Advice for dancers.

As an older dancer suffering from an arthritic hip, I was inspired to hear about retired performers with the same problem who had the courage to get a total hip replacement, such as Suzanne Farrell and Edward Villella. Their stories helped me decide to have surgery last year at the age of 62. My limp is now gone after years of pain and I can do a simple ballet barre on my own. Whet I did not expect was to feel as weak as I do twelve months later. Do you have suggestions for building up my strength? My doctor, although highly competent, does not know about dancers.

Hopeful

Recovering from a hip arthroplasty is a long process, according to orthopedists who treat dancers. While surgery for arthritis helps to restore normal hip function, the aftereffects of the operation weaken all of the surrounding muscles. So I'm not surprised that you've lost some strength. In addition, years of dancing in pain probably made it difficult to work your hip in a correct way, thus creating an underlying problem. What's the answer? Physical therapy with a dance-medicine specialist--but only if it's under your doctor's supervision. Ask your doctor for a referral or check out the Dance Medicine Resource Guide for a specialist in your area (973/786-7777; www.iadms.org).

My son has asked to take ballet classes for an extracurricular activity. I'm all for it, being an avid lover of the arts. But my husband thinks team sports would be a more productive way to spend time. Can you help us settle this question?

Concerned Mom

It isn't unusual to think of ballet as simply an art form, without appreciating its athletic components. Yet the truth is that ballet's mental and physical demands are in the same league as many highly strenuous sports, including professional hockey. Weekly dance classes will provide your son with all the benefits of regular exercise. You may also notice that dancing has a positive impact on his academic performance. According to research by Heather Fletcher, a dancer and 1996 semifinalist in the Westinghouse (now Intel) Science Talent Search, students learn constructive work habits in dance class that add significantly to their grade point average in school. These include learning to put out maximum effort, being open to feedback from teachers, analyzing their mistakes, and trying again in the face of failure. Not bad for an after-school activity!

Is it pathological to dream about dancing after I've retired to have a family? My best friend says it means I haven't worked it through. I'm not sure I agree. Dance will always be in my heart. However, I love being a wife and mother to my beautiful baby boy. What do you think?

Angela From L.A.

People often feel ambivalent about important events in their lives. In the case of dancers whose careers end at an early age, it's normal to miss performing even if you're satisfied with your new family or have another career. This is not a problem. However, dancers who are forced out of the profession because of injuries, burnout, or unemployment may feel conflicted and need professional help. Either way, dreaming is one way to express your feelings. This I know from personal experience. I love my work as a performing-arts psychologist but I still dream about being onstage--fourteen years later.

No ballet company wanted me when I auditioned five years ago due to my long torso and rather large breasts and hips. So I left the U.S. and went to Europe, where I lucked out by working in a small contemporary dance company with a director who gave me wonderful roles. The experience was great, but I felt the need to return home to be near my family after the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001. Should I bother to look for a dance position in this country or is it a lost cause?

Lisa From Brooklyn, New York 

Congratulations for being so enterprising. Few dancers have any idea how to land a job in Europe, even though it could lead to a promising career. While it's now possible to find out about European companies in my book, Advice for Dancers, it still takes a lot of initiative to contact directors about vacancies overseas, arrange to take company class, and set up auditions in several countries.

You also are to be commended for relocating far away from family and friends--all for the sake of dance. Should you now risk possible rejection to perform on American soil? My advice is to go for it! Dancing with a contemporary company in Europe has prepared you for more than only ballet, giving you a new competitive edge. To find out about work opportunities here, check out notices on the bulletin boards in dance schools, monthly ads in Dance Magazine, and weekly ads in Backstage.

AN ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR AT FORDHAM UNIVERSITY, LINDA HAMILTON, PH.D., IS ALSO A LECTURER, A PSYCHOLOGIST, A FORMER DANCER WITH NEW YORK CITY BALLET, AND AUTHOR OF ADVICE FOR DANCERS (JOSSEY-BASS).

Send your questions to:

Linda Hamilton, Ph.D., at 2000 Broadway, PH2C, New York, NY 10023 and read her answers exclusively in Dance Magazine.