Dance Wellness

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

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.

Dancers and Eating Disorders – Warning Signs and Helpful Resources

July 8, 2019 by 4dancers

We are pleased to bring you an article by Dawn Smith-Theodore MA, MFT, CEDS – dancer, teacher, and for the last 20 a psychotherapist with a specialization in eating disorders, based in Los Angeles. She brings her knowledge and her own personal experience with these concerns to her work, and has authored the book “TuTu Thin — a Guide to Dancing Without an Eating Disorder“. She has presented internationally on this topic. This is an important concern in the dance world –please pass it on! – Jan Dunn, Dance Wellness Editor

by Dawn Smith-Theodore, MA, MFT, CEDS

When you suffer from an eating disorder, you live with the mantra, never enough. Whether it’s the number on the scale that could always be lower, or feeling as though you can never get enough food when binging, or when you believe you can never exercise enough, this concept remains a familiar thread in the life of someone who suffers from an eating disorder.

There is always someone better standing next to you in the mirror—someone with a better physique or a higher extension or more perfect feet. The critical mind works overtime, and can inhibit dancers from being able to perform their best at auditions and even in class. Not all dancers develop eating disorders, but research shows that they are 20 times more likely to than the general population.

Many dancers struggle with either an eating disorder or disordered eating in order to achieve the body desired by teachers and choreographers. Instructors play an important role in bringing out the feelings that tell the story of dance. Dancers need constructive criticism to improve technique and strive to be the best they can, but someone who has the predisposition for an eating disorder can hear the critique as an affirmation in their head that they’re just not enough. To help a dancer recover from an eating disorder, teachers, families and even the dancer must work together to understand and address the critical voice that says, never enough.

A common theme among dancers, whether they have eating disorders, disordered eating, body image concerns, or the basic belief that it’s never enough, is that they need to control the size of their body in order to dance. Each dancer perceives a message that their ability as a dancer is not enough, and that they also must have a perfect body. Yet truth be told, it is possible to navigate through struggles with body image, eating disorders, and the boundless desire to dance.

The dance world does not create the eating disorder, but it is part of the recipe that leads to an eating disorder. It is perhaps ironic that the same certain personality types prone to developing an eating disorder (such as the perfectionist) will also pursue a dancing career. For example, someone who is a perfectionist may really like that trait about themselves, because it’s the same aspect that drives them to be as good as possible at everything they do. A hard worker does the work that’s needed to accomplish a task and be satisfied with their work, but the perfectionist will never be happy unless they’re the best.

The problem is that perfect does not exist. We are humans, so we are not perfect! This is the cycle that keeps someone with an eating disorder stuck, while they strive for the impossible dream of perfectionism.
There is a dangerous line where perfectionism becomes problematic and the dancer begins to lose perspective. The dark side of perfectionism begins when a dancer believes that they are never good enough. No matter what they do, they never measure up. The dancer who has crossed that line believes that they must never make mistakes. The feelings that ensue are those of shame and guilt, because they are not living up to the expectations of others.

They become hypercritical of themselves and always feel that they could be doing better. The thoughts become very black and white. If they aren’t perfect, they are a failure. The thoughts and drive for perfectionism is taken to the extreme, and the dancer begins to spin out of control. Dancing may no longer be enjoyable. The love that the person once had for dance starts to fade away. The occupation with weight begins to be what the dancer can control since they feel out of control in their dancing, or of what others think of them. The eating disorder is a distraction and a way to escape the fear that they won’t succeed as a dancer.

The signs of an eating disorder can be very discreet. It may be difficult to recognize an eating disorder in oneself or a loved one. It may also be easy to hide an eating disorder (at least at first) from friends and family members.

Some Warning Signs:

1. Weight loss
2. Obsession with food, weight, and calories
3. Isolation from friends and family
4. Frequent trips to the bathroom after meals and snacks
5. Food disappearing from the kitchen
6. Changes in mood…extreme irritation and agitation
7. Wearing baggy clothes to cover the body

As a dancer concerned about your body, you might start a diet with the intention of losing a few pounds, but it can quickly become a downward spiral of deception. Obviously, not everyone who goes on a diet develops an eating disorder. There are many reasons someone develops an eating disorder. No one chooses to have an eating disorder – but there is a choice to recover.

Education about eating disorders is key for the dancer and their families. Early detection can be very helpful in the success or the treatment of any eating disorder. Your dance teacher and dance studio should understand the benefits of healthy body image. Since you probably spend hours at the studio, the first person to notice any changes could be your dance teacher. Many times, dancers spend more time with their dance teacher and dance friends than they do with their family and school friends. It’s important for those in the dance community to look out for one another and support a healthy lifestyle.

