Finally Started Irish Dancing

[Meryat]

I've finally started Irish dancing. One of the student groups at my school has an arrangement with a local teacher, and we do lessons with her once a week. It's wonderful. I've wanted to do Irish dancing for ages, but I've never had the opportunity to do so.

The only downside is that I seem to have done something odd to my left foot. The joint where the big toe hooks on was sore after the first lesson last week up through my second lesson last night. During the lesson, once I started dancing, I noticed it stopped hurting, but it's back to being sore now. Does anyone have any ideas on how I can remedy that?

[talleyrand]

Stretching perhaps? Clench and unclench your toes before you put on your ghillies. Maybe grab the toes as a single unit and push and pull them so they hit their full range of motion. Stand so the feet are flat on the ground and then raise up on one leg so it stretches. The goal is to keep the toes flat on the one leg and to pivot on the joint where the toes meet the foot. Hard to describe but it feels like it stetches that joint to me.

Other things to do would be just general leg and ankle stretchings. Make circles with your feet, stand a few feet away from a wall and lean forward to stetch the calves, lower yourself off the edges of steps one leg at a time with just the toes supporting you. I do lots of things like that to stretch out before class. You might also check with your instructor, see if s/he has any thoughts. The other thing I'd say beyond congratulations on getting out there is that you will be sore for some time as you develop muscles you didn't know you had.

As always, be sure to check with your doctor and to stop if you feel any sharp or sticking pains.

[Meryat]

I did pointe for a number of years, so I'm at least familiar with some of the more general methods of stretching and such. (I could have kicked myself for having forgotten to stretch out my calves after the first lesson. I did pointe for at least half a dozen years; I should know better.)

I suspect that there's just some muscles I'm not used to using right there, especially since there's a lot less soreness now than there was a day after the first lesson. I just know that sometimes the people in a field know some more specialized stretches, so I thought I'd ask.

[Rindy]

Meryat congratulations on dancing. How fun...keep us posted on how its going..

Hi talleyrand- hope all is well with you..


Slainte

[Irish Stepper]

Hey Meryat. That's great that you've been able to start lessons. Beware though...it's addictive! As for the toe pain, it's not uncommon. Most people don't walk around on their toes, but in Irish Dance you're always on demi-pointe. It's probably just a muscle strain from being over extended. Try not to go up too high on your toes until you build up the muscles again. A good exercise for your toes and shins is to take a thin piece of satin or silk...like a scarf...and put it on the floor. Put your feet on top of it and use your toes to scrunch it up under them. That was recommended in an irish dance training video I have. Of course I don't do the exercises anywhere near as often as I should.

[talleyrand]

Not to thread-jack but since Rindy asked, I thought I'd throw out a link to one of the photographers that was out at the KC Ren Fest. We were out there 8-10 October this year and had a blast as always. Our group goes from that picture until you meet the Royal Sissies or whatever term they call the Queen's men-in-waiting, probably about 10 or so pics. My friends kept giggling about how swishy my kilt was but I didn't realize just how swishy it was until I saw these pics. Good thing I'm not one to get embarassed.

Otherwise, things are good but busy. Performance-wise, dance is winding down but we still have plenty of classes to keep me in shape so that's good. Work has kept me far too busy for the past month or so but I suppose it better to have work to do than none at all. Thanks for thinking about me. Hope all is well with you and everyone here.

[Rindy]

Hi stepper!

talleyrand-swishy or not you look mighty fine! Looks like so much fun..

Keep up the good dancin

Slainte

[wicwisworhun]

well good on ya
i just dance like i am prosessed and well a wild scots man in a plaide

to all keep it tribal

[Meryat]

I performed in public for the first time this past Saturday with some other girls from my college's gaelic society. Of the three of us dancing, I was the only one who hadn't been doing so for at least a year.

It was a great deal of fun, despite my being a bit nervous because an ankle injury had kept me from dancing for almost three weeks beforehand.

I'm glad to be back to dancing after having not been able to hop or jump in one class and not being able to attend the next. Celtic music has always stirred my soul, and having steps to put to the music is even better.