Megan LeCrone is a soloist dancer with the New York City Ballet. She has danced with company for 18 years and through the first 10 years of her career she experienced many injuries that prevented her from dancing for long periods of time. Eventually, she was able to stay strong and after a short time she was promoted to soloist. I thought she was the perfect person to interview because she has a lot of experience with injuries and she gave great feedback on what important things to focus on and how she got through it all to become so successful.
Me: Tell me a little bit about what injuries you suffered during the beginning of your career.
Megan: So I sprained my ankle in The Nutcracker the snow scene. I came back from that pretty easily and was back to dancing again. Then I started to feel pinching in the back of my ankle. It felt like I had glass back there. I got tons of imaging and no one could find anything wrong. By this point I was out for a year, and had tried all conservative treatments. Finally, my doctor and I decided to do exploratory surgery to see what was wrong. I had a tear in one of my tendons which would have healed without surgery but I had an extra bone rubbing exactly where I had the tear. So they fixed it and it was an incredibly successful surgery. I listened to my own pace when coming back, I think I took longer than my doctors or therapists were telling me, but I had already been out for so long I didn't want to push it.
Unfortunately, I came back from that and danced for a year and I began to feel the same pain on my other ankle. Instead of waiting, I knew what it was and I wanted to get surgery right away. They did the surgery and they said I did have a tear in my tendon but no extra bone. As I was getting back to dancing my foot still didn't feel quite right. Later we found out that I did have the extra bone but it was just hidden and they didn't see it. Since my foot didn't feel right but I was still continuing to dance, I had been compensating and using my leg weird and I developed a tear in my knee. So when they did the second surgery they fixed the extra bone and my knee at the same time. I had a couple more injuries after that but they weren't directly related to dance. They were traumatic accidents and they did keep me from dancing for a couple more years after both my foot surgeries.
Me: What was it like to be injured so much at the start of your career? What kept you going?
Megan: It was frustrating to be like I can only do the things I can do. I felt like I couldn't challenge myself. I couldn't go take another class, I couldn't do that step one more time. For so long I was just doing what I had to do to get on stage. There were some dark times. I remember at one point, everybody around me, they loved me but they were trying to be honest. Besides my boss Peter Martins, they all said "Maybe it's time [to stop dancing]". But Peter was like I will wait for you forever, because you have a spirit. I said to him I just know it's not over, when I know deep down it's over then I'll stop. I just have this feeling. And he said "I trust you and I'll wait for you, just get there."
And I'm so glad I did. It was really hard and it was embarrassing and it was lonely. Yes I had doubts, but there was just this little voice no matter how hard it got, that was like if I stop now I'll always wonder what would have happened I did one more day. I said to myself if I wake up and that voice goes away then I know it's done. Some days all I could do was get in a pool and move one leg, but at least I did something that day. I'm glad I continued and it helped me build up an internal strength that has helped me now whenever I get frustrated with myself when I'm trying to improve. I just remind myself that even the smallest achievement counts towards the bigger picture.
Me: Is there anything that you do now to prevent injury? Do you have any rituals?
Megan: I try to stay away from anything routine orientated because I don't want to feel like if one part of the routine is off then the whole day is off. But definitely getting enough sleep. I'm more willing to go in later and give myself my own warm up. I used to feel really guilty about missing the usual company warm up class but now I understand that sometimes I need to warm up differently and focus on myself in a different setting.
Stretching, water and also working in water. I love to swim and do anything in a pool. Also I've really found a sanctuary in taking ballet class at other places when I'm not in season at NYCB. It helps me grow as a dancer and widens my versatility as a dancer. I've taken class with the Paris Opera and Netherlands Dance Theater.
Yoga is good. I feel my spine lengthen and it moves my body in a gentle way that feels good. I also think spending some time alone can go a long way in helping rest and refuel your body and mind.
Me: What advice would you give to another dancer struggling with injury?
Megan: No matter what you are going through, try to move everyday. I think that there is a tendency to want to just sit in a dark room and wallow but trying to move even just a little bit everyday can help keep your spirits up and in turn put you in the right mindset for healing. Not just pedestrian movement but creative movement.
I went to watch performances and rehearsals a lot. Though there were times when I couldn't because it wasn't helpful, but I tried not to stay away too long because I didn't want have the feeling of being at the theater and think 'I can't walk in because it's too traumatizing.' When it got intense I would take a break but I would force myself to go back. I needed to get over this trauma and I needed to feel confident being there because I am still a dancer and I belong with this company.
Try everything! I did yoga, pilates, gyrotonics, acupuncture and working at the gym. Everything to see what works for you. I tried to work with instructors that were good but remember you are your own instructor too. So take the things that they give and make it work for you body. Make it so it's fun and makes sense and it works because if its fun and it makes sense you're going to make progress.
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