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Aerobic Fitness for Dancers

June 10, 2020 by 4dancers

Aerobic conditioning for dancers

Dr. Emma Redding, PhD is a longtime colleague in the dance medicine world. She is a dancer, educator, and currently Head of Dance Science at Trinity-Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance,  in London. A  former president of IADMS, and on our 4dancers.org Advisory Board, Emma is also one of the foremost researchers in the field.  One of the many areas she has looked into over the years is the need for aerobic conditioning for dancers, and how dancers who are well conditioned in that particular area can lower their injury risk. Here is an excellent article on that topic — please pass it on!
Take care, Jan
Dunn, Editor, Dance Wellness

by Emma Redding, PhD

As a dancer, I often wondered why technique classes were not sufficiently providing me with all the conditioning and skills needed to meet the demands of my dance performances. I knew intuitively, that I couldn’t rely solely on technique – however I wasn’t exactly sure what I needed to do to train better. It’s because of these answered questions, that I decided to pursue a career that allows me to understand the science of dance.

I’m now Professor of Performance Science at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance in London, England where I lead the department of Dance Science. My colleagues and I wrote the first ever Masters degree in Dance Science in 2001 and since then, we have witnessed an exponential growth in the number of opportunities to study Dance Science at University level, in the UK / USA / and many other countries. Through my research into the physiological demands of dance and as a founding partner of the National Institute for Dance Medicine and Science and Past-President of the International Association for Dance Medicine and Science, I have become an advocate for increasing awareness among dancers and dance educators of the importance of fitness conditioning for dancers.

Dance is an intermittent ‘stop/start’ form of activity. In a performance, a dancer may go from performing an explosive lift, or series of jumps, to a more sustained, continuous – or smaller movement phrase, and this repeats over the course of a dance piece. As such, dancing demands the kind of energy that is derived from both the slow aerobic and fast anaerobic pathways.

Unfortunately, dancers cannot rely solely on technique classes to provide them with all the training they need to meet the demands of performance. This is because a technique class typically includes highly skilled exercises that are often quite short, teacher feedback, corrections and discussion – and often, a good deal of standing around.  The technique class is invariably taught at a lower intensity than a performance, and focuses on technical skill and artistry over fundamental physiological development.

Research shows that dancers can train more effectively by supplementing their technical training with fitness conditioning. Aerobic conditioning enhances stamina and endurance improving your ability to dance at moderate intensities for longer periods of time without experiencing early fatigue. Interval, circuit-type conditioning enhancing your ability to work at high intensities, and this sort of training more closely mimics the work-to-rest ratios and intensities seen in dance.

Aerobic Conditioning

To improve your aerobic capacity, you should engage in continuous and repeated exercise for at least 10 minutes (preferably 10-20 min). Swimming, jogging and cycling at a steady pace for are examples of aerobic exercise.   However, any form of physical activity which engages the larger muscle groups and can be repeated over a period of time is likely to be training the aerobic energy system. You may want to keep in mind that running is impactful like dance, while swimming is non-impact, but particularly useful if you have a lower limb injury.

Interval-Circuit Training

To improve your anaerobic fitness and ability to work at high intensities, you should engage in interval-circuit training which  involves a series of exercise lasting between 30 sec and 2 min. The exercises vary in intensity as well as duration and can involve short rest periods. Examples of exercises include sprints on the spot for 30 seconds, moving in and off of the floor very quickly for say 45 seconds, jumping and burpee-type movements whereby the body weight is shifted from hands to feet repeatedly.

These exercises are short in duration and can be near-maximal intensity. It would be beneficial to experiment with the length of rest periods in-between the high intensity bouts as this would help prepare for the varied length of recovery periods on stage. Sometimes, substitute the rest periods with moderate intensity work, then go back to high intensity again to mimic the changing nature of dance.

Summary

Dancers are not given much opportunity to train for the physiological demands of performance. While they may well be technically skilled enough, they are less likely to be fit to perform.

