The hip is a vital joint for dancers, offering a balance of mobility, stability and strength. It is a ball-and-socket joint where the femur (thigh bone) meets the acetabulum (socket) of the pelvis. This design allows for a wide range of motion, crucial for extensions, splits and jumps. The joint is supported by ligaments, tendons, and many muscles such as the hip flexors, glutes and rotators, all of which need to work together to maintain strength and control. The close relationship with the pelvis means that these two areas strongly influence each other.
Dancers place significant stress on their hips through repetitive movements, frequent twisting, but primarily with extreme ranges of motion. Typical injuries for the hip area are labral tears, tendinopathies, impingements and muscle tears/strains.
With a consistent regime of self-assessment and specific training, however, you can minimize the risk of injury to your hips and keep kicking and leaping into the sunset!
Our approach of Align – Move – Load addresses centering of the joint and functional range, authentic movement patterns and technique, and then adding load to the training to improve strength. When you look into training any area of the body you may want to consider the process below. There are a couple of video examples for you.
Understand the area.
The starting point is to understand the anatomy of the hips and your natural turnout range. This video highlights the bones and muscles of the hip and pelvis:
Self-assessment
How they move, range, tension and feel for any difference between the right and left.
Create space and release.
Release tight areas that may be preventing full range and the other muscles/fascia that connect into this area. Mobilize into all directions. (balls, foam roller, mobilizers, eccentric control)
Train stability.
Focus on the smaller muscles around the hip that control the joint through range; this needs more endurance style work. Look at control for psoas, iliacus and QF.
Train strength.
Strengthen the hip in normal function and full range (squat, lunge, hinge). This video shows a single leg squat – necessary for any lower limb training plan.
Be specific.
This where we train specifics for dance – turnout, leg elevations, splits, kick power. This video shows one type of turnout training with the hip at 90.
At half a century, I am still dancing and fully active despite a horrible looking hip MRI!
Please remember, although we are talking about hips, the body is fully interconnected and all joints talk and affect all other joints of the body. Your sore or ‘locked’ hip may be a result of a foot, thorax or shoulder that doesn’t move properly!
By Sally Harrison, BSc (Hons) Physiotherapy, Corrective Exercise Coach, Personal Trainer, Pilates Educator, of Band-ITS & Strength4Dance.
Are you getting these key nutrients? It’s unnecessary to spend tons of money or go to extremes for better health. Dancers are already overachievers as it is, so just focus on eating enough throughout the day and then five simple nutrients that will make a difference.
#1. Vitamin D3
Many people don’t know that this vitamin improves muscle strength. Two recent studies on ballet dancers showed that supplementation of 1000-2000 IU of vitamin D3 increased isometric muscle strength, muscle power and decreased injuries (1). Dancers are often deficient in vitamin D because we’re indoors and it’s tricky to get enough from food alone. Deficiencies lead to lower bone mineral density which raises the risk for stress fractures. Vitamin D helps the immune system fight illness, particularly viruses. The past five years have demonstrated that vitamin D status helps fight Covid. Not just a vitamin; it also acts as a hormone. That’s one reason it’s cited as improving symptoms of depression and anxiety. People shouldn’t mega dose unless under careful medical care. Generally, there’s improvement with supplements of 2000 IU or less, especially when taken with food that has dietary fats like nuts, seeds and yogurt. Food sources would be fatty fish, fortified cow’s milk and plant-based milks/yogurts, fortified orange juices, and mushrooms.
#2. Fiber
This is arguably the most important nutrient in human nutrition. You thought I was going to say protein, but nope, that’s not what the studies show. Most westerners get more than enough protein but get far too little fiber, and this is one reason for the obesity epidemic. It improves digestion and helps the good microbes thrive in the gut, which affects everything from body weight, to food cravings, to vitamin and fatty acid production, and even mental health. Getting enough fiber from foods helps maintain or achieve a healthy body weight. Dietary fiber improves satiety and decreases hunger. A high fiber/plant-centric diet is associated with lower inflammation, reduced joint pain and decreased risk for disease. Fiber is found in all plant foods, particularly whole grains, legumes, avocados, and of course fruits and vegetables. Supplements aren’t necessary in general.
#3. Magnesium
This mineral affects muscle function, heart health, mental health, focus and sleep. Mg Glycinate may help with sleep and reduce anxiety and is best taken in the evenings. Mg L-Threonate has been shown to improve memory, learning and may help those with ADHD so it’s better when taken in the mornings (3). Mg citrate and Mg oxide help with constipation. According to elite athlete dietitian Dan Benardot, “Magnesium is a critical component in the processes that create muscular energy from carbohydrates, proteins and fats” (2). If someone is deficient, taking magnesium through supplements or focusing on foods has been shown to “positively affect endurance and strength performance” (2). Food sources include Brazil nuts and other nuts, leafy greens, beans, chickpeas, sunflower seeds, avocado, and brown rice. The body needs about 400 mg/day.
#4. Potassium
This electrolyte impacts muscle contractions, nerve function and fluid balance, which is why it’s known to help prevent muscle cramping during exercise and improves menstrual cramps. With all the focus on potassium’s role in sports nutrition, it’s often overlooked how low potassium levels (particularly with a high salt diet) can affect depression, confusion and anxiety. You don’t need expensive supplements. Food/beverage sources of potassium are easy to get if you’re getting 3-5 servings of fruits and veggies per day, particularly spinach, bok choy, leafy greens, oranges/citrus, bananas, pinto beans, tomatoes, potatoes with skin, broccoli, sports beverages and coconut water. The body needs about 2500- 3500 mg/day.
