How to Break In New Pointe Shoes

I just uploaded another requested YouTube video!  Several people have asked me for tips on how to break in their new pointe shoes, so I made a video to help you out.  Click the link below to watch!

I hope you've had a great weekend!

Love,
Clarissa May



Find me on Social Media:
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FAQ: How Have I Improved so fast?

A lot of people have been asking me how I have improved so fast, having only danced 1 1/2 years.  This is actually a very interesting question.  Many people have said it seems impossible to have improved as quickly as I have, and I absolutely agree!  

I think there are several factors that helped me pick everything back up as quickly as I have.  First of all, I had a solid foundation when I was young.  I was very young, but it still helped to have the foundation of ballet in my muscle memory when I was coming back.  During the years that I wasn’t dancing, I still kept the artistic part of my brain alive, through other forms of art.  I started playing piano, and had time to draw, sing, sculpt, and write two novels.  Keeping the artistic side of my brain active was a huge part of being able to come back to ballet so quickly.

The Riggs Institute has an interesting article on the young child’s ability to learn.  A quote from this article is applicable to my rapid improvement upon coming back to dance: 

"Once a child has learned an instrument, he or she can stop playing, then pick up the instrument 20 years later and do much better than an adult just starting out."  

This quote also applies to other skills that a child may learn, including dancing.  You can read the whole article here: http://www.riggsinst.org/brainpower.aspx

Picking up piano had a huge impact on my ability to hear the music, and adapt to unusual rhythms while dancing.  The National Institute of Health says:

“...musicians offer an excellent human model for studying the brain effects of acquiring specialized sensorimotor skills.  We argue that training of this neural network may produce cross-modal effects on other behavioral or cognitive operations that draw on this network. This may explain some of the sensorimotor and cognitive enhancements that have been associated with music training.”

This quote explains how learning piano in my years off may have enhanced my ability to re-learn ballet so quickly.  You can read the rest of the article here: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2996135/

It was very hard to come back to dance after a severe concussion, with no muscle left thanks to Anorexia. I had digested some of my heart and lung muscles, so those were the first things I had to build back, before I could even think about building a dancer’s body.  My teacher thought I was a hunchback when I first started dancing again, because my body had absorbed all my back muscles when I was Anorexic... I couldn’t even stand straight!

I still have days where I look in the mirror and can only see how far I have to go, not how far I have come.  Looking back on the past year and a half, it is truly a miracle how far I have come in such little time.  Just two and a half years ago, I was one meal away from being rushed to the hospital.  For four years, I dreamt about dancing almost every night, and always woke up crying.  I still have an overwhelming amount of work to do, but I am so grateful to have improved as quickly as I have, and so honored to be able to inspire people!

I hope you all are having a wonderful weekend!  Happy Spring!

Love,

Clarissa May

Find me on Social Media:
Youtube: Live On Pointe & Clarissa May
Instagram: @clarissamay
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Twitter: @clarissamay09

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How to do a Ballet Bun

Hey everybody!  Happy Easter!  I hope you are all having a fabulous weekend!

Some of my followers on Instagram have been contacting me to ask for tips on how to make the perfect, whispy-free bun for performances.  So, I donated my one bun-free day of the week to make and post a video showing you how to make sure your bun is flat, tight, and slick.  Here are 7 most important tips I always follow when making my bun:

Tip #1: Start off with wet/moist hair.

Tip #2: Use a fine-toothed comb to make your ponytail.  This minimizes bumps.

Tip #3: Comb back bumps (using your fine-toothed comb) while your hair is still in a ponytail, before you pin it up into a bun.  That way, the bumps wind up hidden under your bun.

Tip #4: Divide your hair into two sections, and pin them up individually.  This creates a flatter bun. (I show this in more detail in my video)

Tip #5: Use extra hairspray to slick up whispies under your bun, for the illusion of a longer, slimmer neck.

Tip #6: Use your spare time to practice and perfect the art of the ballet bun!

Tip #7: Accessories can always fix up a lopsided bun!  If your bun is off to one side, you can pin a bow or flower on the other side to balance it.

Did you know that long earrings can help give the illusion of a longer neck?  I always wear dangly earrings to class.  Be sure to check that your studio allows long earrings before doing the same!