Ideally, the making of a new performance piece should be set several weeks before the first performance. This is so that dancers can run the piece over and over to become ‘match-fit’ to perform. With funding restrictions as they are, however, this is unlikely – particularly for project-based companies and freelance dancers with short rehearsal periods.

To prepare themselves physiologically to meet the demands of performance, dancers should do supplementary training outside of their class and rehearsals –  and if possible, consider the specific physiological requirements of the piece, as a way of preparing themselves physically. (EDITOR’S NOTE:  Emma Faulkner, DPT with Atlanta Ballet, recently devised a choreographic-specific pre-performance training program, to better prepare the dancers for that particular piece.  This resulted in fewer injuries overall.  Dance Magazine highlighted this in the article “Why You Should Tailor Your Cross-Training to Your Rep“)

This could mean acknowledging any unusual lifting required, body-part usage, work-to-rest ratios, jumping and so on, and from there, design a supplementary conditioning program, which incorporates progressive training in those areas of fitness.

Meanwhile, the debate around dancer fitness will continue. It is not certain whether the recommendations arising from the findings thus far apply to dancers of all genres, and much more research is needed. What is clear is that dancers are now working in eclectic styles of choreographic work, and facing increasing physiological demand. These dancers need fitness conditioning more than ever before.

Research findings do at least show that for now, dancers should not rely solely on technique classes to provide them with everything they need to meet the demands of performing. Happy training!


Emma Redding, PhD
Emma Redding, PhD

BIO: Professor Emma Redding, PhD Head of Dance Science, Trinity Laban originally trained as a contemporary dancer performing for Tranz Dance Company in Hungary and for Rosalind Newman in Hong Kong. She is now Head of Dance Science at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, London, England. Emma has played a major role in developing dance science as a recognised field of study at university level, through her research, and through teaching internationally, as a founding partner of the National Institute for Dance Medicine and Science and a past-member of the Board of Directors and Past-President of the International Association for Dance Medicine and Science. Emma teaches Exercise Physiology and Contemporary Dance Technique at Trinity Laban alongside her management and research work. She supervises undergraduate and graduate student projects as well as PhDs in areas such as dancer health, physiology, talent development, dance training and creativity. She has led and co-led several large cross-institutional projects including most recently, a Conservatoires UK study into musician health funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council and a creativity and mental imagery study, in collaboration with Plymouth University and Coventry University, UK.

Filed Under: conditioning Tagged With: Aerobic Fitness for Dancers, dance aerobic, dance training, Emma Redding, iadms, National Institute for Dance Medicine and Science, Trinity Laban Conservatorie of Music and Dance

Book Excerpt: Dancing Longer, Dancing Stronger

September 17, 2019 by 4dancers

Dancing Longer, Dancing Stronger book cover

I’m very pleased to be able to let you know about a new dance medicine book just published by Princeton Books, Princeton, NJ. This is a 2nd edition of one of the classics of dancer medicine literature — “Dancing Longer, Dancing Stronger“, originally written by Priscilla Clarkson and Andrea Watkins, published by Princeton Books in 1990. This new, updated version has been written by two IADMS (International Association for Dance Medicine and Science) colleagues of mine, Robin Kish, MFA, who has written previous articles for 4dancers.org, and Jennie Morten, BS, MS. This resource is again published by Princeton Books, in Princeton, NJ.

Robin has a strong background in physiology and biomechanics, and is currently Associate Professor of Dance at Chapman University in CA, where she teaches Dance Kinesiology, Injury Prevention, Movement Anatomy, and Exercise Physiology and Conditioning. Jennie is a classically trained ballet dancer, with degrees in Osteopathy and Psychology, and is lecturer at the University College, London – Division of Surgery and Interventional Science, and also wellness professor at the Colburn School, Los Angeles, CA. 

