Dancing through adolescence.

It is interesting how the demands of dance have changed dramatically over the years. The dancers that Degas painted look quite plump by today's standards. With the increasing complexity of pointe work, where the dancer has to literally balance her whole body weight on the tips of her toes, it is understandable why female dancers have had to become slimmer. Pas de deux has also changed, from the man merely acting as a support to the ballerina, to lifting her above his head, sometimes even on one hand. Choreographers such as Balanchine have introduced the concept of abstract works, contrasting with the traditional full length ballet classics. In these more contemporary works there is often more emphasis on the body's lines than recounting a story, and more than just a purely classical technique is required. The body is often pushed to its extreme to produce the most dramatic eVect: in addition to being an artist, the dancer now has to be an athlete. With this evolution of dance, dancers now have to start training seriously at an earlier age, which raises specific issues on training during adolescence. A retired dancer will not automatically be a good teacher. Teachers must be increasingly mindful of the growing bodies of their expanding numbers of young pupils in order to avoid injury. This applies both to girls who are dancing after school and those attending full time dance schools. The Royal Academy of Dancing runs degree courses for teachers: both students and retired dancers who now wish to teach. Certainly the dance profession is very aware of the importance of optimising dancers' health and preventing injury, as seen with the Healthier Dancer Programme initiated by Dance UK and the recent National Inquiry into Dancers' Health. 1 One concern is that young dancers may eat a poor diet in order to try to be slim. In a culture where girls strive to emulate slender models, this may be exaggerated in dancers , as slenderness is a positive career strategy in terms of technical ability: it is easier to balance a body of 8 stone on pointe rather than one of 10 stone, and it is also easier for a male dancer to lift a lighter dancer. Aesthetically, slenderness is also an advantage, as dance is a visual art form and it is more pleasing to see corps of swans with a uniform slim physique. One …