#5. Calcium
Given the fact that stress fractures are an all too common injury in the field of dance, adequate dietary calcium is essential. Everyone knows that calcium is stored in the bones and is a huge factor in bone strength, dental health and prevention of fractures, but what’s not commonly known is that the body tweaks calcium levels in the blood stream to reflect the body’s changing needs hour to hour. It affects acid/base balance, blood pressure, and muscle contraction and release (yes, it’s also an electrolyte). The amount of calcium you get when you’re young will impact your bone health through your whole life and can decrease risk for osteoporosis (brittle bones) later. Food sources are soy and cow’s milk, fortified milks and yogurts, tofu, tempeh, beans, greens, almonds, broccoli and even chia seeds. Total body needs are 1000-1300 mg per day; however, in supplement form, the body prefers to absorb only about 500 mg at one time.
Obviously, there are many important nutrients that impact health, and we are only highlighting five of them in this article. Please consult with a registered licensed dietitian to medically identify your unique needs. This article is for information only.
Sources:
Rakovac M, Sajković D. VITAMIN D AND INJURIES IN DANCERS: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW. Acta Clin Croat. 2023 Apr;62(1):214-223. doi: 10.20471/acc.2023.62.01.25. PMID: 38304359; PMCID: PMC10829964.
Benardot, D. Advanced Sports Nutrition 3rd ed. Human Kinetics. 2021
Archer, A. An integrative and functional approach to ADHD Management: guidance for the clinician.
Emily Cook Harrison MS, RD, LD Emily is a registered dietitian and holds both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in nutrition from Georgia State University, USA. Her master’s thesis research was on elite level ballet dancers and nutrition and she has experience providing nutrition services for weight management, sports nutrition, disordered eating, disease prevention, and food allergies. Emily was a professional dancer for eleven years with the Atlanta Ballet and several other companies. She is a dance educator and the mother of two young children. She now runs the Centre for Dance Nutrition and Healthy Lifestyles. She can be reached at emily@dancernutrition.com www.dancernutrition.com
Stress, emotions and how we’re treated by others all affect how we feel about food and drinks. It’s just part of being human. The first step is to acknowledge what we’re feeling and then take that next crucial step to nourish ourselves anyway as an act of resistance to stressors that we can’t control. We deserve to get nourishment. Food isn’t just calories, vitamins and minerals. It feeds our mind and spirit. This is a tough time for many people; here are a few things to know about stress and eating.
What influences food choices
Glucocorticoids are a class of hormones that have many functions in the body including helping the body respond in times of stress or danger. They affect metabolism of carbs, proteins and fats. They affect hunger and satiety and influence how we choose our portions. When stress becomes too much or chronic, these hormones are working behind the scenes to affect how much we eat. It’s all too common to skip meals/snacks or go for too long without eating when we’re stressed and busy. This creates temporary hormonal changes which can lead us to overeat later. It’s common when our blood sugar gets low to reach for a quick fix that might not be the best choice. It’s harder to know what portion is right for your body when you’re hangry. A nutrition deficit can make feelings of stress, depression or anxiety more pronounced.
Your feelings are valid.
These are real biological factors, so don’t heap guilt or blame on top of the stress you’re already under. Let’s stop criticizing ourselves (and others) about what and how much we are eating when we’re stressed. Food choices aren’t “bad” or “undisciplined”; the human body is sending perfectly natural messages as a response to internal and external triggers. The strategy is to make sure we’re eating something regularly through the day about every three hours or so. This regulates blood sugar and modifies the hormonal response in a positive way. Our food choices don’t have to be perfect. We just need to take small steps each day to make sure we’re not skipping meals and snacks.
What to do to feel better
Set yourself up for success by bringing fruit, energy bars, protein shakes and other easy snacks with you during your busy day. You know you’re going to be busy and stressed, so plan for that. Set a timer on your phone if needed. Have high fiber foods easily accessible like apples, clementines or bananas in between scheduled meals to regulate blood sugar and give you energy. Don’t just skip meals even if you think you’re too busy. At the very least, bring a protein drink with you to sip on when you can. Ideally, you’ll be able to sit down to a real meal with a protein, starch, vegetable and healthy fat, but if you can’t, don’t just eat nothing. Bring a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with you and eat it while walking to your next rehearsal. Even eating a couple of cookies is better than starving yourself in the long run because at least they give you some energy for a little while and keep your blood sugar from dropping too low. You’re better off enjoying those two cookies during the day rather than being famished later and then eating too many cookies. Don’t get hung up on perfection.
Be mindful about caffeine intake.
During times of stress, try not to over-consume caffeine. I say this with zero judgement because I know how it feels. It’s about balance and knowing your own tolerance levels. Caffeine isn’t all bad; it can assist in focus. However, too much caffeine will amplify stress and make you jittery and less adept at handling daily stress. Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant, and it increases levels of cortisol which is considered the stress hormone. That’s one of those glucocorticoids we mentioned earlier. Caffeine is an appetite suppressant. Leaning too hard on coffee or energy drinks to get you through the day is likely to lead to feeling hangry and ironically energy depleted. A cup of green tea could be a substitute for that highly caffeinated energy drink.