The original DLDS was one of the early (and comprehensive) books about conditioning / avoiding injury written for dancers, and was an invaluable aid for dancers and teachers over many years. Robin and Jennie have done an excellent job in updating the information and adding new segments to the book. It is full of specific conditioning exercises, and is something dancers should carry in their dance bag or have on their devices, for quick reference. This is a must have for every dancer / teacher –  I encourage you to bring it into your dance library.  

Below is a brief segment from the new book, on the importance of cardiovascular fitness for dancers — an important ingredient in lowering one’s injury rate, and something we often forget. Enjoy, and Pass It On!

– Jan Dunn, Dance Wellness Editor


Cardiovascular Fitness (Princeton Book Company, Publishers, © 2019, excerpt below courtesy of the publisher)

Research has shown that although dancers perform slightly better than non- dancers in terms of their cardiovascular fitness, they lag significantly behind other athletes (Rodrigues-Krause, Krause, and Reischak-Oliveira 2015). Dance classes typically have a stop/start nature involving short exercises with rests in between. This primarily works the body anaerobically and trains it for short bursts of activity—the equivalent of being a short-distance sprinter. However, the choreographic demands of performance often require dancers to sustain activity for 15 to 20 minutes, or perhaps even longer. This requires aerobic fitness—the equivalent of being an endurance athlete. If this is not being trained during a dance class, then it is essential to have a supplemental training routine that pro- vides aerobic training. Fatigue is a significant risk factor for injury. Therefore, having a cardiovascular system that can meet both the aerobic and anaerobic requirements of a dance career means that you will have improved endurance, will not tire as easily, and will have a reduced risk of injury. Cardiovascular fitness also plays an important role in injury recovery—the fitter you are, the quicker you will heal.

To improve your aerobic fitness capacity, it is recommended that you undertake exercise that elevates your heart rate to 70–90 percent (depending on your fitness levels) of its maximal capacity for 20–30 minutes, 2 to 3 times a week (Wyon 2005). To calculate your maximal heart rate (MHR), you use the simple equation of 220 beats per minute (bpm) minus your age. Then calculate 70 percent of this to find your target heart rate (THR) for starting these exer- cises. Here is an example for an 18-year-old dancer:

220 – 18 = 202 bpm (MHR)
202 x 0.70 = 141 bpm (THR)—70 percent of your MHR 202 x 0.90 = 182 bpm (THR)—90 percent of your MHR

You may want to start your aerobic training program at the 70 percent end of the range, so for the first week, work at a heart rate of 141 bpm; then the next week, move up to 75 percent and so on until you reach the 90 percent mark.

There are many options you can choose for your aerobic training. These include a static exercise bike, elliptical machine, swimming, skipping, or running on a treadmill. You may want to take into consideration the impact on your joints of some of these activities. For instance, you may wish to choose cycling, elliptical machine, or swimming to avoid loading the joints of the feet, knees, and spine. You can measure your heart rate using a fitness-tracker watch or by using one of the free heart-rate apps available for smartphones. Additionally, some exercise equipment in gyms, such as static bikes and elliptical machines, have built-in heart-rate monitors on the handlebars.

While supplemental cardiovascular training is recommended, it is also considered good practice to include some dance-specific endurance training into dance class itself. Teachers could design this into the class perhaps once a week so that the dancers only need to undertake supplemental training another two times outside of class. This could involve either a high intensity warm-up that is continuous over 20–30 minutes or a center combination that is learned incrementally, then performed for the purpose of continuous repetition over a similar time period (Rafferty 2010). In this way, the endurance requirements for a dancer’s fitness can be addressed within the artistic environment of a dance setting, and not just relegated to a supplemental training routine in a more athletic environment.


