Dancers are often told to push through pain, or to ignore it, or that they’re being dramatic. If they tell you they are in pain, it probably means that the pain has become anywhere from a daily nuisance no longer ignorable to unbearable. Especially if your child is still a student, they may need someone to advocate for them with instructors, peers, and doctors.
The culture of the dance world is complex, and therefore so is a dancer’s relationship to injury. You can read more about the relationship between dancer, identity, and injury here
Dance can create a unique reaction to injury that you may not be keyed into if you were not a dancer yourself. Even if you are able to empathize with them, there may be community resources that they may be more open to or may be more helpful to them.
If your child is still a student, your more valuable resource is their instructors. Their teachers have likely been dancing for years, and have seen other students through the same experience. They may have also experienced something similar themselves. Ask them what you can do for your child outside of the classroom.
Recovery is a non-linear process. Setbacks can feel discouraging and hopeless. Dancers are trained to not show pain or discomfort, which can cross over into other areas of their communication styles. Because dance is often an internalized practice they may internalize their recovery process so regular check-ins are important.
Do you have a personal experience with injury or advice that you would like to share? Have a question you would like answered? The Green Room is built on the insights and feedback from dance community members and strives to constantly update our recovery guides and FAQ pages. Leave a line below to let us know a piece of advice that you would like to see added or what question you would like to see answered.