Class V was doing a lesson on “Healthy Body” today and we
were listing out all the medical specialists. I found one glaring blank. Where
was the Performing Arts Medicine Specialist? I had to stop and take a deep
breath. Memories began to rush in of fruitless and frustrating medical sessions
with doctors who did not understand performing arts related injuries. And I
remembered the essay Asawari wrote for a proposed conference project in her
application to Sarah Lawrence College where she was offered a Presidential
scholarship.
I recalled her research and thought process during the writing of the essay.
Her basic premise was that an
elite performer is quite akin to a champion athlete. Both fields call for years
of consistent training and constant practise. But they are treated differently
when it comes to their healthcare. While sports are viewed as a necessity, the
arts are considered a luxury.
At
a time when Asawari was both a national sports medallist as also a
pre-professional inter-disciplinary performing artist, her body was taking a
beating and despite being injury free for the most part, there were the
occasional medical visits. The doctor’s reaction depended on whether she said a
State Championship was coming up or it was a Recital that stood endangered by her
ailment.
It
was a given that there would be a lot of explaining to do. On one such visit I remember, she had to carry her Pointe shoes
along to show how exactly the foot was positioned in one. The doctor had no
clue whatsoever as to the kind of injuries a ballet dancer could sustain and
how to treat them without injuring her further.As
a matter of fact, I have not heard of a Performing Arts Medical Specialist. The
common refrain to an artist seeking medical attention is, ‘Rest it or give it
up!' Nothing could be more disastrous and impractical to an artist who has poured hours and hours of herself in pushing the creative envelope. Asking them to rest or give up is like suggesting professional suicide.
There
is a real need for an accessible, affordable and professional performing arts
science.
A performer needs to be at the peak
of fitness, both physically and psychologically. Her art depends entirely on
physical dexterity and mental acuity. Why then is performing arts not seen as a
needy profession? Unlike sports medicine, why is there no formal training
available in performing arts medicine? What is the reason for this undervaluation?
So much hoopla over life and none over what makes it worth
living?!
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