Dance Conferences

Dance Medicine: IADMS 25th Annual Meeting

October 24, 2015 by 4dancers

by Catherine L. Tully

The International Association for Dance Medicine and Science held their 25th annual meeting in October at the Marriott City Center in downtown Pittsburgh, PA. Starting off with a day for teachers, the gathering spanned a four-day period that offered networking opportunities, information-sharing, and an overall sense of purpose that was clear and heartfelt.

As a first-time attendee, I thought I’d share some thoughts on the meeting with those who may be interested, and those who might want to consider going in the future. After all, next year’s meeting is in Hong Kong, which would make a lovely trip!

I have to say that I really enjoyed my time with this unique group of professionals, and felt the experience was definitely worthwhile. As most of you are already aware, I’m very passionate about the topic of dance wellness, and I’d love nothing more than to see IADMS continue to grow and connect with dancers and dance teachers everywhere.

So…here are some thoughts on the experience from my perspective, along with a few photos that should give a little context to my narrative.

Networking

Without question the single largest benefit to attending this meeting is the networking. The IADMS gathering brings professionals together from all over the world, giving them a chance to compare notes, talk dance medicine, and, perhaps most importantly, get to know one another.

Even with the magic of connecting via the web, there is just no substitute for face-to-face interaction. To that end, I enjoyed having the chance to meet the members of our own Dance Wellness Panel in person for the first time, and I couldn’t have been more pleased with the planning time we had to solidify topics we’ll share with readers throughout the year (stay tuned!).

Although IADMS is smaller gathering of professionals than conferences such as Dance USA and the Dance Teacher Summit, it actually works to the advantage of the organization in this case. It simply felt much easier to connect with people here. Faces became familiar after a day or two, and because of that, it made approaching people less intimidating–even for a somewhat introverted person, such as myself.

Several events were incorporated into the meeting’s overall framework that allowed participants the chance to just relax and mingle a bit. Among these were the welcome reception Friday evening, and the “dance party” on Saturday night.

Information

The information presented at the IADMS meeting fell into three primary formats: lectures, movement sessions, and poster presentations. There were also a number of tables on-hand from various supporters and exhibitors. To try and summarize everything offered is quite an impossibility, so an overview of the main categories is offered here instead…each with a few examples…

Lectures

Throughout the event there were numerous lectures available for attendees to take in — from “Nutritional concerns in vegetarian and vegan dancers“ to “The science of motor learning: creating a model for dance training” to “Anterior hip pain in a dancer – an alternative diagnosis.”

Injury prevention/treatment, teaching strategies, metabolism, and dancer fitness were just some of the topics addressed by professionals from the podium. Lecture sessions were typically brief and specific, with accompanying slides. Following each lecture there was an opportunity for questions/comments.

Poster Presentations

Poster presentations offered another approach in terms of information sharing and engagement. Posters were displayed in a room where attendees could peruse them and discuss ideas with one another at a leisurely pace. These sessions were lively, and many people took advantage of the opportunity to join in the conversation.

There were two poster presentation slots during the span of the meeting, and a wide range of topics were covered, such as, “Differences in sway area observed in ballerinas en demi pointe and en pointe,” “Can textured insoles improve ankle proprioception and performance in dancers?” and “Building a safe environment for private dance sectors: a business model to provide healthcare for dancers.”

Movement sessions

In addition to the posters and lectures, the IADMS meeting also provides numerous “movement sessions” where participants have the chance to explore thoughts and ideas in a more “hands-on,” active environment.

Some of the movement sessions included: “Using technology for movement analysis in the dance studio,” “Incorporating conditioning into a modern dance technique class,” and “Gaga, Ohad Naharin’s movement language,” among many others.

Unlike the lecture sessions which are generally rather short in length, the movement sessions typically run about 50 minutes, giving attendees the chance to dig in a bit and try some things out for themselves.

Camaraderie

In my time at the meeting I met a wide range of educators, students and dance medicine professionals — from seasoned, founding members of the field — to brand new faces just joining the ranks after graduation.

