Dance Health

Often times in dance, we can be very goal-oriented. We’re perfectionists, always striving for a better line, one more turn, a little longer of a balance. And sometimes we get frustrated when it feels like we aren’t achieving those things. Studios can get a bit insular when your day is spent studying yourself in the mirror.

So today we’re going to step outside of the studious studio mindset and remind you of something: you’re human! All that training you do? It has effects that can’t be seen onstage; your family, friends, classmates and coworkers see it sooner than an audience member would. Truth is, dancing doesn’t just make you a better dancer, it helps make you a more informed, creative, and well-rounded person.

We touched base with Board Certified Dance Movement Therapist Sara R. van Koningsveld to hear how she uses dance in her therapy practice to benefit her clients. On top of her BC-DMT certification, she is also a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC), a Graduate Laban Certified Movement Analyst (GL-CMA) and registered yoga teacher. She has a deep understanding of how and why movement helps us be better humans.

Dancers have our own theories. It’s hard not to dance an exercise on one side, then the other, then reverse it and not feel at least a little smart. We count ourselves to be team players when synchronizing corps de ballet choreography or mirroring fellow dancers. Creative problem solving is practically our job, especially when choreographing. Our time management tends to be on par with the best and busiest. We pride ourselves on being hardworking. Partnering encourages empathy and a sense for consent. These skills are all byproducts of the cognitive, physical, social and emotional awarenesses that van Koningsveld helps her clients access and build.

Van Koningsveld defines DMT as “the integration of body and mind, through movement.” And it isn’t limited to dance – “Movement can sometimes look more like mindfulness practices, such as walking or breathing, and/or self-awareness practices focusing on the sensations of the body.”

Some of what van Koningsveld says of DMT supports dancers’ hunches about dance sharpening their cognition and other skills. And some of it points to a lack of awareness – such intensively physical training can sometimes put the emotional and mental benefits of movement on the back burner. When we get so wrapped up in the technicality and performance of dance, we may miss out on some of its natural benefits. So van Koningsveld is here to help us reconnect with the (not so simple) foundations of movement. Let’s start with what dancers do well. We’ve got coordination literally from the tops of our head to the tips of our toes. “In dance/movement therapy, as well as other mind-body professions, we call this physical intelligence or body awareness ‘kinesthetic awareness,’” says van Koningsveld. “Kinesthetic awareness is one of the main elements of my DMT practice, because from that awareness change is possible.” Our kinesthetic awareness is well honed; we practice it daily. When a move doesn’t feel right, we practice and adjust until it does.

But we make that change in our physicality for aesthetic purposes. What about changing our physicality for emotional purposes? Here’s something dancers could build on. “For a very simple example, you notice butterflies in your stomach. Do you like them, or do you not? Are these butterflies for excitement, or is it anxiety? As a DMT client, you get to make that decision for yourself, and then decide what to do about the butterflies. We may move the butterflies or watch the butterflies. Either way, we are building kinesthetic awareness. Your body is giving you information about your current emotional state through your physical state.”

Van Koningsveld explains that Laban-Bartenieff technique takes kinesthetic awareness even further, building concepts of “body knowledge” and “body prejudice” from it.

“At any time, we can try on new movements and choose to either become conscious or remain unconscious about them. Here is another short example. In (western) culture, we do not typically bow when greeting someone; we are used to shaking hands. Imagine being in a situation where a bow is customary – we try on bowing to greet someone, and maybe it makes us uncomfortable. But do we notice that discomfort, or do we just continue about our day? To expand our body knowledge, we would acknowledge the discomfort, get curious about it and expand our self-awareness about why it’s uncomfortable. Is it because it’s something I don’t know? Or is it because I have problems with bending at my hips? We get to explore what makes bowing to someone feel so uncomfortable – physically, mentally and emotionally. Ignoring that sensation, ignoring information our bodies are giving us when we move in a new way, would lead to or reinforce body prejudice.”

With all the kinesthetic awareness we engrain in ourselves for dance, we can apply that awareness to our world outside of the studio. We can pay attention to our physicality and foster our body knowledge, gain insight through our body into how the environment around us is affecting us, and either change our environment or change how we’re interacting with it. We can notice other people’s physicality, and help them feel more at ease or included. All through understanding how physicality links to emotionality and mental health.

For such a human capability, it feels almost like a superpower. Does it sound too ‘out there?’ What if you paid attention to what constitutes the absolute best hug, how it feels to be wrapped in the most comforting embrace you can imagine? That kinesthetic awareness, that almost choreographic understanding of an everyday gesture, can help you provide that comfort to other people.

Professional dancers of this day and age are considered athletes, and rightly so. But thinking solely in physical terms can limit the benefits movement has to offer. Dance is also emotional and creative. Of course moving your body has physical benefits, but it also gives you a sense you can tap into that provides feedback on how you feel. So every so often, dance outside of the mirror, and instead of thinking about how it looks, notice how it feels. If you’re looking for guidance on how to hone that superpower, talk to a Dance Movement Therapist like van Koningsveld about using DMT to care for your mental health, or even just to learn more about yourself.

By Holly LaRoche of Dance Informa.

The post How dance can make us better people appeared first on Dance Informa Magazine.

With the recent SAG-AFTRA strike, we checked in with our neighbors north of the border, who are voting on a strike of their own. What do unions look like in Canada? Well, Canadian dancers now have a stronger voice in the British Columbia region, thanks to a recently formed Dance Committee under the established Film and TV union there, UBCP-ACTRA.

We sat down with Louise Hradsky in Vancouver, Canada, who is co-chair of the Dance Committee. Hradsky is a choreographer, dancer and advocate for dancers in the BC film industry – where many American shows get filmed.

Hradsky is accomplished, having choreographed for productions like To All The Boys: Always and Forever and Charmed. Her committee co-chairs Jeffrey Mortensen and Melena Rounis are equally accomplished, with credits on shows like Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist and Peacemaker, respectively. Most recently, Hradsky and Mortensen won a LEO award and have been nominated for an Emmy for their work as choreographers on Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies. This is clearly an experienced group, but when did they finally feel established enough to take on this leadership role?

“For me, it was around my 15-year mark of being in film and TV,” says Hradsky. “Since my first job, I had been hearing dancers voice issues, but only amongst themselves, always maintaining this culture of ‘keep your head down, work hard, and don’t complain.’ I strongly believe it’s possible for dancers to maintain the great work ethic we’re known for, while professionally communicating certain basics required to do a quality job. Whether it’s appropriate rates or rehearsal time, discussing what’s needed to deliver high caliber work is important. After 15 years, I realized I was in a place as a leader in the community to foster something.”