Watch the video, leave me feedback in the comments, and be sure to subscribe!

Love,

Clarissa May

Find me on Social Media:
Youtube: Live On Pointe & Clarissa May
Instagram: @clarissamay
Facebook: Live On Pointe
Twitter: @clarissamay09

Questions or suggestions?  Email liveonpointe@gmail.com!

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Pointers for Pointe

Several people have been asking me for tips on how to prepare for pointe work, and how to strengthen your feet once you are en pointe.

When I first started dancing after my Anorexia and concussion, I was really far behind all the other girls my age.  All the other 13-year-olds were busy with pointe work and variations, and I didn't have my splits, and didn't even know all the names of the steps!  I was determined to catch up to my peers, so I stretched everyday, and did a ton of exercises to strengthen my weak feet.  In only 2 months, I was en pointe!  I still stretch and strengthen my feet every day, using the same exercises I did when I was first starting out.

Relevés are the most simple, yet most effective foot-strengthening exercise.  Whenever you have a moment, do some relevés.  As part of your daily stretching, do 32 relevés first on both feet, then 32 on the right and left feet separately.  If you still don't feel the burn in your calves, keep going until you do! It is amazing how much this will improve your demi pointe and pointe work!

My go-to strengthening tool is my heavy weight Theraband!  If you don't already have a Theraband, it is a great long-term investment in the strength of your feet.  It can be used to strengthen other parts of your body as well!  Therabands come in different resistant strengths, and can be purchased using one of the links below.

Medium Weight
Heavy Weight
Super Heavy Weight

Therabands are great for many different exercises.  The simplest is just pointing and flexing.  Make sure to extend through your ankle into full demi pointe, then press slowly through your toes, and use resistance when coming back to demi pointe, then to a flexed position.

To create mobility and strength in the ankle joint, draw the alphabet with the Theraband over the ball of your foot.  Be sure to move your ankle through its whole range of mobility, and make each letter slow and controlled.

Another simple but effective exercise to create mobility and strength in the ankle is simple ankle circles, with the Theraband over the ball of the foot.  Do 30 clock-wise, and 30 counter-clock-wise on each foot.

In your everyday classes, be sure to focus on working through your feet in every movement, especially the simple tendus and jetés in the beginning of class.  Teachers and directors are not looking for perfect banana feet… they are looking at the quality of your footwork, how high and lifted your demi pointe is, and the way you work through your pointe shoes.

If you only have time to add one exercise to your daily schedule, add some simple one-legged releves on each foot.  This was the main exercise I did when preparing for pointe work, and it will make a huge difference in the strength and shape of your feet (and how soon you get your pointe shoes!)

Here is an interesting article on the importance of relevés: http://balletpages.blogspot.com/2011/07/if-i-could-only-add-one-exercise-to.html?

If you are looking for more help with the strength of your feet, turnout, and core stability (all necessary to begin and/or excel at pointe work) this book is a great resource to help: Perfect Pointe Book

Here are a few helpful videos of strengthening exercises:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QY5FW9BPbBg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-J4945XQG7s

Also, you might consider investing in a foot stretcher.  I own both the Ballet Foot Stretch, and the Pro Arch, and they are great for gaining flexibility in the arch, ankle and metatarsal area.  However, you have to be extremely cautious when using a foot stretcher.  It is very easy to over-stretch your feet and ultimately injure yourself if you do not follow the accompanying directions. Always use foot stretchers with caution, while warmed up.

You can purchase the Ballet Foot Stretch HERE, and the Pro Arch HERE.

Thanks for reading, and good luck in your journey towards and through pointe work!

Love,

Clarissa May

Clarissa May

Find me on Social Media:
Youtube: Live On Pointe & Clarissa May
Instagram: @clarissamay
Facebook: Live On Pointe
Twitter: @clarissamay09

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How to Improve Turnout for Ballet

Ever since I posted this photo on Instagram, people have been asking me for turnout tips!  To help you guys out, I decided to make a video of all the stretches and exercises I do for turnout.  Always remember to stretch when warm, and stretch everyday to see improvement.  I hope this helps… feel free to leave suggestions!

