Recently there have been some fairly prominent examples of unsafe stretching practices being shared online by large, influential social media accounts. Immediately, the dance medicine and science community raised the alarm and called attention to these unsafe practices. So what exactly were the unsafe stretching practices and why are they so unsafe?

Periodization is a concept that is commonly used in sports, but remains largely absent in the dance world. It’s starting to gain some traction with certain professional companies, but is still under-utilized (or non-existent) in the studio and competitive dance scene.

Periodization is the systematic planning of athletic/physical training through a specific pre-determined timeframe (usually a season or a year).

By now most dancers and teachers know the importance of warming up prior to dance, however knowing that you shoulddo something and knowing how to do something are two different things.

 Enter, the RAMP protocol. It was designed by Ian Jeffreys and is used by elite athletes and coaches around the world. Following this simple formula can take the guess work out of designing your warm-up and ensure you’re not missing any key elements.

Dance competition season is in full swing, and the last thing anyone wants is to miss out due to injury. Unfortunately, sometimes injuries are unavoidable, but knowing how to manage them effectively can ensure you’re back on stage performing & competing as soon as possible.

Recovery has become a bit of a buzz term in the field of sport and exercise over the past few years, but what exactly is it, why is it important and how do we optimize it?

The AGS is the fast and intense increase in the rate of growth that occurs around adolescence. It is the period of peak growth velocity (how fast growth is occurring) for both height and weight in growing children.

During the AGS not only are dancer’s bodies undergoing rapid changes, but it often corresponds to a time when the demands of dance – technical skill, intensity and duration of training – increase dramatically. This can leave the dancer susceptible to injury, as their body is not able to keep up with the changing demands.

It’s no secret that dancers are traditionally exposed to high training loads and increasingly saturated training and performance schedules. It’s also well accepted that poor load management is a major risk factor for injury, not just in dancers but across athletic populations.

Summer intensives are just around the corner, and for lots of dancers this is the first return to ‘intense’ training since the pandemic started. Summer intensives are always exciting, but I think this year more than ever dancers are looking forward to getting back to some sort of normalcy. Therefore, there’s nothing more frustrating than missing out on this due to injury. Here are some tips to keep you healthy and dancing injury free this summer.

The ultimate health and wellness gift guide for every dancer on your list!