You can help create a healthy atmosphere by helping to educate others about the importance of a healthy self-image as a dancer. If you hear another dancer or teacher talking about diets, bad foods, or negatively about their body, try talking about how important our bodies are as dancers.

If you suspect another dancer or a loved one has an eating disorder, you want to approach them with love and curiosity. Perhaps the individual won’t admit to the problem, but they know that you are noticing and concerned. This may cause them to want to be more open with you.

Strive to be the best dancer you can be. Care for your body as it is your instrument. Proper nourishment and sleep are very important. Compete with yourself and don’t constantly compare yourself to others. Dance for the enjoyment of what you do. Allow yourself the motivation to achieve realistic expectations. Allow yourself the pleasure of recognizing your accomplishments. Being a dancer is something very special. Do not let the allure of being perfect or not enough steal your love of dance from you.

Helpful Resources:

The following organizations offer more information on eating disorders, as well as referral lists for doctors, dieticians and therapists in your area.
· Academy for Eating Disorders (AED)
· National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders
· Families Empowered & Supporting Treatment of Eating Disorders (F.E.A.S.T.)
· International Association of Eating Disorders Professionals (IAEDP)
· National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA)
· Overeaters Anonymous (OA)

Dawn Smith-Theodore, MA, MFT, CEDS is a former professional dancer, studio owner for 25 years in Los Angeles, and psychotherapist for the past 20 years specializing in the treatment of eating disorders. She is the author of a book about dancers and eating disorders, “TuTu Thin… A Guide to Dancing without an Eating Disorder” featured in Dance, Pointe, and Dance Teacher Magazines. Dawn has written for Pointe Magazine and is an international speaker. Dawn is recovered from Anorexia Nervosa and feels passionate about educating the dance world to help the prevention of eating disorders. Dawn is co owner of Cross Pointe Dance and Head to Pointe Wellness Workshops for Dancers.

To learn more about Dawn and her work, visit her website.

The Dance/USA Taskforce for Dancer Health – An Introduction

April 7, 2019 by 4dancers

Recently I was given the opportunity to serve on the Dance/USA Taskforce for Dancer Health, and attended the group’s semi-annual meeting in New York City. The Taskforce is the dance medicine arm of Dance/USA, an organization that serves the professional dance community in the USA. It is a small group, numbering about 100 nationwide — and there were 38 of us at the meeting. I have known a number of these dedicated professionals for several years, including the current Executive Committee:

Co-chair: Nancy Kadel, MD (Seattle)
Co-chair, Treasurer, Screening Co-chair: Heather Herod Cole, PT, COMT, CPI (Nashville)
Secretary: Kathleen Davenport, MD (Miami)
Screening Co-chair: Mandy Blackmon, PT, DPT – (Atlanta)

I’m pleased to be able to share information about the Taskforce and their work in dance medicine — please pass it on! – Jan Dunn, MS, Dance Wellness Editor

Dance/USA is a national service organization for professional dance – membership is open to dance company directors / managers / agents / producers and presenters / service organizations, as well as individual dance artists and students. The website’s home pages gives the Vision and Mission Statement:

Vision:

Propelled by our belief that dance can inspire a more just and humane world, Dance/USA will amplify the power of dance to inform and inspire a nation where creativity and the field thrive.

Mission:

Dance/USA champions an inclusive and equitable dance field by leading, convening, advocating, and supporting individuals and organizations. Dance/USA’s core programs are focused in the areas of engagement, advocacy, research and preservation.

Engagement: Dance/USDA engages and activates its network through meaningful programs, convening, and educational opportunities.
Advocacy: Dance/USA advocates for the increased visibility of, and engagement in, dance and for government policies that positively impact the dance field on a national, regional, and local level. In this area, the organization maintains an office in Washington, DC, to represent and advocate for the field of dance in Congress.
Research: Dance/USA provides rigorous, relevant, and accessible research for the dance field.
Preservation: Dance/USA provides resources and programs to advance the archiving and preservation of America’s dance legacy.

The Taskforce on Dancer Health is composed of medical professionals, all volunteer, who work directly with professional dance companies and professional dancers across the USA and Canada. Their mission is to maintain the health, safety, and well being of professional dancers, and it was formed in the winter of 2005 at the request of the Council of Managers for Dance/USA.

