Massage and the Dancer

Sore back? Painful plantar fasciitis? Tired legs? Sounds like you’ve been dancing! These, among many others, are all common issues that dancers of all kinds (professional, amateur and everyone in between) deal with when they spend time in the studio. Whether you want to feed your soul or to get in better shape, your body is sure to feel the effects of your craft. You stretch, you work on core strength, and you take Epsom salt baths, yet some aches and pains persist. So where do you turn to find relief so you can continue to cha cha to your heart’s content? One word: bodywork.

Massage Therapy, while becoming more mainstream in our society as a legitimate tool in self-care, still struggles with the stigma of being frivolous. Many people continue to view massage as a way to “pamper” themselves, rather than as an important way to maintain healthy musculature, manage pain, and improve overall health. You might “indulge” once or twice a year and go to the spa. Perhaps you are having a hard time justifying spending the time and money on regular bodywork. Perhaps you still think of massage simply as a way to relax. Are massages relaxing? Certainly. Do your muscles NEED to be relaxed? Absolutely!!! Being both a long-time dancer and a licensed massage therapist, I have an insider’s perspective on how vital it is that those who dance incorporate massage into their regular health care routine.

Regardless of how cliché as it sounds, as a dancer you know that your body is your instrument. It is the tool with which you express yourself. So, to belabor the metaphor, let’s imagine your body as an actual musical instrument: a guitar. Your strings need to be properly positioned in order to play your tune. If they are in the wrong position you will not be able to produce the sound you desire; the tone will be thin and poor at best and it can even put stress and strain on the wood of the guitar, thus warping the wood (sometimes irreparably). All it takes is some regular realignment and fine-tuning of these strings to get you playing the way you want (and need) to. Naturally, in this scenario, your muscles are your guitar strings; they require constant attention and realignment in order to keep your body functioning at an optimal level. By assuring that your muscles are where they are supposed to be, your body can better cope with the strain that dance can put upon them. And that makes for not only better but more comfortable movement. Want more comfortable and effortless movement? Every dancer does. So be a fool for dancing, but don’t be a dancing fool: get that massage!

To break it down, here is a list of some of the myriad benefits you can expect from regular bodywork:

·        Relief of muscular and myofascial tension and stiffness

·        Improved circulation of blood and the lymphatic system

·        Increase in range of motion and flexibility in joints

·        Promotion of tissue regeneration and reduction of scar tissue

·        Lessening of anxiety, depression and general stress

·        Heightened immune system

·        Release of endorphins (the natural pain reliever of the body) and oxytocin

·        Relief of migraine and tension headaches and fibromyalgia

·        Reduction of swelling

·        Improvement of posture

·        Lowering of blood pressure

·        Enhancement of injury and/or post-operative rehabilitation

In today’s fast-paced society, we want results NOW. And in a perfect world, you could get a massage once and all your aches and pains would be cured. However, our bodies don’t cooperate with this “one-and-done” mentality. Constant stressors on both the mind and body continuously add tension to your muscles and it takes effort to combat the effects. You wouldn’t brush your teeth once every six months and expect to maintain good oral hygiene, right? Of course not! The same is true of your muscular system, especially when you engage in such vigorous use of it like you do when you dance. As a massage therapist, one of the most common questions I get asked is, “How often should I get a massage?” My answer is always the same: “As often as your pocketbook allows!” The truth is, there is no hard and fast answer to this question. Many variables factor into how often you should get bodywork. Do you have any injuries, chronic or acute? How is your nutrition? What is your exercise regime? How is your general health? And yes, the taboo question of your age plays a part in this as well. The hard fact is that the older we get, the more care we need to give our muscles. At the age of 41, my body simply doesn’t respond the way it did when I was in my twenties; I have to work a little harder to do things that came effortlessly when I was younger. I marvel at some of the feats I was capable of in my heyday as a dancer that seem next to impossible these days! However, receiving regular bodywork is one way I make sure that my body is working at maximum capacity so that I can continue to do what I love: dance! There is absolutely no reason I can’t dance my way into my eighties and beyond! It just takes more effort on my part to make that possible. Massage is a vital part of that self-care.

