Sometimes in the life of a professional dancer, you have to step back, analyze the situation and recognize your limits. This has been that kind of week for me.

There is something with my foot that its not quite right, hopefully just an inflammation, but i have had pain for two weeks now. It could be a lot worst, I could be seriously injured and be off, but the middle term is also not as easy as it sounds.

As a professional, its up to me to know how far I can go without hurting myself even further and sometimes its hard to know when to stop. We are trained from a young age to push our limits, and most of the time that means working with pain. It may sound strange but pain is almost like a friend sometimes. Whether its sore muscles, stiff joints or a blister, pain is a part of my everyday life, you learn how to feel it and move on so, most of the time you ignore the signs that it could be something serious.

And that’s how i learned to stop. A dancers worst nightmare is time off due to injury, so slowly, as I get older I am learning to read my body and respect it a bit more. It’s hard! This week I wanted to work very hard, we had a great guest teacher and I just felt like sweating! I had a great mindset, but my body was saying no. So I took a step back and instead of doing the things that hurt me I used my energy at the treatment center that has almost become my second home.

  
Maybe I am growing up after all….

By Life Between Lines.