In late 2020, the UBCP film union contacted their choreographer and dance members about forming a focus group, before heading into negotiations with producers for the British Columbia Master Production Agreement. The BCMPA establishes protocols and minimum rates for cast and some crew in BC Film and Television. These negotiations only happen once every three years.

“Some key members showed up enthusiastic and prepared for the focus group,” explains Hradsky. “We were articulate and concise with our discussion points. It became clear to UBCP, and to us, that we could really benefit from working together. Formation of our committee snowballed from there; we started chatting with different dancers and choreographers in our community, and had informal meetings on Zoom. We had incredible guidance from UBCP, and modeled the structure of our committee off of the existing UBCP Stunt Committee.”

The Stunt Committee is a force – when safety is on the line, voices need to be heard and respected. Stunts carry the risk of high impact accidents – but much like dance, it also affects your body over time, resulting in ‘wear and tear’ injuries. While dancers might not seek the same hazard pay stunt performers require, a bump in pay to account for the necessary physiotherapy, chiropractic and other body maintenance seems like a reasonable ask.

Hradsky, an active member of the stunt community herself, was inspired by how much ground they’ve covered by coming together. “Other than risk, the job we do is very similar. You have to be able to learn choreography, perform for camera and figure out all the physical logistics. When I saw that parallel, and how cohesive the stunt community is, it inspired me.”

While Hradsky includes pay increases in her goals for industry reform, she makes clear that pay isn’t the only inequity that needs attending.

“Sometimes, there’s a feeling of disconnect with other departments on what dancers and choreographers bring to the table. I had run into dismissive attitudes towards our contribution many times, but all that changes once they see what we bring to a scene,” Hradsky notes. The Dance Committee seeks to solve that with education and representation, but also by shifting the culture inside the dance community itself.

“Professionalism on set is critical. In many cases, there’s an inherent youthfulness to dance which can be perceived as play instead of work,” Hradsky says. “We’ve trained our whole lives to do this, though, and we have a responsibility to conduct ourselves in a way that represents that to other departments, producers and directors.” Historically, infantizing dancers is a common issue, and with that comes silencing or disregarding their voices. But on a film set where there are so many moving parts, if you don’t learn to speak up, you won’t get what you need.

And choreographers are the designated spokesmen. “What we have to understand is the choreographer is the supervisor, the head of department for all the dancers. That means you’re responsible for their safety and wellbeing,” Hradsky says. “It’s something no one teaches you, but is critical to get a sense for.” Dancers need to feel safe voicing concerns to their choreographer, and choreographers need to feel comfortable addressing them with production so that they can be resolved.

Hradsky has built a reputation for taking care of her performers, advocating for what they need while working with production to make it happen. From figuring out the logistics of pointe shoes with the costume department, to ensuring her dancers aren’t asked to repeat demanding choreography without adequate breaks. The committee accomplishes this on a larger scale.

She notes that only pushing for change every three years when the BCMPA gets renegotiated isn’t an effective path forward. “What is effective is if we come together and decide what we want to work towards. Even if it never makes it into the written agreement, if all the choreographers agree that this should be standard, and all of the dancers understand that their choreographers should be providing that for them, then we are moving in a positive direction.”

Then by the time that three year re-negotiation rolls around, there’s precedent established in the community already. “It’s important we’re all on a similar page about what it takes to deliver a job,” Hradsky says. “Contracts can vary depending on experience level and production budget, but if we can pin certain things as standard, we’ll gain power through consistency, regardless if they’re in the written agreement or not.”

These goals are similar to the ones the American WGA and SAG strikes are working toward. Hradsky recognizes, “I have some incredible friends and colleagues in the U.S. who are helping make huge moves. They’ve just formed the Choreographers Guild, so for the first time film and TV choreographers have the consistent opportunity to be unionized, which has been a big difference between working in the United States and Canada.”

The Canadian film and TV market is competitive in the global scene, and is taking steps for their dancers to maintain competitive compensation. “As Canadians, it’s easy to have stars in our eyes for other big cities in the world in terms of the caliber of dance and professionalism,” Hradsky says. “However, cities like Vancouver and Toronto have so much work flowing through them, so many artists gaining extensive flight time and experience. We have an incredible community of professionals, and the work we’re delivering on camera is second to none. The other layer to this is, what can we do to advance the perspective of what choreographers and dancers bring to projects.”

And that’s a global moral for dancers everywhere. We have to recognize our own value in order for others to see it, too. Organize within your community and advocate together – committees are formed from communities.

By Holly LaRoche of Dance Informa.

The post Dance committees: How community commitment can make a difference appeared first on Dance Informa Magazine.

Does it feel too soon to think about your pointe shoes and back-to-school? It’s understandable that it might be daunting to think about the upcoming ballet season, but it’s never too early to reassess your shoes and get ahead of your fall classes. It might help to think of it as a tune-up for your feet, and what better time than in between summer programs and the start of fall classes?

Summer dance camps don’t offer a lot of free time to analyze what is happening with your pointe shoes, and when fall classes begin, there are loads of things to think about, including school and homework. That makes late summer the perfect time to take a good look and re-evaluate for the upcoming season because pumpkin spice lattes and Nutcracker rehearsals are just around the corner.

Approach your analysis like a lab experiment. Think of yourself like a scientist searching for the truth; rigorous testing is necessary to figure out what works for you and what does not. Start by finding some quiet time so you can focus without any distractions. Going through this process while you have free time helps you think through what it was about a particular style that worked or didn’t.

Take all of the pointe shoes you wore over the summer, even the ones that didn’t work for you, and place them in separate piles labeled “yes,” “no” and “maybe.” Set up your “lab” by using good mirrors, or several mirrors at different angles, along with a ballet barre so you can do classroom steps in each pair of shoes.

One great way to see yourself is to take short videos doing relevé, échappés and pirouettes. You can shoot into a mirror to get good angles in poses and during movement. The videos shouldn’t be for social media; think of them as a way for you to watch yourself in a completely candid way without the pressure of trying to look perfect.

Create a document that you can easily edit and take detailed notes. You can organize it by the date, including the season, and each pair of pointe shoes can have a section that breaks down what happened when you wore them. You may find these guidelines helpful for your evaluation:

#1. How did the shoes fit?

• Was the size the best for you, or was there an issue?
• Too big is just as bad as too tight; it is important to figure out if you hit a growth spurt during the summer and adjust your size accordingly.
• Calluses, blisters and some bruising go with the territory; however, the amount of pain should be manageable.
• Pointe shoes are supposed to be snug, but if you have to keep stuffing the shoes with padding, that is a sign of a problem.
• Pay special attention to what happened when the shoes were worn a few times.
• If you are in so much discomfort you cannot get onto pointe, that signals that something is just not right.

#2. Were you able to execute the steps given in classes?