Alcohol increases the stress response.
Alcohol is a depressant. Its elevating effects on stress and anxiety are well documented. It absolutely reduces sleep duration and quality. It can affect athletic performance for up to 5 days after even just 1-2 beers. It has 7 calories per gram and affects hormones. For women, it can affect menstruation pain and duration. Limiting or avoiding alcohol in beer, wine and mixed drinks will undoubtedly improve your response to stress.
Emily Cook Harrison MS, RD, LD Emily is a registered dietitian and holds both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in nutrition from Georgia State University, USA. Her master’s thesis research was on elite level ballet dancers and nutrition and she has experience providing nutrition services for weight management, sports nutrition, disordered eating, disease prevention, and food allergies. Emily was a professional dancer for eleven years with the Atlanta Ballet and several other companies. She is a dance educator and the mother of two young children. She now runs the Centre for Dance Nutrition and Healthy Lifestyles. She can be reached at emily@dancernutrition.com www.dancernutrition.com
The human foot is a complex structure, vital for movement and balance. With 26 bones and 33 joints, it handles immense forces and adjusts to different surfaces, enabling various movements like walking, running, jumping and, of course, dancing! One crucial aspect of foot mechanics is the “tripod foot,” which refers to three key contact points: the heel, the base of the big toe and the base of the little toe. A good tripod distributes body weight evenly and maintains stability with our balance.
The foot essentially has 2 movements:
Pronation – a mobile adapter. A foot that spreads, opens and accepts load. This action fires up all of the extensor muscles of the body. It is a vital movement and not to be confused with a ‘rolling in foot’. We need to see a good pronation when we plié/fondu/jump, prep and land/squat, lunge and with walking.
Supination – a rigid lever. A foot that provides a solid platform to propel our movement forward. This movements starts after end range pronation and we need this foot shape with a rise, en pointe, return from jump prep and walking.
Sally Harrison teaching at Victorian Dance Festival in Australia. Photo by Deb Cantoni Photography.
We have over 26 muscles of the foot and ankle that all work to decelerate pronation and accelerate supination. Some start and finish in the foot (intrinsic) and some in the calf area, but connect to the toes (extrinsic).
Foot training – This is a 3-step approach for dancers.
Optimal mechanics – pronate, tripod and supinate (these are really a full body movement as all joints connect to all others in the chain )
‘Foot Gym’ – specific strengthening for the foot such as Doming, Toe swapping, Piano and rises. These are strengthening exercises specific to dance as an activity (not regular foot function!)
Foot care – release, massage, nail care, brushing, barefoot work; to allow the feet to recover after the workout of dance (often in non optimal footwear — pointe shoes, heels, tap shoes, etc)
Common dance foot injuries
Sesamoiditis – excess stress in this area under the 1st toe ( common from ‘fishing’ ).
Tib post tendon or posterior impingement – excess stress in this area from non-optimal supination and pronation mechanics, fishing and control issues higher in the chain.
Stress fractures (2nd, 5th) – excess stress from non-optimal foot mechanics and load.
Bunions – no, these are not normal, or hereditary; they are a sign of non-optimal foot timing again.
Want to learn more about your feet ?
Start with these videos!
The foot and the dancer: The foot in motion
How does the foot connect to core recruitment? Foot to core sequencing
What are my feet doing? Your foot check-in
For more technique, strength and injury minimization tips, follow the Strength4Dance YouTube channel: Strength4Dance.
By Sally Harrison, BSc (Hons) Physiotherapy, Corrective Exercise Coach, Personal Trainer, Pilates Educator, of Band-ITS & Strength4Dance.
There is a new book out that is a must-read for dancers, teachers and directors. It’s called Nourishing Dance: An Essential Guide on Nutrition, Body Image, and Eating Disorders by Monika Saigal MS, RD, CEDS, CDN. The research presented is essential to understand, but the best parts of the book are the practical, real-life tips from someone who understands our dance world from the inside. Here, two dietitians who have spent their lives working in this world discuss the book and how we can best help dancers.
I love how you start off the book by clearing up some potentially challenging terminology. The word ‘healthy’ can sometimes be tricky.
“When I say, ‘healthy eating,’ I mean eating in a way that is nourishing, enjoyable, and adaptive and that supports their physical and mental health and a peaceful relationship with food and their body (and this will look different for everyone).
When working with dancers, I like to explore what the word ‘healthy’ means to them. This conversation helps reveal things that a dancer might view as healthy that really aren’t (for example, restrictive or compensatory approaches to eating), and offers opportunities to challenge and reframe them so we can truly be supportive of the dancer’s health.”
What does being ‘healthy’ even mean when someone is pursuing a career in the high pressure world of dance? Your book goes into detail about this.
“I love discussing this with dancers! Although there will be individual variability on what this looks like in practice, being a ‘healthy dancer’ includes fueling your body for dance and life, caring for your body to help reduce the risk of injury, getting adequate sleep and rest, caring for your mental health, finding dance/life balance, and having/working toward a peaceful relationship with food and more balanced and resilient body image.”
After years in the dance world, I appreciated your statement that practicing good self-care actually improves not just the dancers but the dance world as a whole. How can we foster an environment that makes this easier?