The Goals of the Taskforce are to provide experienced and expert health information and support to professional dance companies of all sizes and budgets (and genres). Two of their major efforts are in helping companies establish an Annual Post-Hire Health Screen, and a three-year project to track injury patterns in professional dance companies.

The Screening’s primary purpose is designed to detect potentially life-threatening or disabling medical or musculoskeletal conditions that might limit the dancer’s safe participation in their dance work. In addition, it is designed to determine the general overall health and fitness level, and to make recommendations based on the information gleaned in the Screen. On this website, 4dancers.org, we have had previous articles on screening and why it is an important tool for all dancers–professional or not. Currently there are over 30 professional companies which participate in the Dance/USA Screening Program.

Informational Papers:

An additional goal of the Taskforce is to serve as a resource for information on health and wellness. To that end, there are free informational papers available on the website. They are not meant to take the place of the advice of a medical professional. These papers are brief overviews of different topics, all written in everyday language — current papers are:

Vitamin D and Calcium: Tips for Dancers
Dancer Health Tips: Heat Illness and Hydration
Dancer Health Tips: Backstage First Aid Kit Necessities
Dancer Health Tips: Staying Healthy on Tour
Tips for Dancers on Anxiety
Tips on Depressive Illness for Dancers
Tips on Concussions for Dancers

New papers are released on the website and updated throughout the year, so it’s a good idea to check back periodically and see if there is new information to be found.

Dance/USA and the Taskforce on Dancer Health provide excellent resources for the dance world. Clearly it is aimed at professional dancers, but the information provided is valuable to studio teachers as well – especially in terms of the screens and informational papers. If you are not already familiar with it, I encourage you to take a look.

Here is a direct link to this section of the website.

For further questions contact: dancerhealth@danceusa.org

Dance Injury Prevention in Breaking

March 5, 2019 by 4dancers

I’m so pleased to be able to bring you an article on a topic we don’t hear too much about in the dance medicine world – Breaking – or “Breakdancing” as it is often referred to in the media – and how it affects the dancer. Nefeli Tsiouti Is a young IADMS (International Association for Dance Medicine and Science) member from Cyprus, who has brought the art form forward, bringing knowledge and understanding to the injuries suffered in this field. She graduated from Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance (London) with her Master’s in Dance Science less than 3 years ago, and already has done much to further her passion about Breaking and concern about the dancers’ wellbeing. She is the founder and Director of Project Breakalign, drawing attention to this topic worldwide. She is also a researcher for the Cyprus Musculoskeletal and Sports Trauma Research Center, and is currently pursuing her Physiotherapy degree at European University, Cyprus. Nefefi won the Sports Therapist of the Year award from the international Federation of Holistic Therapists. She has an impressive resume already, and we will be hearing much more from her in the future. Please pass this on to all of your dancers / teaching colleagues, but especially those who work in this particular dance form.

– Jan Dunn, MS, Dance Wellness Editor

by Nefeli Tsiouti, MA, MSc

I will not stop writing articles until I can get all hip-hop dancers away from injury!

Psychologists say that if you have experienced a situation yourself, you are more equipped to relate better and help others who will go through similar situations. So here I am, after overcoming severe chronic injuries, some of which have not yet decided to fully go away, and some surgical experiences, I have decided to dedicate my life to helping others prevent injuries.

Dance gave me wings, as it does to everyone. But one day, when I met ‘Breaking’ (or Breakdance as known by the media), I was amazed! A very intriguing, social, upside-down, flipping around, creative dance style that offers creativity beyond the roof. It is literally one of the most uplifting and open-to-options dance forms that one can get involved with.

However, as positively unique as Breaking may be, because of the extreme physicality that is required to be able to perform it, if it is not taught progressively, and without the appropriate body conditioning, it may cause injuries to the body.

Breakdancer — Nefeli Tsiouti, photo by Anna Motou.

A big part of the mentality of a Bboy/Bgirl (Break-boy /Break-girl, the male or female who dances to the ‘break’ of a song – otherwise known as Breaker / breakdancer) is the constant fight to achieve. Bboys and bgirls set very high goals when practising their art form, and with that also comes managing an injury and dancing through it. They prefer to dance with an injury and keep developing, than to stop practising in order to rest and heal–and then return to dance.