• If pointe shoes are unsupportive, you can’t do a proper relevé.
• If they are too hard, you can’t get over enough to feel all of your turnout muscles or fully stretch your lines.
• If something didn’t work for a pas de deux class, maybe it will work for a Bournonville variation. If a pair was good for a challenging variation, maybe it won’t work for the Willis in Act II Giselle.

#3. Was it supportive in the box and arch?

• It takes time to figure out if the shoe is losing support in the arch or in the box.
• Everyone knows that shoes that break down after two barre exercises aren’t going to cut it in the long run.
• Did you do everything you could with the shoes — gluing and drying out?
• Maybe your ribbon placement could have helped with the support.
• Did you buy square shoes even though you have a tapered foot? How did that work out for you?
• It is important during this assessment that you are honest with yourself.
• Sometimes things can be fixed with a harder, more supportive shoe, and sometimes something completely new is needed.

#4. What about your alignment? Did the shoes get in the way of you being up and on your legs?

• Were you able to properly lift out of the shoe while still maintaining the feeling of the floor?
• Were you able to be up on top of your hips and lengthen your spine, or did the shoe feel like it got in the way?

#5. Ballet aesthetics require a beautiful line.

• Did the shoe augment your line, or did it look more like a street shoe?
• Did you purchase a particular pair or brand because a famous dancer or influencer posted it on TikTok?
• The best shoes enhance the leg line and give an ethereal look that is unique to each individual.

Finally, seek out someone you trust who will give you an honest, unbiased opinion. This could be a teacher, professional fitter or a mentor who understands the challenges of finding a good shoe. Dancewear companies are always coming out with new styles and innovations to help you and your technique. The plus side is that there are so many options that there is a pointe shoe style out there for everyone. The downside is that just because something is shiny and new doesn’t mean it will work for you. A good pointe shoe should make you feel like things are possible and not out of reach, and your notes and analysis will help you make sense of what is optimal.  Finding the best shoe can be a career-long process, so don’t get discouraged if it takes awhile to figure it all out.

By Mary Carpenter of Dancewithmary NYC.

Mary Carpenter is a former professional ballet dancer who began her studies at CCM, the official school for the Cincinnati Ballet Company, and was on scholarship at the David Howard Dance Center. Mary also holds a BA with high honors in dance from Butler University. She has danced for the Metropolitan Opera Ballet, Ohio Dance Theatre, Granite State Ballet, Maryland Ballet, Lexington Ballet and Charleston Ballet, and performed in numerous off-Broadway shows. Mary has contributed to the dance community as a dedicated instructor in ballet, Pilates and Progressing Ballet Technique (PBT), and served on the faculty of Broadway Dance Center, the Ballet Hispánico School of Dance, Barnard College and The New School University. She is current faculty for Ballet Academy East and the world-famous Steps on Broadway. Her classes for adult beginners are available virtually on the Dancio.com website.

With over three decades of experience, Mary has become a highly skilled pointe shoe fitter. She has worked with dancers from prestigious companies such as American Ballet Theatre (ABT), The Royal Ballet and New York City Ballet. Her expertise in fitting pointe shoes has led her to give lectures at renowned summer programs, including ABT/JKO, Dance Theatre of Harlem, NYSSSA and Oklahoma Summer Arts in Quartz. In 2015, Mary launched her YouTube channel, “Dancewithmary NYC,” where she shares her knowledge and expertise on pointe shoes through monthly segments. Her channel has become a valuable resource for dancers and teachers seeking guidance and advice.

The post Back to school: Pointe shoe tune-up  appeared first on Dance Informa Magazine.

Going hard in the studio and performing, and then weeks or months off: that’s the dance sector phenomenon of layoffs, one that seems largely underdiscussed. These periods can bring myriad challenges. Physically, it can benefit dancers to give their body rest, but it also behooves them not to be back to the studio in a way that takes them from 0 to 60. That can be a tough balance to strike. Mentally and emotionally, navigating one’s energy and time can be difficult – not to mention that dancer identity dynamic. (“If I’m not dancing right now, what am I doing…who even am I?)

At the same time, layoffs can be time for dancers to cultivate their interests, relationships and capacities outside of performing – perhaps entirely outside of dance, and even outside the arts more broadly. There can be opportunity in the adversity of time away from rehearsing and performing. To learn more about all of these dynamics, Dance Informa speaks with “The Broadway PT” Dr. Megan Wise (PT, DPT), dance career mentor “The Brainy Ballerina” Caitlin Sloan and NYC-based freelance dancer Kirsten Evans. Without further ado, let’s jump in!

The physical: Giving your body rest but staying ready for the studio 

Dr. Wise gives a concrete and helpful timing guideline. If your layoff is less than a month, “take the rest,” she advises. “You’re not going to lose your fitness in that amount of time – and, in fact, having that rest might allow you to come back even better.” If it’s longer than a month, then it’s best for one to consider cross-training and getting back into class. It could actually be a great time to try a new training program or fitness form that sparks your interest. For example, if you’re not currently dancing, your body might have an easier time adjusting to using new muscles in new ways, Dr. Wise points out. You can even make a list of movement/fitness forms that you’d like to give a try, she suggests.

A longer layoff could also offer time for physical rehab, or even “prehab” (injury prevention work), Dr. Wise notes – just be sure to work with your physical therapist to determine if the time you have is enough to do the work within best practice guidelines. No matter what, keep rest a priority – especially if it’s the only time that you’ll get for it in a long while, Dr. Wise adds. She also encourages, for those longer layoff periods that call for more than pure rest, goal-setting — be it with flexibility or an aspect of technique or any other dancer skill.

Sloan has experienced both longer and shorter layoffs, she shares – and, indeed, she approached them differently. At Ballet Tucson, the scheduling was typically four to five weeks on and four to five weeks off. She’d do her best to take class during that period, but she also tried to prioritize making income at a second job. Another challenge was feeling like she was just getting her momentum really going when layoff came. Taking class during layoff did help her keep that momentum up, somewhat, she notes.

At Mareck Dance (Missouri Contemporary Ballet when Sloan was dancing with the company), layoffs were longer. She even had Decembers off to fully celebrate the holidays with family and friends. The work was very athletic, and rehearsal periods had her called into the studio many hours a week, so that rest was quite welcome physically. Toward the ends of those periods, she did what she could to get those “awkward phases out” by getting back into class regularly. She knew that going from zero to full throttle wouldn’t be good news. Sloan did all that in a way that acknowledged what her body needed at any particular time, she explains – thoughtfully calibrating the physical work at hand. “Try to avoid an all-or-nothing mentality,” she advises.

