When I walked into the studio for class Friday, I was shocked to find 30 other students when there are usually maybe 15. Five of them were men, which is the most I've ever seen in any of my classes. Many had skills far above the norm for the classes I take, executing double, triple, and even quadruple pirouettes as part of centre exercises.
I asked one of the other class regulars if he knew what was happening he replied, "It's the annual migration."
Apparently there's a short period between the end of summer intensives and the start of fall classes and company rehearsals where advanced students and professional dancers look for opportunities to keep their skills in tune. During this period, local classes swell with these migrating dancers.
In some ways this is inspiring, but it's also a bit depressing. Wednesday evening I'd finally managed a few double pirouettes before class, and was feeling pretty good with my progress. Then I'm sharing the floor with someone who effortlessly spins like a top in perfect balance.
I've also been doing more research on the cause of the pain in my left heel. Previously I'd thought it might be plantar fasciitis, but the symptoms are wrong. Plantar fasciitis typically presents with pain on the underside of the foot, whereas mine is on the lateral aspect of the calcaneus (outer side of the heel bone). These symptoms are more characteristic of peroneal tendonitis. The stresses that result in peroneal tendonitis also map better to what I do with my legs and feet in ballet.
If this was just occasional soreness I'd shrug and say "You're in your 60s and taking four ballet classes a week. You're going to be sore some days." But this is persistent, seemingly worsening, and I'm concerned that it could develop from an inflammation into an injury. I have an audition for another supporting cast role coming up in mid September, and I'd like this to be improving or resolved before then. Thus I've scheduled an appointment with a physical therapist with extensive experience working with ballet dancers. I'm hoping he'll be able to pin down my problem and suggest ways to fix it.
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