r/BALLET • u/Odd-Cap3751 • 2d ago
Is hip dysplasia relevant for a ballet teacher to know?
I’m an actor taking beginner ballet because dance calls are the bane of my existence and really hinder me in auditions.
I do have hip dysplasia though and am just wondering if this is something the teacher should know or if it’s not useful info for them? I am a yogi so flexibility isn’t an issue, but this is also partly because I have an ED called ehlers danlos which is a connective tissue disorder…. It’s a long story😅 I have zero problem disclosing, I just don’t wanna disclose for them to be like “tmi girl we just met”
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u/Whole-Page3588 2d ago
agree with everyone saying to disclose. I have hypermobility as well and it's something you'll have to approach ballet with very carefully because your mobility probably far exceeds your strength to do movements safely. It also has the added pitfall of turnout and a myriad ways to "cheat" to get a more pleasing line that is easy for hypermobile people to fall into.
In your case, as an adult and an actor (I'm guessing musicals/stage?), I would actually recommend a different form of dance that will teach posture and awareness of your body with out so much ballet-specific technicality.
Contemporary or jazz will teach you strength, basic steps and movements that are closer to what you will encounter for chorus/solo roles in musicals, etc. (If the role calls for ballet, they will use people who have trained in it most of their life, unless you're being doubled for a film--and even then, they still often cast actors with some solid years of training.) Ballet helps other forms of dance, but it's most useful in that case if you have years and a growing body to put it all together.
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u/Odd-Cap3751 1d ago
Thank you! Yea these were also my concerns, just didn’t know if it’s something I need to just be mindful of and keep to myself or if I should also be disclosing with teachers. This comment section definitely helped!
And you’re right! Most people told me to take some ballet and jazz, ballet being the more highly recommended one. I think just to get a base? Not sure. So I’m just doing 10 weeks of ballet now, and then I’ll do 10 weeks of jazz, and probably decide to continue with one or the other and then do drop in tap and other style classes as my wallet allows🥴
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u/Whole-Page3588 1d ago
Totally makes sense. The "base" idea with ballet is sound, but unfortunately, you're not going to be able to pick up enough technique in 10 weeks for a base, but you might learn the names of some steps, so that could be good.
One of the biggest skills during a dance audition is picking up choreography, and that you can practice on your own. Try youtube videos or music videos with dance and see if you can "teach" yourself the steps and follow along by mirroring. Start with something simple and give yourself a tonne of time to figure it out. You'll start to notice a lot of steps are repeated and you can learn some of the more common timings.
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u/anemia_ 2d ago
Omg yes it's important. I'm confused what you're saying about ehler's danlos being and ED bc I have eds too... what does ED stand for in your world?
In ballet for me I have amazing flexibility and the hypermobility is v appreciated by most in the ballet world but sadly I pushed it far as a child bc I didn't know I had eds. I love ballet so I'll never stop but definitely keep your areas of particular pain etc in mind (for me it's def my knees and elbows, and low back) so you don't overwork it.
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u/Odd-Cap3751 1d ago
Okay, thank you! This is what I figured! I do know my body and my limits, but I could also see myself doing something that doesn’t hurt but is still very incorrect, so I realized not having someone there to correct form might actually be dangerous.
EDS are a group of connective tissue disorders. But we also often call eating disorders EDs and admittedly it can get confusing. I also have an eating disorder, and it is in fact annoying 😅
The only other thing I can think of is Erectile Dysfunction? Pretty sure that’s not it though lol
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u/Anon_bunn 2d ago
Ballet instructors aren’t going to be well versed in hip dysplasia unless they have specific personal experience. Your best bet is to talk to a PT about which exercises and movements are helpful/harmful and relay those specifics to the teacher.
Talk about specific muscles, weaknesses, and limitations. Then it’s very relevant.
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u/Sad-Watercress67 2d ago
Dysplasia isn’t something you can just physio exercise away. The teacher needs to know so they don’t ask the student to do something dangerous & know if and why the student can’t do certain things.
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u/Anon_bunn 2d ago
You’ve missed the point. Dance teachers aren’t medical experts, so a student saying I have hip dysplasia is meaningless unless the dance teacher has personal experience. Speaking in terms of specific muscles, specific weaknesses, and specific limitations is meaningful.
You can’t just hand a dance teacher medical diagnosis, and expect that to be sufficient.
Also, you’re blatantly incorrect. Physical therapy is crucial in managing hip dysplasia, so much so that there are physical therapists that specialize in it.
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u/GroverGemmon 2d ago
I think you are both right. A good dance teacher should have some knowledge of anatomy. Hip dysplasia is super common in dancers (often the reason for good turnout and flexibility) and a well trained instructor should know that or have encountered it before. They should be aware of how to make sure are building strength rather than working at the extremes of your flexibility. But working with a PT would also help OT to know their own limits and advocate for themself.
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u/GroverGemmon 19h ago
Also *control* will be your key word. Yes, you might be able to fling your leg well above 90 degrees or turn out 180 or past, but that doesn't mean you are using your muscles to control those movements and maintain stability. You might actually have to work differently from a less flexible dancer who is aiming for more flexibility and range of motion; you might be working to contain your range of motion and engage your muscles throughout each movement.
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u/Fabulous_Log_7030 2d ago
Yes, tell your teacher! There is specific training for people with Ehlers Danlos so you need to do some things differently to protect your joints, especially knees if they hyperextend
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u/Safe_Sand1981 1d ago
My daughter was born with double hip dysplasia and possible EDS inherited from her dad. Her dance teacher says her core strength is so important in her everyday life so she avoids medical related injuries. Dance has been such a help in getting her stronger to prevent injuries. She does ballet, jazz, tap, acro and contemporary, and sees a physio every few months.
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u/Odd-Cap3751 20h ago
Thank you! Good to know! Out of curiosity, was it too late for the brace by the time you found it? Had they already started doing hip dysplasia checks on all newborns yet when she was born? I’m 24, so it wasn’t something all doctors screened for yet when I was born :/
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u/Safe_Sand1981 18h ago
She was born in 2014, they found it at birth. She spent many months in a pavlic harness as a newborn to correct it. It's something that she'll always have to watch with her possible EDS, I'll get her tested when she's older.
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u/yung-grandma 2d ago
YES. You may end up having issues with certain range of motion things. And if dislocations are a concern with your EDS it’s something to pay attention to.
It’s highly likely you won’t have any issues in a beginner class, but letting your teacher know about any known differences in your anatomy should prompt them to check in with you when giving corrections about alignment.