About the authors of this completely new edition: Robin Kish received an MFA in Dance from the University of California, Irvine, and an MS in Kinesiology specializing in physiology and biomechanics from California State University, Fullerton. Robin is Associate Professor at Chapman University where she teaches Dance Kinesiology and Injury Prevention, Movement Anatomy, and Exercise Physiology and Conditioning. Jennie Morton is a classically-trained ballet dancer who received a BS with Honors in Osteopathy and MS in Psychology. She is a lecturer at the University College, London, Division of Surgery and Interventional Science, and wellness professor, the Colburn School. She is certified as a Clinical Anxiety Treatment professional and a Mental Health Integrative Medicine provider. Jennie has many years of experience in training and treating dancers, from students to Broadway professionals.

Filed Under: conditioning Tagged With: dance medicine, iadms, Princeton Books, robin kish

The Mirror as a Training Tool in Dance Class

January 21, 2019 by 4dancers

Students in dance class with mirrored wall. Photo by Lori Teague.

I’m so glad to be able to share the following article from Sally Radell, MA, a longtime colleague in dance medicine, on the faculty at Emory University in Atlanta, GA. Sally’s research for many years has been in looking at how using the mirror affects the dancer — we have posted information on this topic from her before on this site. Sally recently presented her latest research at the October 2018 IADMS (International Association for Dance Medicine and Science) conference in Helskini. It was valuable information, and thought-provoking, to put it mildly! So here you go — take care and happy/safe dancing!  – Jan Dunn, MS, Dance Wellness Editor


by Sally A. Radell, MFA, MA

The process of building ourselves as dancers is a long and arduous process. Years of technical training are required and certainly the more efficiently we train the more successful we are at building the technical skills needed for professional performance.

Dancers should not underestimate the importance of how they feel about their bodies in the studio and how this impacts the quality and effectiveness of their training. In fact, research has shown that a dancers’ psychological health and well-being can improve or impede their classroom or stage performance.

The Mirror in the Dance Studio

One classroom tool that has caused some concern in the technique class is the mirror. It is so familiar in the dance studio that many of us take it for granted. Teachers frequently use it as a classroom management tool to visually bring the class together when teaching new material. The teacher has an optimum vantage point when facing the mirror, demonstrating the material with the same physical facing as the students, and simultaneously viewing them as they learn it. This provides for ample correction opportunities and can be an efficient use of time when teaching short classes. However, NOT using the mirror in teaching generally requires the instructor to face the class directly and do a mirror image demonstration of the phrase material. This requires more concentration and focus for the teacher. Whether or not to use the mirror in the studio can be a complex problem for teachers.

Students tend to love having a mirror in the studio. It provides students immediate visual feedback and a constant stream of information on ones’ alignment and performance of a dance phrase. The mirror also provides students an opportunity to fix their hair, examine how they look in their new tights and inevitably compare their body to those of other dancers in the studio. The mirror is a potent tool with distraction powers that can be overwhelming and difficult to manage for most students.

One cannot help but ask the question — is the mirror a helpful or harmful tool in the dance studio, or perhaps a bit of both? Most of the literature on this topic comes from dance instructors and their use of the mirror in the classroom. Opinions vary. Some instructors feel it is a useful tool to check and correct ones’ line or the performance of a particular phrase. There have only been a few formal research studies, primarily focusing on ballet, which tend to discuss the disadvantages of mirror use.

Dance students in mirrored classroom. Photo by Lori Teague.

Disadvantages of Mirror Use in the Studio

  • Students may develop high levels of self-consciousness and self-criticism from starring at their images in the mirror.
  • There is a high temptation for students to compare their physical images to other dancers (or the teacher) in the room which can lead a dancer to feel badly about her body.
  • The use of a mirror can lead to a dancer feeling “disconnected” from her proprioceptive body awareness which is needed for efficient training. This can delay optimum development of a dancers’ technical skills.

New Mirror Research

Further research has recently been done which probes a bit deeper into mirror use with dancers of various skill levels and in different styles of dance. For example, a recent study was done comparing beginning and advanced ballet dancers. The beginning dancers reported using the mirror enthusiastically, while the advanced level dancers discussed the importance of limiting mirror use in class in favor of focusing on the physical sensations of the movement to stimulate technical growth. However, both levels of students felt worse about their bodies by the end of the semester. This suggests that training on how to use the mirror sparingly and efficiently does not help a dancer feel better about her body in class. Perhaps the mirror is just too potent a tool to be used effectively at any level of dance training?