Love,

Clarissa May

Clarissa May

Find me on Social Media:
Youtube: Live On Pointe & Clarissa May
Instagram: @clarissamay
Facebook: Live On Pointe
Twitter: @clarissamay09

Injuries

Injuries are hard for any athlete, but especially dancers.  We are used to pushing through pain, and it is easy to ignore a serious problem and keep pushing through.

Up until this past February, I had never been seriously injured.  But when I switched studios, I was suddenly dancing ten more hours a week, and pushing myself extra hard to prepare for Youth America Grand Prix.  About four weeks before the competition weekend, my right hamstring started bothering me.  At first I ignored it, but the pain worsened until it was bad enough to force me to skip a week of classes.

I was visiting the chiropractor almost every day to combat the pain, but when I finally started visiting the acupuncturist, the pain decreased.  I was able to slowly come back to dance, and within 4 days of my first acupuncture appointment, my develope was up by my ear again, pain-free!  Several weeks later, I was able to successfully compete at YAGP, by learning where my limits are, and how to work around an injury.  I often wonder if injuries are to teach us lessons.  Perhaps an injury to your right foot is to make you focus more on the left.  I know each of my injuries has taught me something.

When recovering from an injury, you have to be extremely careful.  Make sure you have your doctor's okay before resuming classes, and ease yourself back into your schedule.  Take extra time to warm up before class, and only gently stretch when you are completely warmed up.  Also, be sure to drink plenty of water to speed up recovery, and flush out any toxins your body produces while repairing.

It is also important to make sure you are seeing the right specialists.  I regularly visit the chiropractor, to keep my body in alignment.  Visiting the acupuncturist was a turning point in my hamstring injury.  Acupuncture can be an amazing way to bring blood and healing to the injured area, relax tight, gripping muscles, and get your body back into balance.  My friends' s tendonitis disappeared within hours of her first acupuncture appointment.  If it weren't for my acupuncturist,  I would not have been able to compete in YAGP.   Many of my friends are scared of needles, but still visit the acupuncturist.  A dancer will do anything for their art!

Sometimes when I have to take time off from dance,  I start to go a little stir-crazy. When a dancer isn't dancing, even just a week can feel like an eternity!  Being forced to take weeks, or even months off can be extremely hard.  It is important to keep in touch with your creative side whenever you take time off.  I love to draw and write when I am not dancing.  Some of my friends love to sew.  Others love photography.  Try to find something you love to do.  If you know what to do with your free time, you won't find too many moments to sit and over-think things.  Also, don't watch too much TV.  Sometimes it can be a nice distraction,  but it's never good to lie in bed at night wondering how you didn't do anything constructive all day.

If you can, don't forget to exercise and stretch your feet and legs (gently and carefully, with your doctor's approval).  Try to work your upper body as well.  Plank is very good to maintain core stability, and back lifts are good to maintain your arabesque strength.  Remember not to push yourself when taking time off... now is not the time to finally gain those extra 2 inches in your oversplits.  Your body is your instrument - treat it kindly.

When I am injured, I like to watch class.  It is amazing how much you can learn just by watching!  I always like to bring a notebook to jot down the teacher's corrections.  If there are dancers in class with gorgeous lines, I like to study what makes their lines so beautiful.  Is it the way they present their turnout?  Is it the way they grow in each position?  Not everything is spelled out by the way your body is built.  It is much easier to improve things in yourself when you have had a chance to study examples.

On top of everything, always remember that an injury is not the end of the world.  All professional dancers have worked through multiple injuries, with plenty of tears along the way.  Being injured is just a step in a dancer's journey.  Sometimes steps in life can be difficult, but that doesn't mean you can't continue forward.

Live on pointe, and never stop dancing!

Love,

Clarissa May

Clarissa May

Clarissa May

Clarissa May

Find me on Social Media:
Youtube: Live On Pointe & Clarissa May
Instagram: @clarissamay
Facebook: Live On Pointe
Twitter: @clarissamay09

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My Story

My name is Clarissa May, and I am a dancer, dreamer, and survivor of a severe concussion and Anorexia Nervosa.  This is my story...