Monika Saigal.
“Those who train and care for dancers need a better understanding of the consequences of not prioritizing and supporting dancer health and well-being, which can be enduring (e.g. quality of life impacts of injury, disordered eating habits, poor self-worth and body image). This is why I think it’s essential to provide education to teachers/staff and parents, not just to dancers. It’s important to understand what’s at stake if we don’t support dancers in caring for themselves and to recognize the inextricable links between physical and mental health, self-care, and performance. My book has many ways we can help — giving enough time to eat, shifting our language and messaging, and providing resources to get professional help from a dietitian and therapist are just a few.”
Your book beautifully illustrates the science behind why diets don’t work, and how they actually backfire in the long run. Your chapter, ‘Dancing in Diet Culture,’ is a must-read for all dancers. What is one main point you wish all dancers could understand about the ‘dieting cycle’?
“Most people go on a diet because they want to lose weight or believe a diet will help them feel better about their body or will make them healthier, but dieting almost always leads to the opposite. This isn’t because you lack willpower or did it wrong; it’s because diets don’t work.”
In your chapter, ‘Dancing on Empty,’ you address one of the number one issues I also see in my work which is energy deficits during their work day even though dancers get adequate nutrients later in the evenings. What does ‘Low Energy Availability (LEA)’ mean?
“LEA is the result of under-fueling, and it means that the body doesn’t have enough energy to fuel exercise plus all of its other needs (normal body functioning, growth/development, daily activities), which can lead to multiple negative health and performance consequences.”
I’m seeing many dancers with LEA have higher rates of injuries. What are you seeing in your practice with dancers who are consistently in an energy deficit?
“In addition to more frequent and/or slow-healing injuries, dancers with LEA can feel more fatigued or weak and experience digestive issues, sleep disturbances, greater stress, and diminished enjoyment from dance.”
Your chapter, ‘Gentle Nutrition for Dancers,’ provides some great ideas for how, what and when dancers can get what they need to perform and recover. What are your top tips?
“Plan ahead! Schedule time for grocery shopping and meal prep, stay well-stocked with quick and easy meal and snack options, and always have a few different snack choices in your bag. I find that ‘rules’ and misinformation about what dancers ‘should’ be eating interfere with eating enough, so embracing flexibility over rigidity and prioritizing adequacy over attempts at ‘perfect eating’ can also be helpful.”
How can nutrition affect concentration, focus and mental health?
“Many of us have experienced how it becomes harder to concentrate and focus when we get too hungry. We’re more likely to make mistakes, have a harder time learning, and can feel irritable. Under-fueling on a regular basis can contribute to anxiety and depression, decrease resilience to stress, and be the catalyst for developing disordered eating. It also impacts sleep (which affects mental health) and increases preoccupation with food which can have an additive impact on concentration, focus and mental health.”
Chapter 7 addresses injuries. What’s the most important message?
“Make sure you are eating enough, and, if possible, get support from a dance dietitian. I often see injured dancers decrease their intake excessively, usually related to fear of weight gain or misconceptions about nutrition needs during injury, and this can delay healing and even prevent full recovery.”
You’ve heard it before: most people don’t move their bodies enough these days. Office workdays are long, and the television calls once they’re done. (We all need to decompress, right?) Could the concert dance industry be part of making positive change there? Through initiatives like the partnership between Breakthru and Mark Morris Dance Group (MMDG), that’s already happening.
Breakthru creates two-minute movement breaks that anyone can do at their desk, at any point in their day. Their collection now includes multiple interactive breaks that lead participants in movement inspired by Mark Morris’ vocabulary, anywhere they access the internet (with more breaks likely on the way). Dance Informa speaks with Mark Morris and Breakthru Founder Melissa Painter to learn more about the partnership, what it’s already catalyzed, and where it all goes from here. Let’s move!
A partnership comes to fruition
Why did Painter create Breakthru? “There’s a slow-motion disaster happening all around us… our sedentary behavior is linked with every chronic condition out there. And technologists are creating things that make us more like robots and less human,” she affirms.
Breakthru’s Joyful Freesia.
Yes, there’s been some resistance from the kind of people who “think that their bodies are for walking their brains around.” She responds to it by noting how “everyone has had a good idea when taking a walk,” for one. For two, she calls people to observe their breath while checking emails. For most, it’s short and shallow – which established science tells us is not conducive to whole-person health (something Morris also emphasizes). Clearly, embodiment at work matters…and is sadly in short supply.
Breakthru seeks to meet that need: through bite-sized, science-backed movement breaks – those that people all over the world are now experiencing through Slack, Google Chrome and Microsoft Teams. Painter has also been a lover of Mark Morris’ work since she first experienced it, when she was only a child. Yet, that personal passion and her professional mission only intersected when Breakthru’s data showed that individuals working for MMDG were using the program. In an amazing synchronicity, just as people with Breakthru reached out to MMDC, the same happened vice-versa. The enthusiasm to partner was mutual.
Morris notes that when COVID lockdowns hit, he certainly wasn’t the first lining up to create dance films; “I’m a theater artist.” The two dimensions of virtual meetings felt all too flat. Zoom rehearsals and classes could be plain “deflating.” Yet, if the company wanted to keep its work and impact alive, it had no choice but to translate it to virtual media.