Other recent research compares the impact of mirrors on the body image of modern and ballet dancers in both mirrored and non-mirrored classrooms. By the end of the semester both the modern and ballet students in the mirrored classroom felt worse about their bodies. However, the students in the modern and ballet non-mirrored classrooms felt better about their bodies by the end of the semester. Overall, perhaps these results suggest that the negative impact of the mirror on a dancers’ body image can transcend styles, at least between modern and ballet styles?

As research in the area of mirror impact on body image grows, evidence is mounting on the potency of the mirror and its capacity to harm a dancer’s body image beyond the confines of ballet. I strongly encourage dance teachers and students to reconsider their use of the mirror in the classroom and explore alternate methods of achieving what the mirror seemingly offers. Without a mirror in the classroom dancers can fully focus on their proprioceptive learning and the sensation of movement in their bodies. This will ultimately keep their focus fully “in their bodies” which is the most efficient route to feeling good about themselves and developing the optimum technical skills required for professional careers.


Note: This post is an update to the previous post we have on the site, also authored by Ms. Radell. View that post here.


Sally Radell
Sally Radell, MFA, MA. Photo by Jon Rou.

Sally Radell is professor of dance at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. She holds a BA in dance from Scripps College in Claremont, California, an MA in dance from The Ohio State University, and an MFA in dance from Arizona State University. She came to Emory in 1987 to start a degree program in dance. The substantial growth of the program and success of this endeavor is one of her proudest professional accomplishments. Ms. Radell has been active as a choreographer, teacher, performer, administrator, dance critic, and somatic educator. Over the past twenty years she has conducted research on dancers, body image, and the mirror and has published in professional journals including Journal of Dance Medicine & Science, Research in Dance Education, and Perceptual and Motor Skills. Professor Radell has also presented nationally and internationally on this topic with different organizations including the American Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance and the International Association of Dance Medicine and Science. She is committed to the promotion of psychological wellness for dancers.

Filed Under: 4teachers, conditioning Tagged With: ballet classroom, dance class, Dance studio setup, Emory University, Mirrors in Dance Class, Mirrors in dance studio, sally radell, teaching ballet, teaching dance

Enhance Your Dancing With The Alexander Technique

January 11, 2017 by 4dancers

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I’m very pleased to bring you this current article, on The Alexander Technique, from a longtime dance / dance medicine colleague of mine, Nada Diachenko, faculty in the Dept. of Theatre and Dance at University of Colorado, Boulder.

Nada was a professional dancer in New York for many years, primarily with Erick Hawkins, before she went into the academic dance world. We first met at the American Dance Festival (Durham, NC) 30+ years ago, and formed a lasting professional and personal friendship based on our mutual interest in dancers’ well-being and health.  Over the years we have had many opportunities to work together at CU-Boulder, teaching  Dance Wellness course offerings and starting a Dance Wellness Screening Program, along with Pilates.

Nada’s particular focus for many years has been The Alexander Technique (AT) – teaching dancers how this particular neuromuscular re-education practice can help facilitate more comfortable and productive movement in their bodies, both in dance and daily life. I have experienced AT many times over the years, both with Nada and other practitioners, and always strive to incorporate many of the principles daily, to allow more ease in my body movements. I’m so pleased that she offered to write this article for us.
Nada has included some excellent links for further reading / researching on AT – enjoy and pass it on!

 – Jan Dunn, MS, Dance Wellness Editor


by Nada Diachenko

Do you ever wonder why you get the same correction year after year?

Or why you continue to work on your turns and they don’t get better?

And maybe you struggle with learning a new style and can’t figure out how to make that easier.

