They weave across the empty dance floor, with him catching her graceful ballet leaps.
At 28, Easton Smith embodies the archetype of a male dancer – strong, tall, statuesque. His wife, Haley Henderson-Smith, is also the epitome of a dancer – lean, graceful, elegant.
But like other dancers, one wrong move could sideline their careers, jeopardizing their ability to perform and cutting short their dreams of being on stage.
According to the American Journal of Sports Medicine, high-intensity aerobic dance produces about one injury per 100 hours. The journal also states that newcomers to a sport are significantly more likely to be injured than individuals who have been training for years.
"I sustained plenty of heavy injuries when I was younger," says Smith, who with his wife dance for Ballet San Jose. "I’ve torn ligaments in my ankle, dislocated my shoulder, sprained my ankle about 10 times, and threw out my back when I was 22."
The most common injuries seen in ballet dancers are tendinitis, sprains and strains caused by overuse, according to physical therapist Laura Keller of the Stone Foundation for Sports Medicine and Arthritis Research in San Francisco.
"The best way for dancers to avoid devastating injuries is by cross training, such as incorporating different exercises into their daily cycle like swimming, biking and other activities," Keller says.
As dancers for Ballet San Jose, Smith and Henderson-Smith not only have to juggle taking classes and rehearsing about eight hours a day, they also try to keep their bodies in tip-top shape for performances with gym workouts.
"I try to go to the gym a good hour before or after rehearsal a couple of times of week because I need the cardio to build up my stamina when I am dancing on stage," Henderson-Smith says.
Smith, on the other hand, tries to incorporate basketball, swimming and weightlifting into his workout and dance regimen, which starts shortly after the sun rises and lasts long after the sun sets.
"Dancers are always moving and always on the run. We need as much energy as possible, so it doesn’t make sense for a dancer to starve him or herself," Smith says, joking about being able to eat three hamburgers in a row.
Ballet San Jose dancers often practice while off-season to stay in peak shape and prevent injury. Many of the dancers have been involved with ballet since they were young, and the fluidity of their movement is almost as natural as the injuries that come along with them.
Dance injuries are also becoming prevalent among youths.
"I have had to deal with shin splits and plantar fasciitis [inflammation of the toes and heel region]," says Svenja Reinschmidt, 15, a student at the Ballet San Jose School.
"I have had to deal with Achilles tendinitis [inflammations in the Achilles tendon], but it is actually very common for dancers to experience it," says Danielle Dunmier, 16, also a student at the Ballet San Jose School.
Keller, the physical therapist from San Francisco, attributes many of the injuries of young athletes to their narrow range of activities.
"Many athletes only focus on one specific activity and do not get involved with enough cross training," she says. "By doing this, they are placing too much stress on joints and tendons and as a result the joints and tendons provide weak support."
Dancers not only have to keep their bodies in best condition, but they also have to maintain a stable level of mental well-being to survive in such a fast-paced art.
"Many professional dancers are perfectionists who have high expectations in their performance," says Bay Area psychologist Jim Taylor, co-author of "Psychology of Dance." "Others can suffer from low self-esteem, anxiety, depression, substance abuse and a wide array of eating disorders."
Taylor explains that consistently performing at a high level and demonstrating superior technical ability are the basis for a dancer being psychologically ready to perform at an enhanced level. Psychology is key when looking at a dancer's probability of success.
"If a dancer can stay motivated and handle the pressure, then that kind of mental strength can get him or her to the top and remain at the top," Taylor says.
It may just be that fear of injury can impede a professional dancing career just as much if not more than an injury itself.
"Doctors warned me that my career could only last so long. When I threw that fear aside, the injuries slowly went away. It was as if I was allowing myself to create my injuries in my mind," Smith says.
Though some dancers might be fortunate enough to overcome injuries and continue a professional career, the thought of injury preventing dance is all too real for other former dancers.
"I started dancing when I was 5 years old, and my whole identity was tied to the fact that I was a ballet dancer," says Kristin Bertrand, Ballet San Jose administrator, whose career was sidetracked by injury when she was 16. She experienced an "identity crisis" following her departure from dance, something her doctor told her she needed to face or endure further physical problems.
Bertrand, now 36, then began looking at other options, including going to college – something she hadn’t thought about before her injury.
"In a way I feel grateful for that injury," she says. "Without it, I wouldn’t have started teaching dance, I wouldn’t have gone to college and I wouldn’t have become an administrator of a great ballet school.
"I try to use the injury as inspiration for the way I teach, mainly focusing on proper alignment and technique. The best advice I can give my students is to rest for the entire time given for an injury and to make sure you heal properly, do not to strain your body but rather emphasize it and work with the body you have.
"I would also stress the importance of a college education to my students. I would encourage them to follow their dreams but to also have a backup such as taking some college classes to be prepared. [I hope] they’ll think of the future past the age of 40."
For now, two of Ballet San Jose’s most talented dancers are taking it one day at a time, trying to master the nuts and bolts of a comprehensive dance career.
On a recent day, Smith and Henderson-Smith put the final touches on a choreography they’ll perform next week at the Crucible’s annual Fire Arts Festival in Oakland. The choreography depicts a scene from "The Odyssey," in which Smith plays Odysseus and Henderson-Smith plays Calypso trying to seduce him away from his home and his wife, Penelope.
The two move across the stage, striving for perfection. She stretches her legs, arches her back and sways her arms. He awaits her. Henderson-Smith moves across the stage, enticing him to catch her as she leaps toward him.
Injuries are the furthest thing from their minds as they continue to dance.