This preference to continue while injured, was one of the answers dancers gave on the 1^st global Breaking survey I conducted with Dr. Matt Wyon (University of Wolverhampton – UK), on injury occurrence in Breaking. They stated that it was preferable to ‘continue dancing with the injury, but carefully’. From my perspective, this hunger and drive to become better than yourself every single day, and to always develop, is one of the most beautiful and rewarding elements of Breaking. The hard work that Breakers put in their craft, and the reward they feel when achieving their goal, when winning the battle, when completing their move, when spinning on that head, when landing properly on that elbow – all the crazy things that once looked supernatural, become systematic in their practice.

Generally, in Breaking the most common injuries occur on the upper body. The axis of the body is very often vertical in Breaking, therefore the impact on the joints and the demands for the upper body to generate the movement, is very high – but also unnatural, in terms of principles of functional movement as well as ‘typical’ ways of moving. A study that we conducted at the Institute of Sport, Exercise & Health at UCL (2015), showed that not only does fatigue have a significant negative impact on the stability of specific foundational breaking movements, but it can also reduce the force which breakers use to get into certain movements. This finding suggests that fatigue may lead to injuries – in relation to pressure and weight distribution. However, the more fit and in better condition the breaker is, the less likely it is that they will get injured ^[1].

It is essential to not put obstacles into this positive community of people who have built great skills out of nothing. In 2013, when I realised how broken I had become from dancing (18 years of dancing at the time), I decided to act on it and contribute to the hip-hop culture in a way that others hadn’t had the chance to do at that point.

Therefore, in 2013 I started a research project on the prevention of injuries in the breaking field – Project Breakalign. What we have concluded is that there is something missing for the breakers, and generally for many dancers in other forms as well. That missing ingredient is a tool…..A tool for dancers to educate themselves and embody in their body – i.e, the necessary information for prevention of injuries. My research team of 15 international researchers/dancers, and myself, conducted a 1.5 year-long project where we created the Breakalign Method. This is a conditioning program, based on the analysis of the biomechanical (meaning the mechanics of movement) and physiological demands of Breaking. More information on the Method and the project can be found at: www.projectbreakalign.com . The creation of the methodology was funded by the Centre National de la Danse, in France.

But, a moment of honesty is necessary here. Preventing injury in such a physical group of dancers may be done up to a certain point. From that point onwards, as dance scientists and researchers of the genre, we can reduce the risk of injury by implementing certain principles in the practice of Breaking – but the risk will always be there, depending on the spontaneity of the dancer, their fitness level, the flooring, their shoes, and many more elements…..that I could talk about for hours!

So this concludes this first introduction to Break Dancers and Dance Medicine / Wellness –stay tuned for #2 article, coming soon on 4dancers.org.

References: ^[1] Tsiouti, N., Constantinou T., Philip, K., Sanchez, E., Paton, B. (2016). Evaluating the relationship between fatigue, pressure and weight distribution on the upper limb in breakers. Revista Movimenta. 9(4): 659-664. (http://www.revista.ueg.br/index.php/movimenta/article/view/5622/3840)

Nefeli Tsiouti completed her MSc in Dance Science, supported by 3 scholarships from Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance in London. She has been dancing for 21 years, having as her main dance training classical ballet in Cyprus and Greece. She has obtained a Bachelors Degree in French Language and Literature from the University of Athens in 2009 and a Masters in Choreography from Middlesex University in 2011. She has been a Lecturer in Dance in Colleges and Universities across London since 2011. She is also the Artistic Director of Scope Dance Theatre since 2010, making hip-hop dance theatre using the artistic elements of the hip-hop culture.

Nefeli initially began training Breaking in 2007 and unfortunately obtained a very serious injury on her shoulder, which meant she had to stop any physical activity and have a medical operation in 2008. Several years after no dance activity, she moved to UK for her studies and began Breaking again and has been competing nationally and internationally ever since. Since 2013 she has been the Founder and director of ‘Project Breakalign’, a prevention of injuries research project for breakers. The aim of the project is to bridge the gap between dance medicine and science, and dancers, and to make the knowledge of research become as applicable as possible to the hip-hop dancers, and not only.

Nefeli won the Lisa Ullmann Travelling Scholarship Fund in 2014, choosing New York as her research destination. She was also awarded the Bogliasco Foundation Fellowship in 2015 in Genoa Italy for further research on injuries in breakers. She has also been awarded the Gill Clarke Resource Fund, the ‘Centre National de la Danse’ Funding in 2015 to develop the ‘Breakalign Method’ for Project Breakalign, the ‘Dance UK’s Dancers’ Mentoring Programme’, being mentored by Matthew Wyon, as well as being a finalist for the ‘Change Maker Award’ by London Inspires Awards.