Evans details what helps her find that tricky rest/activity balance during layoffs – but also is careful to note that it’s what works well for her. Everyone is different, and no one should feel pressure to do what anyone else is doing because it’s the “right” way to do it (there really is no one “right” way!). She starts layoffs with at least one full day without any kind of physical activity – “coach potato day, soak it in.” Doing Pilates and restorative movement in the days following that “makes [her] feel really good.”

She also tries to catch a ballet class at least once a week during layoffs, and uses the opportunity to “push a little harder in these classes than I might if I were doing a full day of rehearsals after. This is your time to really work that technique and try to correct habits that a tired in-season body might not be up for tackling. Wear the pointe shoes, do the fouettés!”

For cross-training, she has “tried every cross-training workout from kickboxing to yoga to swimming, running, you name it” – but has really taken to Pilates. In sessions with her trainer, they “work on any weaknesses or injuries [that she] might be experiencing, and just try to build up…overall strength and stamina.” She also practices the form independently, several times a week, to stay “aligned, lengthened and strong.”

All in all, “I just try to live an active lifestyle when it feels good and rest when I need to,” Evans says. “I love walking for my mental health, and it has the added benefit of being pretty good for your body, too!” She encourages trusting that the “body is smart and it knows what to do without controlling it all the time. Lean back a little and listen to your body; let it surprise you.”

Sloan additionally encourages taking advantage of open studio time – if it might be available to you. Even if you just do a barre, that’s something, she affirms. And, in her experience, doing a barre can often lead to doing center – maybe even a full class for yourself! “Just get the ball rolling,” she says, “and make it fun!”

The mental and emotional: Taking care of yourself out of the studio 

Evans offers a cogent sharing of mental/emotional challenges involved with layoffs. “Early on in my career, I viewed layoff periods mostly as a physical challenge. But with more experience, I realized the mental hurdles that come along with layoffs are just as steep — if not even more rigorous — to overcome. There’s this feeling of guilt that can come with taking time off, or even a fear that you could be missing out on an opportunity, or falling behind. But the truth is our bodies and minds need that time away to rest and reset.”

And that’s not all that can challenge dancers mentally and emotionally during these periods. Decision-making over how to productively use your time can be a lot mentally, not to mention navigating factors like applying for unemployment or getting temporary work. On a deeper level, there’s that dancer identity piece – “who even am I if I’m not dancing?”

Evans believes that what’s sincerely helped her is a mindset of letting the “discipline serve you, not overwhelm you.“ For example, she regularly takes class during layoffs, but she also doesn’t “stress too much about missing these if life presents me with an opportunity to travel or experience something I wouldn’t typically be able to say ‘yes’ to during a dancing season.” She emphasizes how finding your ideal experience “is not linear. Try to give yourself grace. Try to have fun in the process!”

For that guilt piece, “remember that experiencing life outside of the studio will fuel your performance onstage,” Evans notes. “Think of this as a time to expand your artistry.” She also recommends discretion with social media use; say goodbye (unfollow, anything you need to do) to anything that makes you feel “devalued.” Instead, shift your focus to being present. “Notice how being away from your usual routine makes you feel, and really observe it,” she advises.

Sloan also encourages that sense of being present. That can, furthermore, allow new ideas to blossom; creativity can truly flow when we’re not in that daily grind. She describes how in those quiet moments, our first impulse can be to reach for our phones. Yet, it can be incredibly meaningful to take “time to be alone with our own thoughts.” Time in nature can be quite helpful for that (and summer layoffs can bring wonderful weather!). Such introspection can be incredibly valuable. “The more you know yourself, the stronger artist you’ll be,” Sloan underscores. In alignment, Dr. Wise notes how long layoffs can be an opportunity to be “human first, dancer second” — connecting with those parts of you that go much deeper than “dancer.”

Whatever happens, however your spend your layoff time, “you don’t have to overthink it, you don’t have to feel all that pressure,” Dr. Wise reminds us. Just breathe through it and enjoy it, as best you can! Sloan also recommends letting yourself feel however you feel about layoffs. “It’s okay if you love it, it’s okay if you hate it.” Let yourself experience joy and rest as well – because those are things are important, too. “Not that things making you feel good even have to be productive,” she affirms with a smile.

Finding the opportunity in adversity: How to leverage layoffs for growth

Yes, layoffs can come with a lot of challenge but also a lot of opportunity — discovering more of the world, as well as yourself, Evans notes. She names how dance “can be so all-consuming when you’re in it. You’re staring in the mirror analyzing your movement all day, every day, and it’s easy to forget how big the world is outside of the studio.” Explore a dance style that’s out of your typical genre, and even dig deeper into other art forms, such as going to concerts and plays, she suggests. Experience parts of life that call to you outside of the arts: from hiking to making ice cream to whatever that might be.

Layoffs can also offer opportunities to cultivate relationships – especially those outside of your company and even outside of dance, something that Dr. Wise highly recommends. As an example of that, Evans tries “to use [layoffs] as a time to say ‘yes’ to other things and spend more time being social with friends and family I don’t see as much during an on-season.” Whatever it might be, take advantage of the time you now have – because it very well may not be there when you’re back in the studio and the theater, she adds. There is “so much to explore in the layoff period, so many ways to be involved in the world; it doesn’t have to be a ‘blah’ time,” Sloan affirms.

On a more practical bent, Dr. Wise points out the ability to cultivate new skills with layoff periods – the sort that could lead to a post-performance career. “You’re not going to be a performer forever,” she reminds us. “Hobbies can also bring more to your craft [as a dancer],” she adds. Yet, she’s also careful to point out, trying new things doesn’t have to lead to new ways to make income (any kind of “side business”), or even make you a stronger artist; it’s more than enough for it to bring you joy! “Play with something else, try something else, be a beginner at something!” she urges. “Beginner’s mind can be vulnerable but also rewarding.”

How do we manage all of that potential? A lot of possibility, in and of itself, can bring that overwhelm that Evans describes. She suggests making plans, getting something on your calendar even before layoff starts. Echoing Dr. Wise, Sloan recommends making lists of things you like doing outside of dancing (watching movies, writing poetry, listening to music, anything at all!), as well as lists for media you want to take in (books to read, shows to watch, podcasts to listen to, for instance).

That approach can help you to jump right into those activities that help you experience the world, and learn more about yourself, rather than being stuck in “Okay, I have this time, what do I do now?” On the other end of the spectrum, another thing that can cause overwhelm – especially for goal-oriented dancers – is feeling like if you start something in your layoff period, you have to finish it. Yet, Sloan calls that into question. “Just start something – just do one thing, and it’ll come,” she urges.

Yet, another thing that can cause overwhelm in layoff periods is time stress, something Dr. Wise notes many performers do feel — this sense that there’s so much to do in such a short amount of time until layoff ends. “Yet, there’s an abundance of time!” Dr. Wise says. Be open to how much time there really is available when you’re not in the studio, and – to the best of your ability – use it wisely, she urges.