The company pivoted to offer its Dance for Parkinson’s Disease program virtually. People all over the globe participated, demonstrating what the scale of such an offering could be. The ground was fertile for something like the partnership with Breakthru, long after lockdowns lifted and we could move together in space once again. “We’ve been doing what Breakthru is after for a long time…just in different media,” Morris says with a smile.
Painter agrees; as far as she sees it, the two companies have an aligned ethos of movement for all – not just the most thin, young, athletic and well-resourced among us. “At Breakthru, we want to convey that there’s no one ‘right’ way to look while moving. Mark conveys that in his work,” she says, with a smile of her own. “This wasn’t about wanting to work with any dance company…we specifically wanted to work with Mark’s company, because of their philosophy of movement and spirit of accessibility.”
Dancing at desks
All of that is evident in the final microbreaks that they’ve created. Motion capture technology recorded the dancers moving through adapted forms of Morris’ choreography. As in all of Breakthru’s breaks, the person is anonymous, only their physical outline legible – in the spirit of there being as many “right” ways to move as there are people moving. Morris, for his part, affirms that “that’s just the way we work. I trust the dancers to extract and distill my movement” in ways that resonate with their strengths and feel right in their body.
Mark Morris. Photo by Beowulf Sheehan.
Additionally, as with all Breakthru breaks, “users choose the break based on how they want to feel at the end,” Painter explains. The Grand Duo breaks is a “Centered Microbreak,” L’Allegro a “Confident Microbreak,” and The Look of Love a “Joyful Microbreak.” Part of that aim toward a particular mood is a specific color palette – also part of each Breakthru break. With the Look of Lovebreaks, for example, Breakthru graphic artists converted the warm colors of the costumes for the work (by Isaac Mizrahi) into the break’s design.
There are many lush flowers that shine in those colors. The soundscape is filled with bird calls, strong winds, and flowing water. That’s all quite intentional, too. “We’re trying to give people a connection to nature during their workday,” Painter says – which, she argues, is another thing sorely lacking in modern professionals’ lives, to detrimental effects on whole-person health. Morris and Painter underscore how concert dance and dance pedagogy reflect such connection to nature: through imagery, kinetic qualities and more.
Why it matters
Morris couldn’t be clearer about why what Breakthru is doing matters. “We’re on our phone all day long, and it’s physically dangerous, the way we curve over for hours…not to mention the isolation and loneliness.” Yes, movement and embodiment matter. Above and beyond that, can dance-inspired movement offer something which push-ups and sit-ups can’t?
“Through our research, we spoke with thousands of movement experts. They were clear that the lack of creative, generative movement in people’s lives is extreme,” Painter notes. “There’s nowhere near enough folk dancing, social dancing, dancing in community…and free play!”
No, people moving along with these breaks aren’t necessarily going to get the “technique” right, she affirms. Yet, what they are doing is creating something — their own version of the movement, according to their body’s capacities and needs. That is a form of play in and of itself, Painter believes. The testimonials from worldwide users validate that; “they’re saying things like ‘I feel like I’m on the playground again!,’” Painter adds. We may think that, as adults, we don’t need that in our lives – yet our daily experience can be much richer for it.
Melissa Painter of Breakthru. Photo courtesy of Painter.
“After such incredible reception from the first set of breaks, we hope to deepen this collaboration,” Painter shares. As part of her “massive dreams and visions” for the company, she shares, she’d love to explore longer classes and group formats – perhaps something that MMDG could be part of. “We’d also love to stretch into serving more generations, all ages of people…which reflects what Mark has done with his company.”
Painter maintains that the hunger for what they offer is out there. “People have an innate desire to express themselves through movement and to connect with other people. We see it across the globe, throughout time, and through human development,” she believes. “It’s a huge reason why all of these social media platforms, for all of their harms, went viral in the first place…people shared dance.”
Morris highlights the place of creativity without judgment, without unnecessary expectations. “We can let go of the idea that it’s ‘serious’ or ‘frivolous’, ‘hard’ or ‘easy’….that doesn’t have to matter.”
Professional dancers know the power of a good nutrition plan for a run of performances to boost performance while also reducing muscle soreness and mental fatigue. Dance students can take a page out of their playbooks to make sure they’re dancing their best for recitals. As a former professional dancer myself, I wish I knew then what I know now about performance nutrition.
One simple thing to change your whole day:
It’s crucial to come off an overnight fast with some energy intake. We call it breaking the “fast” for a reason. Even when sleeping, your body has used energy and you wake in an energy deficit. Choosing to extend this fasting state while going about your day has consequences including reduced mental focus, lower energy, poorer athletic performance and a bad mood. Breakfast means you’ll feel and dance better for the next few hours with the added benefit of making the later part of your day easier because you won’t be in such a huge energy deficit all day. Often when dancers restrict eating earlier in their day, they tend to be extremely hungry later. Even if you’re not hungry or in a rush, at the very least grab a banana and/or a granola bar. Eating breakfast, especially with whole grains or carbs, has been shown to help with healthy weight management. So don’t fall into the trap of thinking that skipping breakfast is going to result in quick weight loss. It won’t, and it will leave you feeling depleted.
Morning energy ideas:
Carbohydrates such as rolled or steel cut oats, whole grains like wheat, spelt, rye and buckwheat.
