Anything Goes : Dancing with the Stars by Stage 32 Staff - Julie

I think likely more appropriate is to ask if there's a dancer out there who has not had to perform through an injury. Personally, I found dancing with a bronchial infection even more painful than on a broken foot even though the breaks affected my life from thereonout. My husband is a great example of dancing through extreme pain. Cirque du Soleil arranged filming of their "Varekai" show for only two days (as is the norm for any of their touring shows), regardless of illness or injury. As my husband was not only the soloist but the choreographer and captain of his act and wished to represent his country to the utmost, he danced for the shoot even though he had a debilitating injury - the tendon in his left quadracep (thigh) was ripped along with all of the connective muscle and ligament tissue. He had two Cortisone shots which did nothing to alleviate the pain (and if the shots go wrong, can cripple you for life as they did a ballet great/instructor of mine); so, he instead had the thigh wrapped tightly. He was not supposed to be walking at all and could easily have been crippled - in fact, I am certain any other body would have been, after that performance. The entire cast began calling him "hero" thereafter and were a little afraid of him having seen him dance through such unimaginable pain. I cannot watch footage of the Georgian Dance Act from the video because I can see the pain on his face. So, yes, the majority, if not all of us, have had to dance through pain.

As I type this,i am laid up in bed with an old dance injury I have had once in awhile since ........its been years...... that never got officially diagnosed due to my never having instant access to a foot doc when the symptoms were happening..lately if I am honest,it IS happening more frequently,about 3 X a year....sometimes in the other ankle too but mostly my left one..... so I DID get to a clinic here finally. (My left ankle went out on me Sunday Feb 1,after a few miles walking errands and a heavy backpack of groceries,not even from working out,clubbing or rehearsals!),I went to this clinic Wed Feb 4 and spoke with a sports medicine guy who seemed to talk the talk.....but,all he could ascertain so far was,was ,he suspected it is a stress fracture...i tried to describe my pains but the ankle bone hurt me more whe i got (walked!) home than the mostly ball of foot, pain i told the doctor i was having.It is hard to describe..My floors are warped where i live so i'm probably putting my feet through hell just being home! The doctor gave me a scrip for xrays which, I got the same afternoon,,but it is Monday Feb 16,I'm still in a brace (and mostly in bed all day because I am terrified of doing further damage!) I can STILL not get my test results over the phone if you can believe this. (Due to HIPPA laws plus how does a doctor get paid when he is talking on the phone.There are codes for this,it is so complicated now ). I can not get to the doctors, I live in a 2nd floor walkup.Nobody I knowin this little town drives their own car.i don't have crutches or a cane and I cannot seem to get these innercity clinic receptionists and nurses to understand that how else can I get my test results so I can know officially what is wrong.I can NOT rely on my body doing what I know it can always any other time do.What if I book an audition in another city and when it is time my ankle is out again? I know I am not the youngest dancer in the world but I want to be able to do this as long as humanly possible,and it starts with adequate medical care! (and if I were mack in Hollywood at least getting a great sports medicine guy would be a piece of cake!) Anyhow,sorry for the ramble.I am scared not knowing exactly what it is.....this doc felt my hands and said the thumbs have arthritis.......the way I see It, the only time I really need my hands to dance is when I'm breakdancing.....and......gosh I'd love to be able to do that now.......as I love so many styles of dance...... I