Happy New Year to everyone! I hope the holidays were wonderful for you, both in your dancing and personal lives, and that you are feeling fully ready and already on the go, dance-wise, for 2014!
We have more great Dance Wellness information / articles / authors lined up for you this year, but first I would like to tell you about an exciting event that just took place in Boulder, CO:
The first Safe In Dance International (SIDI) / IADMS (International Association for Dance Medicine and Science) course for teachers in the USA.
I was privileged to participate and teach in the recent (Jan. 9-12) SIDI / IADMS Preparation Course for the Healthy Dance Practice Certificate–the first such course to be offered in the USA. It was hosted by Universty of CO-Boulder Dept. of Theatre and Dance, and headed by Erin Sanchez, an American dance medicine specialist currently working in London for Dance UK, as the Healthier Dancer Programme Manager.
The course has been offered in the UK the last several years, but it is now beginning to be offered in the US.
The weekend was a major success, with 21 teachers coming–mostly from CO–but also from other parts of the US. There was a large contingent of faculty from the Colorado Ballet Academy, as well as from several other major ballet conservatories in the metro Denver area, and graduate students from the CU Dance Program.
It was immensely gratifying to be there and participate, especially as offering dance medicine courses for dance educators has been a dream of mine for over 20 years. The enthusiasm and energy generated by the students, in their desire to learn this material and take it home to integrate into their teaching, was palpable.
The Safe In Dance International (SIDI) Healthy Dance Practice Certificate program, and the collaboration with
IADMS, is one which we hope will continue to grow and offer more such courses in other parts of the country. If any of you are interested in hosting such a course (which means basically housing it, providing the studio space–as CU Boulder Dance Program did), please let me know, and I will connect you with the appropriate people — and spread the word !
Aloha, and take care —more coming soon on the Dance Wellness segment of 4dancers.org!
– Jan