Fruit mixed with a protein like nuts, seeds, yogurt, veggie sausages or an egg. Veggie sausages tend to have lower saturated fat than meat sausages and can be made with healthier ingredients like quinoa, beans and soy protein.
Look for packaged breakfast bar options with added sugars less than 10-15 grams. Naturally occurring sugars are fine when bars are made with dates or dried fruit.
Frozen whole grain waffles made with flax seeds and/or nuts. There are also some good recipes for making your own waffles or nutrient-dense pancakes which you can freeze and pop in the toaster for busy mornings.
Pack it with you; you’ll thank yourself later:
Don’t get grumpy two hours into dress rehearsal. Plan ahead. Don’t rely on grabbing fast food or something from a vending machine to be your fuel for the most important performances of your year. The week before recitals, go to the grocery store and strategically pick out easy, quick snacks that are portable in your bag. Bring 2-3 of them with you.
Plant-based protein bars (I prefer pea, soy, hemp proteins to whey protein)
Low to moderate sugar granola or oat bars (less than 15g added sugars)
Peanut butter and jelly sandwich (sun butter for those with allergies)
All fruits are good snacks.
Yogurt or yogurt squeeze pouches (I like the Silk and Forager’s brands; keep them cool.)
Packaged energy rolls like the Gluten Free Bites brand
Packaged or homemade dried chickpeas and edamame. They come in fun flavors and can be eaten by themselves or added to a salad.
Of course you’re busy, just take 10 minutes to set up your whole day:
Invest in a good, short wide-mouth thermos to keep foods at a safe temperature and make packing your own healthy foods a breeze.
Chickpea or lentil flour pastas. They cook in less than 8 minutes on the stovetop. Add a light red sauce or pesto and put in a short wide-mouth thermos.
Cold yogurt, berries and hemp hearts or other seeds
Hot beans and rice (throw some carrots in while cooking for added vitamin A)
Room temperature buckwheat noodles tossed with a store-bought Thai or Japanese dressing.
Don’t buy the whole vitamin shop. Here are key vitamins and minerals to get:
Vitamin D3 (for immune function and muscle strength)
B vitamins like B12 and B6 (for energy)
Iron (for immune function and reduced fatigue)
Vitamin C (immune function, and wound repair for those pointe shoe blisters)
Both iron and vitamin C are better obtained through food to prevent gastrointestinal discomfort, but supplements can be used if needed. Iron-rich foods are beans, leafy greens like spinach and kale, dried fruit like apricots and raisins, and red meats (but current health recommendations are to limit red meat, so enjoy beans and greens for dinner). Pair with fruit or veggies like sweet peppers for added vitamin C which boost iron absorption. You only need 100 mg of vitamin C (not those 1000 mg packs).
It’s important to take good care of your body during recital week. This is not the week to try to lose weight. There’s no way that restricting calories this week will result in any noticeable difference on stage; it will only leave you feeling exhausted and mentally drained. Fuel your body well, and you’ll notice the difference on stage. Remember that the first two signs of dehydration are fatigue and poor balance, so bring your big water bottle with you and fill it up at least 3 times a day (or more!).
Emily Cook Harrison MS, RD, LD Emily is a registered dietitian and holds both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in nutrition from Georgia State University, USA. Her master’s thesis research was on elite level ballet dancers and nutrition and she has experience providing nutrition services for weight management, sports nutrition, disordered eating, disease prevention, and food allergies. Emily was a professional dancer for eleven years with the Atlanta Ballet and several other companies. She is a dance educator and the mother of two young children. She now runs the Centre for Dance Nutrition and Healthy Lifestyles. She can be reached at emily@dancernutrition.com www.dancernutrition.com
It all started with a bag of Hello Kitty candy. When Saskia Gregson-Williams moved to Los Angeles from the UK, and was searching for a ballet school to attend, her dad’s friend suggested Yuri Grigoriev School of Ballet. That friend was the stepfather of then-11-year-old Indiana Woodward, who trained at the school. So, off went Gregson-Williams into class one day, and in came Woodward, running toward her with a bag of Hello Kitty candy from France. It was the first time they met, but instantly they became best friends.
Indiana Woodward and Saskia Gregson-Williams of Grace & Form. Photo by Emily Teague.
Their lives took them in different directions, but they maintained their long-distance friendship. Gregson-Williams would go on to dance with the Joffrey Ballet, until a bad ankle injury kept her away from the stage. At this time, she launched her own blog and cookbook, Naturally Sassy. She also qualified as a personal trainer and built ballet-based fitness method Ballet Blast.
Woodward went on to study in Moscow at the Bolshoi Ballet School and then the School of American Ballet. In August 2012, she became an apprentice with New York City Ballet and was promoted to principal in October 2021.
But now, not only are the two women still best friends, they’re also business partners.
Enter Grace & Form Studio – Gregson-Williams and Woodward’s lifelong dream of combining their unique backgrounds and experience in ballet and fitness. The online studio provides a blend of ballet classes and mindfulness movement practices, available through an app or desktop studio. In Grace & Form’s collection of classes, you’ll find ballet (from total beginner to professional), barre workouts, strength routines, sculpt classes, yoga sequences and more. Users can curate their own workout or follow the studio’s weekly workout plan.