Sloan has some great words of wisdom to close us out. “Find what you need to strike that balance. Remember that you do have a job to get back to. What do you need to do to recover but also get back to it? Remember also that it feels different every day for a dancer in class – sometimes you’re really on your leg, feeling great, and sometimes you’re not. That applies to layoffs, and to life! Every day can feel different. With being present and listening to yourself, what you need will start to become apparent.”

By Kathryn Boland of Dance Informa.

The post Navigating layoffs: The physical, mental, emotional and more appeared first on Dance Informa Magazine.

We all know that scene in Center Stage: Juliette (Donna Murphy) finds Eva (Zoe Saldana) working alone in the studio late at night. She starts to coach her, and then comes that iconic line; she cups the barre with one hand and says, “It’s here.” She’s reminding her student that it all comes back to the work.

In researching for this series on a rise in dance injuries (anecdotally, rather than empirically seen at this point), Dance Informa heard a similar sentiment from dance medicine and dance science professionals: it all goes back to consistent work on technique and artistry. That work requires patience (it can feel slow), intentionality and working in alignment with one’s own body.

In this second installment of the series, we’ll deep dive into aspects of training, anatomy/kinesiology and dance medicine research with respect to injury prevention. As we look closely at if dancers are getting injured at a higher rate in this post-COVID lockdowns world, and why that might be, those are all important pieces of the puzzle. We’ll hear from the same accomplished experts. Stay tuned for Part III, where we’ll look at how we push back against this trend. Check out Part I here, if you haven’t yet!

Balanced conditioning for optimum dancer wellness

Sue Mayes, principal physiotherapist of The Australian Ballet, believes that basic knowledge on anatomy and kinesiology can go a long way toward dancers working in safer ways. She advocates for increased dance anatomy education and research. To get a keener idea of your dancing body and how it’s working, “look at the muscles that control the movement,” she advises dancers.

For many dancers, part of that learning is coming to understand the importance of strengthening — for technique, for artistry, for career longevity and much more. Mayes explains how consistent stretching without strengthening can detract from one’s technique and artistry. “If the structures that give stretch and recoil [to your muscles] can’t do that, then those muscles have to work harder – and they’ll fatigue faster. You won’t have that spring in your dance.”

She’s also quite clear that she’s “not saying ‘don’t go to end ranges [of flexibility]’ – just do it safely by also strengthening and engaging musculature.” That’s “mobilizing rather than stretching,” Mayes says – with “muscles engaged at all times and control at end range. That optimizes technique.”

Following all of that, Mayes reinforces for young dancers that if they want to dance professionally for a sustained period, they have to develop a hip strengthening program. That guidance comes from her research on dancers’ hips, which found that strengthening exercises help prevent hip injuries. Also as a result of from that research, Mayes and her team teach dancers “a toolbox of exercises to dancers that they can choose from.”

The result? “We’ve markedly reduced injuries, and also increased the longevity of [dancers’] careers,” she notes. Further, she adds, such strengthening work has also helped dancers finish their careers safer and heathier – versus hobbling out with a slate of injuries. Such dancers “have listened to the education and found out what works for them,” Mayes believes.

What works for dancers often “doesn’t need to be difficult.” She recommends a few fairly simple exercises: sets of rising to relevé and lowering with control, stair running (“fantastic for strengthening feet and ankles,” Mayes says), weight lifting with control at end ranges of motion. Arguably, with the potential to help dancers do what they love stronger and longer, the only real question is “why not?”

Joshua Honrado, Doctor of Athletic Training with NYU Langone’s Harkness Center for Dance Injuries, reminds us of key principles for safe, informed pedagogy – principles to inform that conditioning work. Some of this might feel like a refresher for many well-informed readers – but that never hurts! It’s important for dancers to strive for “neutral alignment,” and for teaching artists to guide them in that direction, for one. For two, observe and respect the limitations of anatomical structure. “We know, from dance science literature, that safely increasing flexibility/range of motion is a long-term goal,” Honrado affirms.

He also underscores the importance of proper, consistent warm-up and cool-down. Time your deep stretching more toward the cool-down end of things, and even better toward the end of the day, he recommends – because static stretching actually fatigues muscles. Muscles need energy for executing technique exercises and choreography in a fully supported, safe way. “Fatigue closely correlates with injury; it can make it all too easy to lose [sound] alignment and support,” Honrado notes.

He also encourages dancers to get sufficient and periodic rest and recovery. At the same, “active downtime” is most beneficial, he notes: with continuing to set and reframe goals, as well as (along with rest) working towards them. There’s actually dance science research demonstrating the benefits of not completely resting during times off from dance (or at least with time in the studio significantly reduced), Honrado shares.

Learning technique and learning to question

Some could laugh off that aforementioned Center Stage moment as a little cheesy, yet for Zac Jones of Heal Yourself and Move, everything really does go back to technique. As he’s working with clients, he immediately has them apply their kinetic learning to their technique. He asks them to “test everything they’re doing [for conditioning] against their dancing…is it improving it?” Evidently enough, if the answer there is “no,” then there’s not much point to doing whatever exercises they’re doing.

That question could be meaningful for dancers following less-than-sound conditioning guidance from social media; if they recognize that something they’re doing isn’t helping them, they may very well stop doing it before they get hurt. In a larger sense, this is also building a “value system” – as Jones defines it — of critical thinking, investigation and balanced rigor. Those are values that can truly serve dancers on their artistic path.

He also encourages dancers to feel what’s going on in their body on a deeper level as they go through exercises and technique – to key into their interoception (inner feeling) and their own body’s wisdom. All of that can help them see the advantages of the quieter independent work, without the “fanfare of class,” Jones says — focused, quiet time and space that can bring a good deal of that meaningful learning of one’s own body.

From there, dancers can start to connect what’s happening in class with all of the work they do outside of class; it all gives dancers that patterning that makes technique feel as natural as breathing, as Jones puts it. As such, establishing that patterning gives you a sincere advantage toward accelerating your technique and artistry, he adds.

At minimum, those skills and mindsets can guide dancers to know enough about their own body to recognize how attempting an oversplit might not be the best idea for them – even if it wowed them when they saw a favorite Instagram influencer do it. Jones reinforces a key truth that we discussed in the first part of this series: when we see things on social media, we don’t know the context.

With dance-based images and shapes, that context includes that person’s innate skeletal system, how that person prepared for it and how they got into it. Without taking that context into consideration, dancers often “want to push through an obstacle,” Jones describes. That doesn’t work, he notes – rather, it “just magnifies the obstacle…because the body says, ‘What are you doing?! Stop!’ It’s our evolution as humans.”

