AllBodySurgery.com

please help im too embarrassed to take up ballet classes or get fitted for ballet shoes?

one of my legs is a bit more than 1/2 inch shorter and i also have one flat foot so my flat foot is a bit longer than my arched foot (i wear an arch support but i cant wear it in ballet shoes can i?) i also wear a heel lift for my shorter leg and i cant wear that in ballet shoes either. the sales assistant will have to fit me with two different sized ballet shoes, im too embarrassed to allow this. and if i take ballet classes the teacher will see my leg discrepancy and one flat foot, how embarrassing. she might think that i dont know i have these problems and might then tell me in front of everyone. im an adult so i want to take adult ballet classes. surgery is not an option right now, i dont have the money. please help me deal with this, do you think that my situation is embarrassing? be honest. what would you do about it? im so depressed about my feet and short leg!

Public Comments

1. Who cares what people think. Have confidence in yourself and just come right out an say, Yeah my one leg is 1/2 inch shorter and one of my feet is longer than the other. That way it is out in the open and you may be embarrassed for 5 minutes, but then you won't have to think about it again. Just think of it this way - at least you have two legs and two feet. Good luck and get out there and dance!
2. Talk to a few teachers before signing up for classes. Explain your disability, and ask how it can be accommodated. Perhaps there will be teachers who will refuse to work with you, but I'm sure there will be at least one who will be talented enough a teacher to help you learn ballet. Don't be embarrassed! You have nothing to be ashamed of. Anyone who tries to publicly humiliate you should be ashamed of themselves.
3. First of all, don't be enbaresed!!!! A lot of people were born this way. Their is acuallly a girl in my ballet class who has a leg 1 inch shorter that the other. She dances fine. Don't let you dissability hold you back. If you are worried that much talk to a doctor (or foot doctor) about it. Ask them if it is ok for you to take ballet. Sometimes people with disibilites acually take ballet to help them (it strengths the leg, anckle, and foot). About getting fitted for ballet shoes, I think you should go to a dance store that perfessionally fits and sells only dance shoes. They can help you find the right size and fitting. I am sure it won't be the fist time they fitted a person with two diffrent size feet. I hope it all works out. HAPPY DANCING!!!!
4. Don't be embarrassed. Almost everyone has one foot or leg that is shorter than the other one. The people who work in the store doesn't care if one of your feet is larger than the other. Dancing is a beautiful thing, don't hold back just because you have two different size feet. (by the way the people in the store who are fitting you don't care about your different sized feet. They just want you to buy stuff from their store so they can make money) GO BY SOME SHOES AND BE HAPPY AND DANCE WITH YOUR HEART! ! !
5. Since you are an adult, it may help you to know that adult dancers (over 18) are very open about all of their imperfections. Dancers can be hyper self-critical and seem to love to one-up each other about who has more physical problems that they must overcome. Far from being embarrassed, you'll actually fit right in. Adult dancers are always exchanging tips on who are the best body-work practitioners to go to for physical therapy, pilates, chiropractic adjustments, etc. They are literally walking bundles of physical issues. For my previous answer to you (in which you chose me "Best Answer"), I was basing my response on a young woman my daughter knows in her college dance program who has one leg shorter. It is giving her problems, but then she also dances very intensively and she is working with caring teachers who are trying to help her. Another thing you should know is that it is very common for dancers to have to buy two pairs of dance shoes due to feet that are different sizes, so don't let that embarrass you either. Since ballet slippers and pointe shoes are identical and interchangeable (no lefts and rights), just think of it as buying two sets of lefts and two sets of rights. Trust me when I say that the sales assistant has seen this before. As long as you'll be taking classes with an experienced teacher, just have a talk with them ahead of time and you'll be pleasantly surprised to see just how understanding s/he can be, given all the other body issues they've encountered in the past. The only people who should be embarrassed are youngsters who try to pass themselves off as professionals, perhaps deluding themselves that being paid a small fee for being in a Nutcracker or winning some competition prize money makes them a real professional dancer.
6. most of the best dancers (ballet) are guys. who gives a flip! you should go for it. if it is something that really matters to you, then you should go all the way!