Indiana Woodward with Saskia Gregson-Williams of Grace & Form. Photo by Megan McNally.
“We wanted to create a space that nurtured and strengthened bodies and minds, building a love for your body with every step,” Gregson-Williams tells Dance Informa. “Bringing ballet to beginners, and helping those who love to dance love their bodies better. We envisioned Grace & Form as a sanctuary where the artistry of ballet intertwines with the power of fitness, shaping not just bodies but inspiring a profound connection between movement and self-discovery.”
Grace & Form offers a seven-day free trial before a monthly subscription ($19.99) or yearly subscription ($179.88). The studio also offers one-on-one training in ballet or strength, with a customized workout plan following the session for the month ahead to stream in the Grace & Form app.
Beyond that, Gregson-Williams and Woodward offer scholarships to the studio for those who want to try it out but can’t afford the subscription. Details on the scholarship program come out on the first of each month on Grace & Form’s social media: @graceandformstudio.
Indiana Woodward and Saskia Gregson-Williams of Grace & Form. Photo by Megan McNally.
Gregson-Williams and Woodward are sure to stress that Grace & Form offers a range of classes designed for movement beginners through avid gym goers and professional dancers. Users can filter through the different levels to find something that suits their needs or where they are that day.
“When it comes to ballet classes, those who have an interest in ballet but no formal training can find Grace & Form a welcoming place to start,” Gregson-Williams says. “Beginner classes typically require no prior experience and focus on fundamental techniques, basic positions and ballet terminology, making them accessible to anyone. We’re expanding our beginner library so that individuals looking for a new form of exercise that combines strength, flexibility and grace will find it an easy place to start. Experienced dancers can benefit from Grace & Form by refining their technique, improving their strength and flexibility, and learning from dancers they respect and love. We have a filter of beginner to advanced, so whilst you can filter by your level even the beginner classes can be a great place to go back to.”
Gregson-Williams and Woodward say their launch earlier this year was met with a lot of enthusiasm, and already they’re seeing ways for the platform to grow. Over the next six months, the roster of teachers will expand internationally. And, almost like a tease, Gregson-Williams and Woodward share, “Although we always knew that our first element of Grace & Form would be the virtual, we’re very excited to come into the physical space in 2024. That’s all we’ll say for now!”
Saskia Gregson-Williams and Indiana Woodward of Grace & Form. Photo by Emily Teague.
Grace & Form merges ballet and fitness in a safe and approachable way. And perhaps being entrepreneurs of the Studio has even enhanced the friendship of Gregson-Williams and Woodward in an exciting way.
“We’re both go-getters, and share a no-time-than-the-present attitude,” Gregson-Williams says. “When we have our minds set on something, we are both laser-focused. Our creative thinking compliments one another, and we always feel inspired to plough on after a quick catch up on the phone.”
To get a feel for the classes offered on Grace & Form, and to sign up for a free seven-day trail, visit graceandformstudio.com. You can also follow Grace & Form on Instagram: @graceandformstudio.
Whistle has announced the launch of Disrupting Harm In Dance, a free online toolkit designed to support dancers and dance institutions in addressing sexism, exploitation, abuse, ableism, white supremacy, toxic capitalism and more in the workplace. Whistle (formerly known as Whistle While You Work) is an international platform created by dancer Frances Chiaverini and activist Robyn Doty in 2017, to confront gender-based harm in dance workspaces, along with other forms of discrimination and abuse. Toolkit collaborators include Crip Movement Lap, The Dance Union, J. Bouey and OFEN Co-Arts. This toolkit is Whistle’s final project.
Frances Chiaverini. Photo by Monica Liguoro.
Disrupting Harm In Dance: How to navigate dysfunctional culture while feeling safe, connected, and empowered,was created after years of community discussions, research, surveys and working with dancers. Whistle, in partnership with collaborators, has created this self-directed online toolkit for dance professionals to gather real-life skills for navigating sexual harassment, abuse of power and various forms of discrimination, in addition to setting and maintaining boundaries, mental health, consent practices, advocacy and allyship, and community accountability. The self-directed curriculum combines the lived experiences, knowledge, and expertise of numerous performing arts and dance experts. It offers time and space for dance professionals to examine their current ideas, unlearn practices that do not serve them and develop new practices for a changing culture. The curriculum is dancer-centered, and it can be explored as an individual or as a group.
“We at Whistle love dance and love dancers even more,” said Chiaverini. “We know that there is a staggering lack of support at an institutional level for dancers experiencing abuse and discrimination.”
“We hope this resource can offer aid to individuals and direction for institutions in shaping better workspaces for dancers,” Doty added. “Knowing that this toolkit would be Whistle’s final project emphasized its importance as we created it. We are proud to share what we have learned, and the work of the brilliant activists and experts we have learned from. We hope that this resource helps to make much-needed change in the dance field.”
Doty and Chiaverini began this work together during a Fellowship Chiaverini held at PACT Zollverein in Essen, Germany, in 2017. She invited Doty to collaborate, which focused the trajectory toward shaping the workshops the two would conduct over the course of the following years at institutions in Europe, Mexico, and the USA.
Robyn Doty.