I began dancing in 2005 at the age of four.  My mom put me in my first ballet class because I wouldn't stop pirouetting around the house.  I loved it, and kept dancing from that moment onwards.  As the years passed by, my schedule's intensity increased, until I was dancing 20 hours a week at the studio, when I was only 8.  I soon became my Russian teachers' favorite, which was a blessing and a curse.  The other girls in my level, who were mostly at least a year older, became jealous, and started to bully me outside of the classroom.  I hid in the bathroom at breaks, and started to get chronic stomachaches from the stress.  My schoolwork began to slip by the wayside, along with everything else outside of dance.  The car rides to and from dance began to fill with lectures on my unfinished schoolwork, and our family life began to deteriorate.  I was cast in the lead roll of Dorothy in the spring recital of 2009, but as the rehearsals progressed, the situation at home worsened.  

Age 8, stretching at PCAD

After the show, my mom pulled me out of ballet. She felt the environment at my studio was not emotionally healthy for me, and that I needed to explore other options and interests before continuing my then-current level of commitment to dance. Additionally, I would have been en pointe at age 9, which was not something my parents felt good about. So my mom gave me 6 months to see if I could be happy without dance. 

Eight months later, in February of 2010, I was still terribly missing dance.  I discovered fencing, which I greatly enjoyed. Unfortunately, in March I had a series of blows to the head (2 to the chin in fencing warm up, and one very hard hit to the top of the head getting in to the car - so hard my mom thought we’d had an earthquake as she was loading up the car). These knocks to the head occurred 2 weeks apart, and the morning after the last one I woke up with flu like symptoms. Two days later I had a seizure. Over the next 2 weeks it became apparent that I was suffering from a massive concussion with gradual onset - similar to “boxer syndrome” or a football player’s cumulative injuries. The CT scan showed no bleeding, and I could still spell 3 letter words backwards, so the doctors all said I was fine - despite the fact that I could not so much as look at a book or travel in the car or make a choice between 2 different bathing suits without dizziness, headache, and anxiety attacks. I spent the next few months visiting doctors and natural healers, and lying on the couch with my eyes closed, listening to books on tape while my mom surfed the Internet, trying to figure out what was wrong with me….

Ultimately, my mom was able to piece together that I had injured my hypothalamus, which is located just above the sinus cavity and acts as command central for a myriad of brain functions, ranging from hunger and thirst signals to stress response, body temperature control, blood pressure, heart rate, and hormonal function.

The hypothalamus helps control the pituitary gland, particularly in response to stress. The pituitary, in turn, controls the:

• Adrenal glands 
• hormonal production 
• Thyroid gland
• The hypothalamus also helps regulate:
  

• Body temperature
  
• Emotions
  
• Growth
  
• Salt and water balance
  
• Sleep
  
• Weight and appetite
  
  In addition, there are some areas immediately surrounding the hypothalamus which appeared to be impacted as well. These areas control decision making and vision, so I had chronic dizziness and full blown anxiety attacks (including uncontrollable trembling in the legs, racing heart rate, and fear of dying in my sleep) every time I had to make a simple decision between 2 things such as what I wanted for dinner or which bathing suit to wear; and I could not look at a book, a television screen or a computer without developing dizziness and headaches. I was unable to control my body temperature, and reacted to being in a slightly overheated environment for more than a minute by having a full blown anxiety attack (with all the physical symptoms including fear I was dying) and then sleeping for several days at a stretch.
  After several weeks my mom started her own rehabilitation program for me, which consisted in part of looking at picture books for brief periods of time, and going for walks when the weather was cool. After a few months I was able to participate in "normal" activities so long as I did not over exert myself (no running, no jumping, no balls flying through the air) and did not stay in the sun or in a space warmer than 72*. The most alarming latent symptom was the inability to control my temperature - my mom did not yet realize the severity of the problem with my hunger signals. I took up swimming until it became apparent that I had also developed multiple chemical sensitivities and could not tolerate chlorine.

