Keep it Safe: Cambre

This is one post in a series, on ways to avoid injury while pursuing your ballet-based fitness goals.  This class is focused on wellness.  When it comes to the choice between "perfect" ballet technique and protecting yourself from injury, ALWAYS choose to protect yourself.

What is "perfect" is what is "perfect for you!"

Let's talk about CAMBRES...

THE IDEAL: A ballet cambre is a bend in the upper body, performed to the front, the back, or to either side.  Cambres are often integrated in barre combinations, to stretch and strengthen the torso.  Good technique requires the dancer to support their upper body movement, with a strong base in their core, hips and legs.  Correct cambres to the front, back and side look like this:

(Images from The Last Dancer.)

THE PROBLEM:  Any time you perform movements that mobilize the spine, there is a risk of straining the complex network of joints, muscles, tendons and ligaments in your back.  Extreme cambres challenge your lower back muscles.  They can also wear down the cartilage and disks in your lumbar vertebrae and put pressure on the nerves exiting your spine.  A cambre taken beyond your natural range can throw you off balance and cause an acute injury.  Over time, doing cambres the wrong way can cause wear and tear on your spine.

HOW TO KEEP IT SAFE:  If you have any underlying back issues (e.g. disk degeneration, disk herniation, scoliosis, spondylosis), skip the cambre movements that cause you pain.  Modify any cambres you perform using the guidance your doctor has given you.

If your back is healthy, by all means, integrate cambres into your ballet-based fitness routine.  They feel wonderful and help promote torso flexibility.  But always keep the following in mind:

• For all cambres:  Maintain muscle tension through your abdomen, buttocks and legs to support the movement of your torso.  (Imagine that you are a willow tree:  Your legs and hips are the trunk; they stay still and solid.  Your upper torso and arms are the branches; they move softly overhead.)
  
  Begin all cambres feeling lifted in your upper torso.  Think:  "Up to go forward,"  "Up to go back," and "Up to go side."
  
  Use the barre lightly, just to keep your balance.  Don't treat it like a crutch.  If you are leaning heavily on the barre, or pulling on it to rise up, you've likely gone a too far in your movement.  Back off a little, until you develop more strength.
  

• For forward cambre: Only bend as far forward as feels comfortable and safe for your back.  Focus on bending at the hips, not into your lower back.  When rising, roll up through your spine.  If you find it is more comfortable to bend your knees a little doing a forward cambre or when rising up, that's perfectly okay.
  
  
• For back cambre: Limit your back bend to your upper back (thoracic spine).  It's perfectly okay not to bend very far.  Turn your head to the side to support its weight with your neck muscles.  Keep your abdomen and lower back (lumbar spine) lifted.  Don't pinch into your lower spine.  Don't let your hips push forward.   
  
  
• For side cambre: Limit your side bend to your upper back (thoracic spine) and rib cage.  As with the back cambre, keep your lower back (lumbar spine) lifted.  Focus on arching your ribs up and over.  Avoid pinch into your waist.  Don't let your hips sway out in opposition to the bend.

Safe dancing, everyone!