A more useful process – Jones details, echoing Honrado – is learning to “to respect the obstacle,” and then investigate it. “Find the resistance point, and over time work around it and dissolve it.” From there, it goes back to the technique and the vocabulary, Jones reiterates. It all becomes connected, the technique and somatics inextricably linked in supporting dancers toward being the strongest artists that they can be.

All in all, pursuing something that might not be right for your body could be “shape-chasing,” as Jones calls it. In contrast, integrating the shapes of dance technique and choreography into your own physicality is true learning, he notes. Then, it becomes “as easy as breathing.” Our body is beautifully complex, more than any one step or phrase of movement vocabulary could be. “Start to tap into that!” he advises.

Getting “buy in”: Engaging students in their own wellness 

You can lead a horse to water…you know the saying. We can educate dancers and encourage a certain way of working, but they’re the ones who have to keep doing the work: consistently, patiently and mindfully. How can we get “buy in” from them, as Mayes puts it, that this kind of approach will truly get them to where they want to be as dancers?

Both Mayes and Jones point to “the proof in the pudding” — the great results that a more informed, safer approach can bring. Dancers notice that strengthening can actually increase range of motion, for one, Mayes says. Dancers Jones has worked with “have come back [from injuries] stronger technically,” he notes. “With the right information, they can go into their bodies more – really focus and find more possibilities.”

Tracking progress also helps dancers concretely see how they’re improving, week to week – which only helps that “buy in,” Jones affirms. Essentially, if dancers can see that it’s helping them become stronger technically, they’ll most likely do it.

Jones also believes that how he works with dancers helps engage them. He says that the simple question of “how do you feel?”, while they execute a certain exercise, helps a dancer feel “seen and heard.” Feeling like that helps them “really respond…and it becomes more of a dialogue – a circular dialogue between teacher and student.” Reflective questions for students, to be pondered and answered after class, can enhance such a dialogue, Jones adds.

The idea of “it’s the journey, not the destination” can feel like the most cliche Instagram inspiration – yet cliches become cliches because they contain truth. As another time-tested aphorism, there are many paths up the mountain. “There are so many ways to get to the technique [aims that dancers want],” Jones reminds us. Those ways are as numerous and diverse as we are. Perhaps the investigation of all of those paths, to find what will help us reach our dance goals, is its own kind of reward. Enjoy the exploration, dancers. “Put the feel before the ideal,” Jones quips.

By Kathryn Boland of Dance Informa.

The post Are dancers getting injured more? Part II: It all goes back to technique  appeared first on Dance Informa Magazine.

A big leap, a multiple turn, an intricate phrase of choreography – and, pop. There goes an injury. Alternatively, other dancer injuries are quieter, yet no less debilitating — building up over time from misalignments or simply the physical demands of a certain style. Injuries have always been an unfortunate phenomenon in the dance field. Dancers are athletes, after all (and more!).

Post-COVID lockdowns, however, teaching artists and dance medicine specialists are (anecdotally speaking) seeing a concerning rise in injuries. Why might this be? One factor could be more and more dancers looking to social media and other internet sources (with no guarantee of expertise, or of working from evidence-based guidelines) for guidance on stretching, conditioning and more.

Environmental factors such as dancing in small spaces, on non-sprung floors – also due to COVID-inflected factors – seem to have not helped there. Additionally, also due to COVID, dancers have come back to packed seasons when they may very well not have been able to stay in the kind of shape necessary to meet the demands of dancing full-out through program after program.

In the first installment of a three-part series on this phenomenon, we’ll explore those factors – what we know about them, at least (before we can say that we really know for sure, dance medicine researchers need to validate what we’re seeing with empirical data). Next, we’ll investigate some technical and anatomy/physiology principles that can help reduce the risk of injury (not to mention enhance dancers’ artistry!). Finally, we’ll lay out some more overarching principles for pushing back against this (seeming) current trend of an increase in dancer injuries.

Dance medicine specialists will lead the way. For this series, Dance Informa speaks with Sue Mayes, Principal Physiotherapist of The Australian Ballet; Zac Jones of Heal Yourself and Move; and Joshua Honrado, Doctor of Athletic Training with NYU Langone’s Harkness Center for Dance Injuries. Without further ado, let’s explore.

Information from questionable sources: Stretching guided by ‘influencers‘

Mayes works mostly with professional dancers, who do tend to rely on trained, reputable sources for conditioning and stretching guidance (and of course, there are exceptions there). Yet, she does see images on social media that concern her, of dancers going to extreme end ranges of flexibility. Considering the actual, ultimate goal of dance artistry, “why do we need that [sort of] range of motion if we can’t control it?” she asks.

She’s firm that there are much safer ways to achieve that end range of motion – those which also ensure that the flexibility is supported by musculature and the necessary anatomical structures (such as ligaments). Indeed, flexibility without the necessary anatomical support can have dangerous outcomes – and not only those that are immediate (for example, dysplasia of acetabulum of the hip joint, which can occur down the line as a result of continuous and extreme passive stretching, Mayes notes).

Jones, on the other hand, does work with young dancers. From what he’s observing there, he’s also concerned. He sees certain social media accounts sharing exercises and tips on stretching that are “detrimental to technique.” He’s also seen what’s shared on these accounts influence the actions, priorities and perspectives of various individuals involved in a young dancer’s training — from teaching artists to parents to the dancers themselves.

One might wonder how all of this has happened. As Jones sees it, during COVID lockdowns, dancers wanted to continue working on goals for flexibility, technique and conditioning, various things that matter to dancers when it comes to their craft. When studios were closed (apart from sometimes sporadic online class offerings), the internet was where they had to go for that information on all of that. Sadly, “a line was cut between the teacher and student. That daily discipline and close guidance were no longer there,” Jones explains.

Moreover, “social media has made it even more attractive to find information online” – as noted, not all of it being scientifically sound (shout out to dance health professionals who are sharing great information online – you are very much out there and doing great, important work!). For as advantageous and enjoyable as it can be, social media is not exactly built for context, deep-dives of good information, or nuance (tune in to Part II for lots of anatomy/physiology information – we will proudly go there!).

Mayes reiterates a key problem with that lack of context when it comes to images of dancers at extreme end ranges of motion. “Can they really support themselves in their technique, in a way that makes you want to watch them on stage?” She notes that “when you’re looking at pictures on Instagram, it’s a static picture and not movement.” The latter could be a whole different story. Also lacking in these images, Mayes and Jones both agree, is context around dancers’ skeletal structures – in other words, the skeleton you were born with being the one that you have to work with.