A year passed, with gradual improvement in overall symptoms, but it still was very apparent that my brain had not fully recovered, and my family often wondered if I would ever be my old self again. In the summer of 2011 I became alarmingly thin and refused to increase her caloric intake accordingly. In September I had gastro-paralysis from an upset stomach, and developed full blown Anorexia Nervosa almost overnight. I lost a lb a day for a week, until I was 70 lbs with a BMI of 13, and for several days I was eating less than 500 calories a day.  I am a girl who needs 3-4,000 calories a day to maintain my current weight, and at the time required over 4,000 calories a day. Looking back, we think what happened is that my caloric needs were sky-rocketing in anticipation of 11-year-old growth spurts, but without hunger signals I just kept eating what looked to me like a normal amount of food. 
Anyway, we were back to daily visits to the doctor, acupuncturist, chiropractor and masseuse, and by Christmas I was "out of the woods," which meant I was only seeing the doctor once a week instead of once a day, my family had to spend only 3 hours a day supervising my eating (instead of 6), and I was no longer living one meal away from a feeding tube. At this point I was at 75 lbs (yes, it took me 3 months to gain 5 lbs; every 2 oz was a victory!) and had grown another 4 inches since I started eating again (which meant my BMI was still dangerously low, but at least I was eating and growing). Fortunately my family (and God!) were able to get me well without ever admitting me to a hospital or ED clinic.

At my lowest weight, BMI 13

Here is the crazy, God part of the anorexia.... my mom learned later, after she noticed that the symptoms of my brain injury were finally improving, that a high fat diet causes growth specifically in the hypothalamus! My mom had spent the past 9 months pouring coconut oil, olive oil, flaxseed oil and grape seed oil on my food by the tablespoon, so ultimately, while the head injury lead to the anorexia, the anorexia cured the head injury!!! We are still convinced this was a miracle.

In August of 2012, my mom finally realized I was waking up crying several times a week after a recurrent dream that I was dancing on stage, only to wake up and realize it would never happen. Although she was very hesitant to have dance take over our family and our lives again, she saw that I would never be happy until I could dance again. With the brain injury healed, it was finally an option. 

In late August 2012 we chose a low-key dance studio to get me back on my feet and see how I felt about it. Foolishly, my mom thought perhaps I would just take it up as a minor hobby, but it quickly became apparent that was naive of her! After 2 months, my teachers said I was ready for pointe work, and less than a month later it became obvious to all of us that PBC had little more to offer me, training-wise.

I felt very strongly about returning to my old Russian teachers from when I was younger, who had separated from the studio and formed their own studio.  Although my mom was not overly excited about the prospect, she could see that I felt a need to complete something with them. My teachers were, from the beginning, very excited and supportive of me, and the speed with which I was catching up to the other dancers was exciting. My greatest challenge was that I had lost all of my muscle due to the eating disorder.  I spent my first 9 months back at dance rebuilding all my muscles.

Above, some jumps at the beach after a day at my first Summer Intensive

Me as a princess in Swan Lake, my first show

After dancing with my studio for a little over a year, some unfortunate interactions with one of the teachers began making things uncomfortable.  Holes in their teaching style and technique began to reveal themselves, and it soon became apparent that it was time to move on.

I am now dancing at another Russian Ballet School, one year and four months after returning to dance, and four and a half years after I first left dance. During the ensuing years I took up piano, sculpting, painting, and writing. While I have enjoyed all of the other forms of art, and they have broadened my outlook on life, nothing has been able to replace my passion for dance.

At a rehearsal for Youth America Grand Prix

I recognize the challenging path I have chosen, but after all I have been through, my friends and family can fully stand behind my dreams to become a professional dancer. None of us is under any misconceptions about the challenges such a goal entails; I plan to teach piano to pay my bills while I follow my dream, and I am working diligently with an excellent piano teacher with this goal in mind.

Currently, my dance goal (based on my research and preferences), is to attend American Ballet Theatre's Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School, and eventually dance with American Ballet Theatre. 

Two weekends ago, I performed at my first competition, Youth America Grand Prix, in Denver Colorado.  My teachers and I were very happy with my performances, however, my score didn't qualify me for the semi-finals in New York.  I can't wait for Youth America Grand Prix next year!

I am very grateful to have found a studio with superior technique and an ear to students’ hearts. I would like to thank my teachers for this.  I would also like to thank my family for standing behind me in my hopes and dreams, and my friends for believing in my craziness.  I would like to thank those of you who are following my dance journey, for joining me on this fabulous ride!

I love you all to bits and pieces!

xoxo,
Clarissa May

Find me on Social Media:
Youtube: Live On Pointe & Clarissa May
Instagram: @clarissamay
Facebook: Live On Pointe
Twitter: @clarissamay09

Clarissa May

Clarissa May

Clarissa May

Clarissa May

Clarissa May

Clarissa May

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