With an abundance of summer school programs, summer stock festivals, touring companies holding open calls, dance classes, Pilates studios, and private instructors are jam-packed with potential dancers who are wishing to refine their craft, or to be discovered. For pre-professional students, competition season is winding up, and dance festivals and recitals are filling auditoriums and community center theaters across each state and province. Most university dance programs are concluding their academic year and that means senior students and graduate students are producing their own concerts on strict, high-pressure deadlines. When there are so many demands being placed on the body (rehearsals, performances, performance anxiety, temperamental weather, respiratory allergies) it is imperative to make sure one's body is being cared for more than ever: that means making sure nutritional requirements, as well as sleep requirements, are being met.
Burnout
After a season of spending intense hours in the studio and onstage, it is commonplace to feel the need to spend lots of time resting -- which to many dancers is not welcome for we are so used to exerting physical energy for upwards of eight hours a day. Many of us presume there is something seriously "the matter" with us. Our bodies feel sluggish, and the thought of walking up a flight of stairs seems insurmountable. We feel as though there is cement holding our hip joints together for all the mobility is long gone. Many of us feel a dull throb in the lower lumbar spine, and our feet? There isn't one pleasant adjective to describe how beaten they feel. Our bunions scream, our first metatarsal is blistered and torn, our arches are knotted hard as hazelnuts, and nothing makes the dull aches subside. Burnout does take place with dancers, though it is rarely discussed. Dancers are so familiar with feeling warn-down and tired, that we often ignore the symptoms of burnout accepting them as typical and habitual. However burnout carries with it symptoms that are different than those suffered during day-to-day fatigue. One may experience: a loss of strength and technique, upper respiratory infections, menstrual problems, and a higher incidence of injuries. Burnout can also make one feel anxious or depressed. The usual sense of euphoria that happens after the second exercise of dance class is replaced with resentment. One may feel restless and jittery as though she or he is awaiting bad news, but for no reason whatsoever. There is a hollow feeling in the stomach that no amount of green vegetables will cause to mellow. There is good news though. Rest (especially sleep) can help you bounce back from burnout.
How long should you take time off from class and from exercising at the gym? According to research, dancers who have experienced symptoms for a month or more need three to five weeks off to completely recover. (Dance magazine, April 2001) Mild exercise such as walking is sufficient. It is best to ease back into an intense schedule as to avert the possibility of burnout surfacing again. Reducing stress in other ways also helps in the prevention of burnout as well. Some techniques to consider include massage, saunas, whirlpools, yoga and stretch classes (classes that force you to center on your breathing and to facilitate easing the contraction of the large muscle groups), and aromatherapy. A balanced diet will also help in the prevention of fatigue.
Balanced Diet
We all have heard the drill. Eat well so your body can perform at its optimum level. Every dancer in the world who has battled an impossible schedule knows this works in theory, but can be difficult at the best of times especially when one is on the road auditioning. We want to have enough energy to sustain high-energy output, but do not want to consume large quantities of fruits and vegetables because of their gaseous characteristics. It is very important to eat a large breakfast because this sustains the appetite for hours. One simple and very effective breakfast food is oatmeal. It does not cause bloating, and it fills up the tummy without causing that "protruding stomach syndrome" that we all try to avoid on the mornings of important auditions. Having oatmeal in the morning (three hours before class/audition is best) regulates digestion and does not increase insulin production to the point that you will be reaching for the first piece of chocolate you see an hour later.
Milk may produce gas and bloating and should best be avoided on morning open-call auditions. As well, if there is a vocal component to the audition, dairy products cause increased mucus formation and impede singing quality. Skip the cereal and opt for flax seed/ whole-wheat bagels and breads.
If at all possible, try to infuse protein into your diet whenever possible. Protein curbs the appetite, it decreases the craving for carbohydrates, it rejuvenates torn muscle tissue, and in speeds up recovery time when rehearsing for long hours. Protein feeds the brain and therefore complex dance combinations don't seem so overwhelming. It is hard enough to concentrate on intricate footwork and musical phrasing when you are tired: Don't contribute to the difficulty by starving the body and the brain of essential protein.
Stretching
Try stretching out of the dance studio setting. Perhaps try a stretch class in a fitness club where there are no other professional dancers present. The change in tempo and mental set is refreshing. Often in this environment, we can center completely on the anatomical structure instead of a means to an end (visualizing "the dance" all the time). As well, many stretch classes in fitness-club settings offer stretches that compliment many other cross-training disciplines that we as dancers may have forgotten about. Mixing up our stretching repertoire provides a nice refuge and challenges the muscles in new and important ways.
Swimming
A nice form of repose for an aching, over-taxed body is a trip to the pool. Fluid, joint-friendly, non weight-bearing swimming is a nice way to escape the demands of dance class. The methodical repetition of swimming strokes is unlike the fragmented chains of steps that are often performed but once in a dance class. As well, swimming is movement that is not initiated by the feet or the torso. One can feel the length of the body in the horizontal position when swimming vs. trying always to attain the maximum stretch while in the vertical position as in ballet class. Really feeling the stretch through the torso provides vacation for the poor feet. As well, kicking the legs (like when one does the front crawl) utilizes the hamstrings and provides repose for the oft-overused quadriceps. The coordination, timing and phrasing of swimming is different than dancing. As dancers, we are very aware of our breath: While submersed in the water when swimming, the breath is all-important as well. Indulging in breathing in a different way (if nothing else for survival and not drowning in the pool) is a complimentary way of spending time away from a taxing audition or performance schedule.
Dancers take note: Sleep in, feed your body and stretch to combat this grueling time of year.
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