For example, we can’t change the length of our limbs to alter the look of our lines or our hip structure in order to safely increase our turnout. Jones notes that it is possible to work with some of these skeletal limitations in order to make technique and aesthetic adjustments. That needs to be done in an anatomically-informed, careful and intentional way, however. That’s most often not going to come through exercises from Instagram. It takes careful one-on-one work.

On the other hand, there are things that we can look for in images of dancers to get a better idea of supported, stable technique (or lack thereof) – are they aligned, for one. “There’s a lot of cheating going on,” and that cheating can be obvious in some images, Mayes notes bluntly. That can further sharpen concerns about dancers taking stretching/conditioning instruction from social media.

Space, flooring, navigating layoffs: Dancing with the right supports 

Dancing in small spaces, with the potential to knock into furniture or other objects – not to mention dancing on floors with less-than-adequate support to dancers’ joints – can’t have helped things when it comes to this seeming rise in dancer injury rates. Toward the latter, Honrado notes that research on dance flooring makes it fairly clear that the right kind does make a difference.

He shares that at Harkness, they’re seeing many dancers with low back and knee discomfort – which may very well be linked with more-than-occasional dancing on non-sprung floors. Yes, COVID lockdown-era virtual classes could be harder to find than in-person classes prior to it (and now, one could argue). Yet, dancers still did dance – at home and at other spaces available to them. Not all of those spaces could offer them the safest, most supportive features for their moving body.

Honrado notes that there (unfortunately) aren’t a plethora of studies focusing on the effects of COVID lockdowns on dancers. Yet, there have been a couple, those that speak to best practices when it comes to dancer layoffs. One, out of Portugal, looked at the effect of physical preparation classes offered to dancers during COVID lockdowns. The study found that dancers came back to the studio, when it was safe to do so, with even more flexibility and mobility (in other words, muscle-supported flexibility – for instance, the height at which a leg can lift itself versus being assisted by an outside force).

Honrado believes that these results indicate “dancers shouldn’t completely rest” during layoffs or other times away from the studio. “We know that flexibility is the first to go, so dancers should keep working on that” – in a safe, evidenced-based manner, he’s clear to add. However, another study out of China found that when dancers returned from a layoff – without physical preparation classes – they had fewer injuries and decreased fatigue. Honrado explains that those outcomes could be from dancers having time for their body to rest and recover, but it’s not quite clear.

(Stay tuned for Part III to learn more from Honrado, and all our experts here, about how dancers can be more informed consumers of online information on stretching and conditioning – such as how to spot “red flags” for information that’s not reputable or empirical.)

A better focus: Technique, strength, artistry 

Yes, there’s anecdotal evidence that we’re seeing an unfortunate, concerning rise in dancer injuries post-COVID lockdowns. There’s also hope that we don’t have to get stuck there. Jones points to bringing everything back to technique and artistry (more on that in Part II, from pedagogical best practices to cross-training principles for injury prevention). The flashy Instagram images of dancers stretching at extreme ranges of motion – that, in the end, aren’t really what the art form of dance is about – can then begin falling out of focus.

When all is said and done, the dancers who we see on social media aren’t us. We don’t have their body, and they don’t have ours. We don’t have their unique artistic gifts, and they don’t have ours. “Rather than copying someone else, you have to figure out your own body and how you can access” the technique and movement at hand, Mayes reminds us.

By Kathryn Boland of Dance Informa.

The post Are dancers getting injured more? Part I appeared first on Dance Informa Magazine.

You’re sitting in a grand theater, watching your peers perform beautifully. Or maybe you’re scrolling Instagram and their opening night pictures fill your feed. You’re not with them – because you’re injured. All of you wants to dance, but it’s just not physically possible right now – or if you tried you could make your recovery more prolonged (and maybe even less successful).

Apart from that plain old FOMO, you think about things like how you might fall behind your fellow dancers – and even who you are and what you’re worth if you’re not dancing. You try to not sulk, but you don’t feel great. Dear reader, maybe you’ve been there, maybe you haven’t, maybe (knock on wood) you’ll be there someday. Wanting to dance but being unable to, because of injury, is a (sadly) fairly common experience amongst dancers – and it’s nothing like easy.

In order to learn more about this experience, as well as to come away with some concrete tips and tools for how to get through it more easily, Dance Informa speaks with two mental health professionals: Sports Psychology Consultant for Dancers Dr. Chelsea Pierotti, and Natiya Lozano (MS, LCPC, R-DMT, BC-TMH, RYT-200). We also speak with Lauren Difede, a dancer with Newport, RI-based Island Moving Company, who is toward the end of the recovery period for a labral tear (she’s been there, done that, and quite recently).

#1. Addressing identity: “Who am I if not ‘dancer’?”

Both Dr. Pierotti and Lozano bring up – right off the bat – identity as a crucial aspect of this dynamic. Dr. Pierotti notes how when being a dancer is your whole identity, if you’re not dancing, you can all too easily wonder just who you are. “It’s comforting to have a label, and when you don’t have that, what happens?”

She notes how all of that can be even more challenging for teens and pre-teens. Simply by (mostly) universal human development, identity is being formed at this time of life – so it can already be fluctuating and turbulent. It can also be all-too-easy to only see the short-term at that age, with longer-term impacts “hard to wrap your head around,” Dr Pierotti explains — in other words, dancing, even when it might mean worsening and/or prolonging the injury, in order to get that “short-term fix” of staying connected with one’s dancer identity.

Lozano argues, however, that you still are a dancer, even if you can’t dance at this time – and so much more. “Dance is a part of you, but you are made up of many parts,” she affirms. Lozano also acknowledges the creative drive that might be part of that “dancer” identity dynamic. The good news is that there a plethora of ways to satisfy and exercise that creative urge!

“Honor your creative self by using this time to connect with other creative outlets that make you you — singing, writing, choreographing, making [visual] art, et cetera,” Lozano recommends. She also suggests visualization as a way to stay connected with your dance artistry – perhaps visualizing the sort of more athletic, technical movement that’s not possible and/or advisable during your recovery period. You can find a calm, comfortable position, soften your gaze or close your eyes, and turn on music, she describes. “Allow your mind to visualize you performing a dance, or even improving.”

Difede, for her part, doesn’t directly reference identity in her recovery story. She does, however, describe a deep drive to be performing with her company – coming from a profound part of her. She was recovering, and therefore not performing, while her company presented two different programs. She sat in on rehearsals for those programs, and just couldn’t watch the pieces in which she’d performed – despite sincerely wanting to be supportive of fellow dancers taking over roles that she had danced. She had to leave the room.

It was one of those moments that made Difede more aware of where she was and what she needed (and didn’t need), mentally and emotionally, at that time. She’s enjoyed being able to watch the company’s programs and cheer on her dancing colleagues – but, of course, “you want to be doing the thing, not watching the thing. You don’t want to stop!” she affirms.

