Top dancers can make the hardest choreography look effortlessly flawless. It comes with experience and practice. Not forgetting the carefully executed technique that ensures they not only look beautiful while dancing, but they are avoiding injuries as they do so. Before you sign your child up for ballet classes in Singapore, it is important that your child first recognizes the importance of taking care of her body while dancing.

Common Dance Injuries

Dance injuries can occur suddenly, but it can also be due to overuse. As a result, the injury can get progressively worse when it is not addressed in the earlier stages. Chronic problems such as tendonitis can develop from repetitive stress over a long period of time. To name a few, some common injuries include ankle sprains or strains, snapping hip and arthritis in the knee, hip, ankle and foot. Sometimes, what seems like an ankle sprain may actually be a fracture in the bone. When an injury occurs, while pain relievers and application of ice packs may help, they are not a long-term solution. If the pain in her leg persists, for example, it is important to get a doctor to access the condition.

 Dance schools in Singapore

But as the age-old adage goes, it is always better to be safe than sorry. To prevent our kids from experiencing the pain of dance injuries, here are five ways that parents can help with as your child embarks on her dance journey:

• Check if the ballet shoes fit your child well before purchasing them. Not wearing the correct size will not only feel uncomfortable and painful, but they may also increase your child’s risk of falls when she dances. Tight-fitting shoes can put too much pressure on the toes and particularly for ballerinas who have to dance on pointe, that can be damaging to the feet. Likewise, when the shoes are too loose, there is lesser grip and can also cause corns and calluses to form on her feet.
• Eat well. With good nutrition, that is half the battle won. In order to perform at her best, your child will need a good balance of protein and carbohydrates in her diet for optimal bone health and muscle growth. Don’t forget to put a bottle of water in her bag before she goes for class so that she can hydrate herself well in between lessons.
• Remind her to always stretch before dancing.When your child warms up before practice, this prepares the body for the activity that follows next. Stretching is, in fact, a key part of injury prevention. It can be easy to forget to stretch and even when your child does, she may not be doing it properly. As such, reiterating the need to stretch correctly will help. To make it fun and enjoyable, you can also stretch with her on a regular basis. Your little dancer will definitely love it!
• Prevent overtraining. As parents, we know how excited and enthusiastic children can be when they are first trying out something new. Especially when they are passionate about it, it can get out of control. In the case of ballet, they can keep doing the same dance over and over again as they are determined to perfect it. But the repetitive movements can overwork her joints and muscles, doing her more harm than good. When she is at home and not in lessons, this is the best time to let her body rest and rebuild itself. It is thus important to stop her when necessary to avoid any injuries.

Besides these four ways, ensuring that your child is executing the correct technique is also crucial. It is thus necessary that the dance teacher teaches your child the right techniques and ensure that she maintains them. Here at Dancepointe, every child gets the best out of each lesson under our instructors.

Designed and conceptualized by our Founder & Artistic Director, Ms. Lena Foo, all our studios are equipped with sprung floors and Harlequin dance mats to provide a safe learning environment. If you are a parent who is planning to sign your child up for a ballet course in Singapore, Dancepointe might just be the academy you are looking for. We have 14 state-of-the-art schools serving the Alexandra, Bishan,Buangkok, Bukit Panjang, Jurong, Pasir Ris, Punggol, Seng Kang, Sembawang, Seletar, Yio Chu Kang, Tampines and Yishun residents. If you are living near us, sign your child up and watch her grow beautifully and healthily as a ballerina.