So continue to work on your frame, your footwork and your styling. Take that group class, that private lesson and that workshop. Go to the club, participate in a fun dance outing and sign up for that competition you’ve been dreaming about. Dance to your heart’s content! And then do yourself a favor and book a massage. Your partner, your instructor and (most importantly) your body will thank you. 

Contributed by Rebecca Ash

Cross-Training

A client recently asked me why a group of people take classes in a dance style they very rarely use. Why learn Rumba if you dance primarily Country Western?

Many of us start out dancing for the social aspects. We forget that it is also a sport in that it requires movement, coordination and muscle memory. After gaining experience and training, some students come to appreciate dance for its beauty and welcome the challenge of becoming better dancers but often stick to a favored style.

I explained that the concepts of connection, partnering, and movement technique are universal in dance. There are certainly differences in dance character, rhythm, patterns, etc., but all move in partnership through time and space.

Cross-Training came to mind. I became a better Smooth dancer because I also studied Rhythm and Latin. Cross-training refers to an athlete training in sports other than the one that the athlete competes in, with a goal of improving overall performance. It takes advantage of the particular effectiveness of each training method, while at the same time attempting to negate the shortcomings of that method by combining it with other methods that address its weaknesses. Bottom line – it's about balance. When you are performing the same movements all the time you are using the same muscles. This puts you at risk for a repetitive injury and it also creates an imbalance. Just like incorporating activities into your routine that work different muscle groups (adding a cardio aspect to weight training for example) improve your overall fitness level, incorporating different dance styles improve your overall technique. I feel my partner, I feel the floor more, I have developed an awareness of how my every physical action affects my partner, and vice versa. My proficiency of any particular dance was very much augmented by the training of another dance, and I would encourage students of any dance to follow my lead.

Becoming A Project Of Success

When we move forward, the iliopsoas (a muscle consisting of the iliacus and psoas major muscles) and other hip flexors contract, causing a forward leg swing until the foot hits a surface.  You basically fall on that foot and repeat the action with the other leg creating locomotion, otherwise known as…walking.  Our bodies are designed to be very efficient with this ambulation as we fall forward on our heels and roll through to the toes.

Walking differs from dancing in many ways. There are no accidental steps in dancing. There is an exact foot placement and exact amount of turn. Combined with many more physical actions, one can create graceful movement through time and space in partnership with another. Many muscle groups and work are involved throughout the body to execute dance steps while maintaining a frame and connection with a partner. A student of dance may dutifully show up for instruction and practice dance figures, yet fail to work on the most important aspect of partnering, motion, and balance…themself! 

We can’t change the natural laws of our universe. Gravity and energy are always going to influence our movement. We must, therefore, become aware of our physical weaknesses and then pursue a form of training that generates correction. Sometimes achieving better balance can be as simple as more rotation in the upper torso or a shift of head weight. Sometimes a personal compensatory action is employed or a mental strategy involving analogies might create the desired result. Sometimes there is a limited range of motion, or lack of flexibility, strength, or endurance. If "it" is preventing us from dancing at a higher level, it doesn’t really matter whether it originates from an old injury or some under-developed muscle. As a dance instructor, I teach the patterns and rhythm of a particular dance, the necessary technique, and the lead/follow aspects of partnering.  It is important for me to also identify the physical issues preventing precise movement and balance and coach my students in corrective exercises.

I walk the walk with regular chiropractic care and massage therapy to not only ensure wellness, but to enable me to perform my job of dancing and coaching. I find that I must endure the sometimes painful exercise of foam rolling my iliotibial (IT) bands to maintain muscle elasticity and range of motion and flexibility. I must also perform exercises to maintain my muscle strength, particularly around weakened or injured joints. Essentially, I am a never-ending project so that I can continue to do the job I most enjoy–– instructing dance. I encourage my students to do the same, which will help them achieve better movement in addition to a healthier lifestyle. Fitness is a necessity in dance. Stronger core and leg muscles together with increased flexibility will result in more control of our movement, i.e. better dancing! So the next time you trip off a step or stumble into a room, remember that to dance is not just an accidental walk in the park.