Flexibility is often seen as the ultimate goal in dance. Social media and competitions frequently reward feats of extreme flexibility with high praise and thrill-factor points. Because of this, it can be incredibly difficult to tell the difference between a naturally flexible young dancer and a dancer who is dealing with joint hypermobility.

If you are a parent or teacher wondering if your young dancer’s flexibility might actually be hypermobility, here is a guide to help you spot the signs and know when to seek help.

The Challenge: Is My Younger Dancer Hypermobile?

It can be hard to identify hypermobility in kids because children are naturally more flexible than adults. Because their bodies are still developing, a certain degree of laxity is expected. However, a child is considered hypermobile if their joint range of motion is excessive even when taking their young age into account.

When Does Hypermobility Present Itself?

Generalized joint hypermobility is actually most common in younger children and females. In individuals with hypermobility spectrum disorders or hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (hEDS), symptoms often present in distinct phases across their lifespan. The childhood and teenage years are typically characterized by extreme hypermobility, which frequently transitions into a phase of pain in their 20s to 40s, followed eventually by severe joint stiffness later in life. This makes the childhood and adolescent dancing years a critical window for observation and early intervention.

What Clues Might We Notice in the Dance Studio?

While you are watching your child or student in class, there are several physical signs and movement patterns that might suggest hypermobility:

• “Party Tricks”: A history of amusing friends by contorting their body or being able to easily drop into the splits as a child without warming up.
• Pain at Extreme Ranges: Complaints of pain or discomfort during movements that require extreme flexibility, especially at end ranges.
• Constant Stiffness or “Tightness”: You may be surprised to know that hypermobile dancers will often complain that their hips or other joints feel “stiff” rather than loose. This is often the bodies’ warning sign of fatigue and weakness rather than “tightness”.
• Fear and Instability: You might notice a dancer expressing apprehension, a fear of a joint “giving way,” or a sense of instability during certain steps, particular powerful movements like leg swings or jumps.

Beyond the Joints: Non-Musculoskeletal Signs

Hypermobility disorders like hEDS affect the body’s collagen, which is the main structural support in connective tissue. Because connective tissue is found everywhere in the body, hypermobility is a multi-systemic condition. Watch out for these hidden signs:

• Unpredictable Energy and Fatigue: Inconsistent stamina for practice and performance, along with severe fatigue.
• Sleep Disturbances: Poor sleep is highly intertwined with hypermobility and can create a vicious cycle that worsens physical pain.
• Stomach and Autonomic Issues: Frequent gastrointestinal problems, food sensitivities, or dysautonomia (which can cause dizziness or racing heart rates).
• Neurodivergent Traits: There is a remarkably high co-occurrence of hypermobility with neurodivergent conditions like Autism and ADHD. In the studio, this might manifest as sensory overwhelm in loud environments, severe performance anxiety, intense perfectionism, or rigid routines.
• Skin Quality: Unusually soft or velvety skin, mild skin stretchiness, unexplained stretch marks, easy scarring.

When Should We Talk to a Physical Therapist or Doctor?

You should seek out a medical professional, such as a physical therapist who understands dance, as soon as your dancer begins experiencing persistent pain.

It is a common myth that chronic pain is just a normal part of life or growing up. However, many individuals with hypermobile EDS experience chronic pain. Often, parents and teachers dismiss pain if there wasn’t a specific injury—like assuming ankle pain isn’t real because the dancer never twisted it. In hypermobile bodies, pain can develop without an acute injury.

Addressing pain early in the process is absolutely vital for long-term health. If pain is ignored, the nervous system can become more sensitive, and the brain actually undergoes changes that make the pain chronic and much harder to treat. Furthermore, hypermobile individuals often lack proprioception (body awareness), meaning they might need a physical therapist to help them with sensory-motor training and joint protection strategies.

By paying attention to these physical and systemic clues, parents and teachers can help hypermobile dancers get the collaborative care they need to dance safely and joyfully for years to come.

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CItations:

• Greenspan, Stephanie & Callahan, Aiko & Squires, Annie. (2022). Management of hypermobility in aesthetic performing artists: a review.
• Meyer, K. J., Chan, C., Hopper, L., & Nicholson, L. L. (2017). Identifying lower limb specific and generalised joint hypermobility in adults: validation of the Lower Limb Assessment Score. BMC musculoskeletal disorders, 18(1), 514. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12891-017-1875-8
• Vera, A. M., Nho, S. J., Mather, R. C., Wuerz, T. H., & Harris, J. D. (2021). Hip Instability in Ballet Dancers: A Narrative Review. Journal of dance medicine & science : official publication of the International Association for Dance Medicine & Science, 25(3), 176–190. https://doi.org/10.12678/1089-313X.091521c
• Milner, J., & Bluestein, L. (Co-hosts). (2021). Addressing pain in hypermobility disorders with Linda Bluestein, MD (No. 25). In Bendy Bodies with the Hypermobility MD.