#2. Being intentional and mindful, but keeping connected: Discretion and connection

Difede wasn’t alone in those feelings, thankfully. She shares how it was immensely helpful to have the support of dancers in the company who had gone through similar experiences. “No one really knows what it’s like until they go through it,” she notes. Even if through signs of support as simple and seemingly small as a gentle hand to her shoulder in tough moments, it helped Difede to know that she wasn’t alone in what she was going through. “Otherwise, it’s like a little island. Accept the support, and know that it’s okay to feel how you feel,” she advises.

Lozano echoes that sentiment. “Honor your feelings and emotions as they surface. Not doing the thing that you love to do at the moment is tough!” She encourages dancers in these situations to, as best they can, give themselves grace and understanding for their current emotional landscape. “Be your biggest cheerleader in understanding that this is tough, and that you can do tough things!”

Dr. Pierotti, for her part, underscores the importance of maintaining social connection during recovery periods. Often, dancers’ social circles are mostly other dancers, so not going into the studio and theater comes with a big risk of social isolation – on top of the all of the mental and emotional challenges that come with a non-dancing recovery period. For quality of life, as well as for better recovery outcomes, it’s vital to maintain those social ties in some way. Dance companies and teams can keep injured peers involved through things like finding non-dancing ways for them to be involved and to contribute, for example.

On the flip side of that, it also helped Difede to have some discretion when it came to what, when, and with whom she shared information about her injury and recovery. The most recent program in which she performed was in March of this year. She made the conscious choice to not tell her fellow company members – apart from a few very close friends in the company – about the whole situation (the injury, surgery and recovery period) until after that run. Difede also only divulged information about her injury on social media when she sort of had to – when questions out there began to be unavoidable and she had to address it all.

There were sensitive aspects at hand, both medically and socially, she explains. “It would have been really easy [for my castmates] to get overly concerned, and all I wanted for that last show [before my surgery and recovery] was to be present and have a great experience with my company and choreographers.”

#3. A holistic approach: Addressing the mind to help heal the body, and vice versa  

Difede had a sense that she needed protect her mental and emotional space during that challenging time – and Dr. Pierotti affirms that addressing the needs of the mind and spirit is indeed crucial in these cases. She notes that through injury and recovery, the focus tends be on the physical, medical and technical: what needs to be done to get back the dancer’s body back to performing full-out again, as soon as possible.

Yet, without addressing a recovering dancer’s mental and emotional needs, recovery won’t be as quick and smooth as it could be (apart from a better subjective quality of life for the dancer, of course). With clients in these situations, Dr. Pierotti uses Cognitive Appraisal – a “step back” to check in with what’s really happening, as she describes it: the facts of the situation, how the dancer is feeling about it, and the like.

“If your cognitive space is ‘this is all over, it’s terrible,’ your emotional response will be anger and grief. The response to that might be things like disconnecting from peers and skipping physical therapy. If we can shift that [cognitive space], then we can we can shift the behaviors” – to those actions that lead to better recovery outcomes, Dr. Pierotti explains. “When you have a mental and physical approach to rehab, that’s when you can get to that place.”

With clients recovering from injury, she also breaks down concrete goals: both physical (such as hitting benchmarks in physical therapy) and social/emotional (for instance, making efforts to stay connected with dance friends). She also notes that patience with the physical therapy process is important; it’s crucial to accept that physically and technically speaking, you won’t be able to do what you did pre-injury right away. It’ll take the time that it takes.

To her sincere credit, Difede has demonstrated this sort of perspective. She’s been diligent about her physical therapy, and has taken genuine pride and pleasure in “small victories” like getting her extension just a bit higher. “Today was the first day I did big jumps in class, and it was fine. Every tiny little step is a huge win!” she shares joyfully.

Lozano also underscores the importance of patience with the recovery process. “Let go of your time limits for, and expectations of, your recovery.” Applying unrealistic expectations can only set you up for disappointment and frustration, she notes. “Grant yourself permission to let go of the ‘I need to be healed by this time or I need to be ready by this show,’ et cetera. Allow your body to take all of the time it needs.”

At the same time, as Difede has illustrated, be diligent about your PT and other recovery work. “Treat your healing journey the same way you would treat preparing for an upcoming performance or dance competition: with time, dedication, practice and persistence,” Lozano recommends.

Lozano also says that this situation can be an opportunity to truly reconnect with your body and how it wants to move. “Can you deepen the inner voice that tells you how it that feels good to you [to move] and honors where your body is right now?” she asks. As potential vehicles for that kind of exploration, she suggests gentle, mindful movement such as stretching, yoga and walking (all with a doctor’s permission, given where a dancer might be in their recovery).

#4. Post-injury growth: Coming out stronger 

The idea of “a silver lining” could understandably ring hollow to dancers recovering from injury – in the sometimes agonizing space of wanting nothing more than to dance and not being able to. Yet, for Difede, such a silver lining has been real. “My injury and recovery honestly kind of gave me a different outlook. I’ve found myself backing away from any kind of pettiness in the room,” she shares.

After the kind of situation that she’s been through with her injury, ”you still absolutely love the studio, but whether or not you’re right about count five…that petty stuff doesn’t matter; it’s the bigger picture,” she asserts. Even physically, her physical therapy has made her physically stronger and kinetically aware, she notes.

In agreement, Dr. Pierotti is firm: “You’re going to come out stronger,” she says with a smile. She does impart that idea to clients in injury recovery, although how she does so depends on age. Younger dancers most often need a clear real-life example (either from their own life or that of someone close to them) of being resilient through adversity, and coming out of it changed for the better. High school and college-aged dancers, however, can hear and understand the idea of “out of adversity comes opportunity” without such a concrete example (although that never hurts).

Having gone through the process, Difede is also clear on the power of prevention – through PT and modifying technique when needed, for example. She also emphasizes the key place of the support structure in a dancer’s corner: parents and teachers for younger dancers, choreographers, company leadership, and a medical team (surgeons, physical therapists, et cetera as needed) who really “knows you.”

With such a base of support, particularly with respect to her employers, Difede “felt confident that I would have a career to return to when I was ready. I was able to focus on myself and recovery, without fear that I wouldn’t have something to come back to when that time came,” she shares.

If we want injured dancers to get back to the studio and the stage as soon and with as little turmoil as possible, doing what they are driven to do (and are lovely doing), it has to be all hands on deck. Everybody has to be doing their part with intention, care and truthfulness. “We’re past the age of ignoring problems and stuffing them under the rug,” Difede affirms.

By Kathryn Boland of Dance Informa.

The post Injured and pining to dance: 4 approaches for how to cope appeared first on Dance Informa Magazine.