Personal History

Honestly, if I had asked myself those questions as a young dancer I would have had to answer yes. In retrospect, I wish I had studied the Alexander Technique (AT) at 19 when I first discovered an AT book at a NYC bookstore. That book sat on my shelf for years. When I finally had a series of weekly lessons, I discovered ease, freedom of movement, balance, and an overall sense of organization. Then I read that book, Body Learning, by Michael Gelb which led me on a life changing journey as a dancer and teacher.

It wasn’t until I moved to Colorado after a 20 year career in NYC as a professional dancer that I began to understand the power of the technique.

While on faculty at the University of Colorado (CU), I realized I wanted to help dancers go deeper in changing inefficient movement habits. It also became clear to me that I needed AT for myself in order to continue to move and dance into the future with less strain and pain.

So I trained and became a certified AT teacher. I learned skills and gained tools that helped me change some of my very strong compensation patterns from injuries and imbalances from my scoliosis. Incorporating these skills and tools that helped me so much, I developed AT courses for undergraduate and graduate students at CU. One of their basic requirements is to read Body Learning. [Read more…]

Filed Under: conditioning, Dance Wellness Tagged With: dance teachers, dancers, F.M. Alexander, Nada Diachenko, somatic training, somatics, somatics for dancers, The Alexander Technique

Shaking Yourself Into Jumping (and higher developpés)

January 6, 2017 by 4dancers

Vibration training for dancers

Aloha and Happy Holidays! We are now past “Nutcracker” season, so here’s a brief post for your post-holiday thoughts, as you gear up for the New Year:

Dr. Matt Wyon, PhD, our Dance Wellness Panel member and current President of IADMS, has done some research on the benefits of dancers incorporating Power Plate / “Vibration Training” into their conditioning program, which he shares in the post below.  If you have access to this type of equipment, you might well investigate using it…

Enjoy, and Pass it On!   – Jan Dunn, MS


by Matt Wyon, PhD

It is now a recognized fact that that dancers need to do supplemental training, but what can be fitted into an already hectic schedule without taking up lots of time?

Vibration training (or Power Plate training) has been shown to improve jump height and developpé height after just 8 sessions (2 ten-minute sessions per week).

In a recent study, published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning, Marshall and Wyon had dancers hold 9 positions while on the Power Plate, for 30 seconds each for the first two weeks, and then for 40 seconds for the subsequent two weeks. The positions were:

plié in first
plié in second
relevé
pelvic bridge (back on the floor and feet on the platform)
right leg leading lunge with front foot on the platform
left foot leading lunge
bent over hamstring hold (with a right angle between torso and legs)
right leg developpé
left leg developpé
(the extension phase of these last two exercises were held for 2-5 seconds)

All the dancers who did the training increased their jump height 4 cm and their developpé height by approximately 20-degrees.

The important thing to remember with everything is that quality is much more important that quantity. This is especially true of supplemental training, and vibration training seems to be able to provide good results with little time demands.


Dance Wellness Contributor Matt Wyon
Matt Wyon, PhD

Matthew Wyon, PhD, is a Professor in Dance Science at the University of Wolverhampton, UK and a Visiting Professor at the ArtEZ, Institute of the Arts, The Netherlands.

At Wolverhampton he is the course leader for the MSc in Dance Science and Director of Studies for a number of dance science and medicine doctoral candidates. He is a founding partner of the National Institute of Dance Medicine and Science, UK.

Prof. Wyon is President of the International Association for Dance Medicine & Science and a past chair of the Research Committee. He has worked with numerous dancers and companies within the UK and Europe as an applied physiologist and strength and conditioning coach.

He has published over 80 peer-reviewed articles in dance medicine and science.

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Filed Under: conditioning, Dance Wellness Tagged With: conditioning for dancers, developpe, Journal of Strength and Conditioning, jump height, Marshall, matt wyon, matt wyon phd, power plate training, power plate training for dancers, vibration training, Vibration Training for dancers

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