At several internationally held open forums, Whistle organizers asked performers about abuse of power in dance. These community-based conversations illuminated pervasive issues within the culture that are deeply rooted in dance education and training. These training abuses are often repeated and amplified in the professional dance world as normalized work practices. Whistle then created programming and resources to address these issues such as harassment resource cards, a resource ‘zine and more, including a feminist library for which they distributed hundreds of free books and digital texts at Tanz Summit in Essen, Germany, and remounted again at Tanz im August in Berlin. Doty and Chiaverini have been outspoken on these issues, appearing in the ARTE documentary, Tanz, Macht, Missbrauch: Das Ende des Schweigens? (Dance, Power, Abuse: The End of Silence?).
Over the past seven years, Whistle has partnered with numerous international companies, collectives and organizations, including but not limited to: Dramaturgische Gesellschaft, Konferenz Jena, 2019; Pact Zollverein, Choreographic Center (Essen, Germany); Berlin; Tanzplattform Rhein-Main; Frankfurt Städelschule; HfMDK, Frankfurt; Performance Space New York; LA Dance Project,; Nous Tous Gallery, LA; Goethe Institute Mexico; Tor Art Space, Frankfurt; Dancers Connect, Germany; Dance Artists’ National Collective; Zeitgenossischer Tanz Berlin; Tanz Büro Berlin; Tanz im August, Berlin; Mousonturm Frankfurt; Hochschule für Musik und Tanz Köln; Schauspielhaus Zürich.
In 2020, Whistle While You Work was awarded a Fellowship at The Center for Ballet and the Arts at New York University, and Chiaverini and Doty were able to spend dedicated time creating resources and collaborating with other game-changing dance-based organizers. With a 2021 grant from The Migros-Kulturprozent (Switzerland), Whistle worked with multiple experts to shape the online self-directed curriculum of Disrupting Harm in Dance.
With the holidays just around the corner, Dance Informa wanted to give the gift of health advice for the body, mind and soul. Read on for our 10 holiday dos and don’ts for keeping yourself healthy over the holiday break.
#1. Do be kind and gentle with yourself, and allow time to breathe, to enjoy the little moments. Remember that even in the midst of holiday chaos, it doesn’t last forever. Do what is right for you as an individual. If you need to take a breath, do it.
#2. Don’t get caught up in what others are or are not eating. It’s your body – your choice. Just because someone close to you is following the latest diet trend or is talking about their weight, does not mean you have to be influenced by that. It does not have anything to do with you. That’s about them. The amount of calories and nutrients you need to sustain your energy and strength is unique to you. Fuel your body and mind in a way that supports your ability to get through the holidays in a way that you start January in a good place not a place of defeat or punishment.
#3. Do continue to eat regular meals and snacks through the day starting with breakfast. Even if you’re not dancing as much. This supports your metabolism, maintains muscle mass, and stabilizes blood sugar which results in better mood, less anxiety and less likelihood of overeating in the evenings. I know you’re busy. Eat breakfast anyway.
#4. Don’t keep too many sweets and treats in the house which can lead to overindulging. This potentially could set up a negative cycle of overindulgence, then feeling guilt about food, then restrictive eating.
#5. Do allow yourself to enjoy sweets and treats in a social environment and enjoy this time of celebration. It’s a beautiful thing to have a few of your friend’s holiday cookies, or your grandmother’s special recipe, or a slice of that pie that only comes once a year. Enjoying a serving of something delicious is a healthy way to enjoy your life. That’s not the same thing as overeating alone at home.
#6. Don’t allow guilt over food to make you feel bad about who you are as a person. Our food choices don’t define our self-worth. Enjoying some holiday treats with friends won’t derail an otherwise healthy diet. Guilt all too often leads to restricting food which leads to hunger which leads to overeating. Drop the guilt, and keep your blood sugar stable by eating what your body needs when your body needs it.
#7. Do make sure you’re still getting a dietary foundation of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and plant-based proteins like beans, lentils, peas and soy. When your foundation is built on regular, healthy, high fiber plant choices, it doesn’t matter if you have an occasional holiday treat. This also helps maintain muscle mass so you will be starting January in a strong place. Have a big bowl of apples and clementines out on your counter to make for easy snacking. Make a point of eating at least one for a snack and pairing a fruit with a grain or protein if you need more energy.
#8. Don’t overconsume sugary beverages, coffee drinks or alcohol. This includes “energy drinks”. Some special holiday coffee beverages can have up to 600 calories. Consider them like a dessert. Fine on occasion but not something to have every day.
#9. Do keep up with your vitamins and supplements, particularly vitamin D. Since you’re not getting as much sun in the winter, it’s often necessary to supplement this one. Vitamin D is not only important in bone strength, but it’s also a hormone that boosts the immune system, mental health and focus.
#10. Don’t forget to continue to cross-train when you’re taking a break from dance. It’s a great way to keep supporting muscles strong and reduce injury risk when you return in January.
Emily Cook Harrison MS, RD, LD Emily is a registered dietitian and holds both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in nutrition from Georgia State University, USA. Her master’s thesis research was on elite level ballet dancers and nutrition and she has experience providing nutrition services for weight management, sports nutrition, disordered eating, disease prevention, and food allergies. Emily was a professional dancer for eleven years with the Atlanta Ballet and several other companies. She is a dance educator and the mother of two young children. She now runs the Centre for Dance Nutrition and Healthy Lifestyles. She can be reached at emily@dancernutrition.com www.dancernutrition.com