Nefeli’s work over the past few years has focused on developing a new area of dance medicine and science research, which focuses on hip-hop dancer and specifically breakers. Project Breakalign has been at the forefront of bringing new information to academic research and translating it to reach the communities with the dancers who need it. Nefeli has devoted her work to the mission of reducing the risk of injuries and promoting a healthier dancer for longer, with Project Breakalign’s research, lectures, workshops and her active participation in international breaking competitions.

International speaking engagements include Brazil-UK Network in Dance Medicine & Science 2016 in Brazil, Performing Arts Medicine Association’s Annual Conference 2016 in L.A., Healthy Dancer Canada 9th Annual Conference 2016 in Saskatoon, International Association for Dance Medicine & Science Annual Conference 2016 in Hong Kong, Serendipity’s Blurring Boundaries: Urban street meets contemporary dance 2015 in De Montfort University UK, Kingston University’s PoP Moves Emerging Scholars Symposium 2012 in UK and Goldsmith’s University’ Conference of Contemporary Music & Dance 2012 in UK. In 2017, she will present the creation process of the ‘Breakalign Method’ at the Centre National de la Danse in France. For more info, watch the following trailer: https://youtu.be/zJjSoo6WAic

Nefeli’s professional performance and/or choreographic credits include London Olympics Opening Ceremony 2012, RIOT Offspring/Sadler’s Wells 2014, Open Art Surgery/Breakin’ Convention, Dance Umbrella/Barbican, B.Supreme UK Tour, Faraday’s Cage film/Company Bricolage, Barcelona International Dance Exchange, The Place, ELLE-Adidas MyGirl Global campaign 2014, Folk Dance

Remixed UK Tour (2014-15), Opera in Revolution 2015 in Cyprus, and more.

Published articles include a piece of research in Blurring Boundaries: Urban street meets contemporary dance by Serendipity (2016) and also an article about health in dance in Dance Today. Dancing Times (2014). More publications are expected from 2017.

Tsiouti, N., Constantinou, T., Philip K., Sanchez, E. & Paton, B. (2016). Evaluating the relationship between fatigue, pressure and weight distribution on the upper limb in breakers. Revista Movimenta. 9(4): 659-664

Healthy Eating: Vegetarian & Vegan Diets For Dancers

February 17, 2019 by 4dancers

I’m pleased to bring you an article on healthy eating for vegetarian and vegan dancers from a longtime IADMS colleague, Derrick Brown, M.Sc. A lifelong dancer, teacher, and choreographer, Derrick is currently co-program manager and lecturer in Dance Science at the University of Bern, Institute for Sports Science, in Bern, Switzerland. He also works in the Netherlands, as a research fellow at the National Centre for the Performing Arts, and as a guest lecturer in health at ArtEZ University of the Arts, and the Coronal Institute of Occupational Health, People and Work – Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam.

For dancers who choose a vegan diet there is often a lack of information that applies specifically to dance. Derrick is working to remedy that situation, and we are pleased to share his knowledge with you.

– Jan Dunn, Dance Wellness Editor

by Derrick Brown, M.Sc.

Is it just a hype?

Click, zoom in, swipe up, left, or right on any social media platform and eventually you will come across someone extolling the dangers of meat and touting the virtues of a plant-based diets. At first glance you might believe that the entire world has gone ‘green’. However in a study published recently (see below) that researched 334 dancers from 53 countries, we can see that of those who opt for plant based diet, only a minority are emerging when compared to those who also consume animal products. Vegetarianism provides a catchall term for a variety of diets, which exclude the consumption of some, or all-animal products.

Contrary to popular claims, appropriately designed and managed vegetarian diets contain foods nutritionally sufficient for health, well–being and physical performance. Vegetarian dancers can meet their protein needs from primarily or exclusively (vegan) plant-based sources when a variety of these foods are consumed daily and energy intake is adequate.

However, the quality and timing of dietary intake is of key importance to meet the physical demands typical of high intensity, intermittent types of dance styles. Poorly planned, calorically restrictive and nutrient poor diets confer a host of deficiencies that diminish health and ultimately performance.

The current recommendations for dancers’ diets are:

– 55 % carbohydrate

-20–30% fat

-12–15% protein.

This recommendation is based on an omnivorous diet and is an acceptable start point for all dancers across different dance styles. Below are some simple examples that may aid dancers who opt for partially or all plant-based diets.

High-quality carbohydrates are the way to go. [Read more…]

Some Warning Signs:

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