurs between the ages of 13 and 24, relatively little bone mineral can be added to the mature skeleton. It follows that the key time to put bone “in the bank” is before age 30. The higher the deposit, the more you’ll have to draw from throughout your life.

For some dancers, disordered eating (that is, inconsistent or restrictive eating habits) and the excessive physical activity demanded by a rigorous training or performing schedule may create a stress condition in the body that alters hormone levels, shuts down the reproductive system, disrupts the normal menstrual cycle and begins to weaken bones. The combination of these is known as the “Female Athlete Triad.” This makes it possible for a 20-year-old dancer to have bones as if she were 60.

Osteoporosis deteriates the bones and create consequneces such as stress fractures, particularly of the hips, spine, wrists, shins and, especially for those who dance on pointe (the toes.) Spinal fractures generally manifest later in life. Weakened bones can fracture spontaneously without any injury or trauma, simply because they are too fragile to support the weight of the body. While the relationship between bone density and stress fractures remains unclear, poor nutrition and a sudden change in frequency, intensity or duration of training can increase the risk. One study of ballet dancers showed a significant increase in fracture risk when they trained more than 5 hours a day.

It is not enough to simply exercise, but nutrition and calcium intake need to improve in a dancers lifestyle. This is especially important in dancers beginning their training and developing into adulthood, because they are more susceptible in the detriment of bone loss.

Binge

Bulimia is the harder of the two eating disorders to detect, because people suffering from this disease are usually a normal body weight. Instead of starving, they go through a series of binging and then purging. These eating binges may occur as often as several times a day for many months. They cause a sense of self-disgust, which leads to purging.

Purging is done by self-induced vomiting, excessive exercise, and abuse of laxatives, diuretics, or enemas to prevent weight gain. A person suffering from bulimia is at constant war with themselves and will continually weigh themselves to strive to perfection. It is not uncommon that both anorexia and bulimia can develop in one individual.

While most of the symptoms are present in both disorders, like electrolyte imbalance and dehydration. Bulimia causes erosion in the esophagus and tooth enamel, as well as damage to the salivary glands by repeated vomiting. Chronic gastric reflux after eating, electrolyte imbalance, which can lead to cardiac arrhythmia and cardiac arrest, gastroparesis or delayed emptying, constipation, enlarged glands in the neck, under the jaw line, and peptic ulcers are common in people suffering from bulimia.

Finding Treatment

Bulimia Nervosa and Anorexia Nervosa are both psychological disorders and therefore need psychosocial intervention first and foremost. There needs to be a resolution of co-occurring conditions such as mood or anxiety disorders in order to understand why people go through these great lengths to obtain a certain body image. This resolution can be brought about by individual psychotherapy, especially cognitive-behavioral or interpersonal psychotherapy. Since dancers rely heavily on their peers and teachers, environments need to be supportive and involved in the cure of an individuals problems. A good support group, is vital in aiding a dancer through treatment.

Treatment also involves the establishment of a pattern of regular, non-binge meals. Learning how to choose healthy options and creating a good relationship with food help to improve misconceptions. This results in an improvement of attitudes related to the eating disorder and to food in genearl. Dancers should then be encouraged to maintain a steady exercise plan.

Psychotropic medications, primarily antidepressants such as the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), have been found helpful for people with bulimia and anorecia, particularly those with significant symptoms of depression or anxiety, or those who have not responded adequately to psychosocial treatment alone. These medications also may help prevent relapse.

People with eating disorders often do not recognize or admit that they are ill. As a result, they may strongly resist getting and staying in treatment. Family members or other trusted individuals can be helpful in ensuring that the person with an eating disorder receives needed care and rehabilitation. People do not always know that they need help, so make sure to read the signs and catch the problem early.

http://www.bulimiacure.gethealthadvice.org

To the Bone

Anorexia Nervosa develops when people eat only what will barely sustain them. This disease is very hazardous to your health since you are depriving your body of nutrients by limiting the amount of food. This is especially problematic for dancers, because they depend on their bodies to be healthy and fit enough to withstand training.

When the human body does not getting enough nutrition, it is forced to slow down in order to compensate. This slowing down can have serious consequences:

1. Starving causes an abnormally slow heart rate and very low blood pressure. This results in the heart muscle itself changing. The chance of heart failure rises as heart rate and blood pressure decrease.

2. Lack of calcium in an anorexic's diet, since they are not getting enough food in general, provides a great risk of reduced bone density, which is known as osteoporosis. This creates bones that are dry and brittle, which makes them very susceptible to breaking.

3. Severe dehydration is common, because anorexics also do not drink enough water. If not treated it can ultimately lead to kidney failure.

4. Overall weakness, including fatigue and fainting, become prevalent. This makes it hard to make it through the day.

5. Due to the fact of dehydration, hair becomes dry and begins to thin. This is the reason hair loss is very common among anorexics.

And now a few statistics about this disease that you may or may not be aware of:

a. About 90-95% of the people who suffer from this disease are women, most of them young girls. Which is the age most dancers begin more formal and intense training.

b. About 1% of all American women suffer from Anorexia Nervosa.

c. Of all the psychiatric disorders, Anorexia Nervosa is the most common diagnosed in women in general.

d. The mortality rate of people suffering from Anorexia Nervosa is between 5 and 20%. The probability of death increases with the length of time the person has been suffering from the disease.

e. Anorexia Nervosa has one of the highest rates of death of all mental disorders.

Anorexia is a serious condition that takes control of the body and mind. Providing young dancers with the knowledge of its affects can help to spread awareness and prevent them from taking this route. It is also necessary to watch for signs of the disease, so as to impede any development.