Balletic horrors

[sawyl]

Today's Guardian featured an arts item on the injuries and agonies ballet dancers routinely put up with. After reading some of the accounts, I wondered if they hadn't misplaced the article and that perhaps it might have been better off as one of their, "Is it ethical too..." series. Some of the accounts were pretty horrifying.

I broke a metatarsal on stage once. I was performing a solo and heard this crack. I didn't realise I'd broken it at the time, because you're used to taking pain. I also get soft corns - little bits of hard skin between your toes. They're agony when you're on stage

And:

I broke my left big toe playing Benvolio at the Royal Opera House. The floor cloth was full of holes, and I got my toe stuck in one. That didn't heal for 18 months. When they opened it up they found some bone fragments that were aggravating it. The four-inch scar on my left leg is from an operation on my achilles tendon. I've broken one of my right toes, too

It certainly puts my running blisters into perspective...

Comments

[drspleen.livejournal.com]

such violence. no more ballet for you.

[sawyl.livejournal.com]

No, I'm a fragile, delicate soul who needs to be wrapped in cotton wool, not a macho ballet dancer living on nurofen, furniture polish and corn plasters...