It was wonderful to see such a large span of ages and experience levels in attendance, and exciting to think about the possibilities that bringing this group of people together offers to the dance community throughout the world.

For more information on IADMS, please visit their website, and be sure to keep an eye on their blog. Those hoping to attend the 26th annual meeting in Hong Kong can keep an eye out for details on the site, and membership information is there as well.

Disclosure: 4dancers attended the 25th annual meeting on a press pass granted by IADMS, but no monetary compensation was received for coverage of the event. All transportation, lodging, and meals were paid for by 4dancers.

10 Tips For Navigating The Dance Conference

January 5, 2015 by 4dancers

by Catherine L. Tully

Whether you are attending your first dance conference ever–or your twentieth, there are certain things you can do to help maximize the time you spend there. We have assembled a list of ten that we think are pretty important, but we’re also pretty sure that readers will have more to add…

Feel free to leave a comment for us on anything you have found to be useful. We’d love to hear from you! In the meantime, take a look at these as you begin to map out your schedule for the coming year…

Create your own plan

No matter what the dance conference is you are attending, there is a reason why you are going to that particular one. Keep your goals in mind when you are planning what sessions you are going to attend. And don’t feel like you have to do it all!

Take a good look at the sessions that are offered on the web and map out a plan for what you’d like to see/experience. Customize your schedule so that you can get the most out of the time you spend there. Having a plan is half the battle.

Try to stay flexible. Keep in mind that once you get to the conference you may need to alter your schedule depending on what comes up.

Utilize the business card

Business cards aren’t used that often anymore, but conferences are the perfect place for them. Bring a big stack of cards with you and pass them out whenever you can. Make sure your social media information is on them (if applicable) as well as your contact info.

As you get cards from other people, jot down any information you can that will help you remember who that person is and why you might want to follow up with them. It will be really hard to remember these things later—especially after meeting lots of people and getting lots of cards.

Plan some meetings ahead of time

[Read more…]

Lauren Warnecke On “The Year Of The Conference”

December 22, 2014 by 4dancers

by Lauren Warnecke

Some say, “If you’ve been to one conference, you’ve been to them all,” but having attended four conferences this year I’m not so sure I agree. 2014 was “the year of the conference” for me, mostly because I’ve been excited to share some of my survey research on dance injuries and cross-training. Plus, as a first year PhD student (you knew that, right?), it seemed like a great way to insert myself into the academic community. My work was presented three times: in Bowling Green, Ohio last February at the Midwest Sport and Exercise Psychology Symposium (MSEPS), in October at the Annual Meeting for the International Association for Dance Medicine and Science (IADMS) held in Basel, Switzerland, and again last month at the National Dance Education Organization (NDEO)’s annual conference in Chicago. I also attended Dance/USA’s conference in June, sans my science-y hat. I presented twice with my research assistant Molly, and each was slightly different in length, but on the whole each presentation was roughly the same.

Why give the same information at three conferences? Three reasons: practice, pointers, and pageantry.

Let me explain.

When you’re involved in research, it’s really easy to get lost in your work. It’s big. It’s overwhelming. Sometimes, you forget the point. Continually putting myself into situations that force me to articulate and defend my work is a really important part of the process. Otherwise, I might get in front of my committee, years from now, when it really counts, and totally bomb it. So, in my view, the more times I can talk about what I’m doing, the better (practice).

Practicing in front of audiences full of draconian observers from all different fields is better still. In the three conferences at which I presented, I yielded opinions and observations from exercise psychologists, physical therapists, athletic trainers, body conditioning specialists, medical doctors, and dance educators. I can say quite confidently that the dance educators were the toughest crowd. It is vital to the success and longevity of researcher that we communicate with individuals working in the field – those putting our ideas into practice. I consider the feedback I received from guests at my NDEO presentation to be critical information that can inform the future directions of my research (pointers).

Finally, conferences are awesome. Though often overwhelming and exhausting, there’s quite a pomp and circumstance surrounding the coming together of like-minded individuals. I mean, I went to Switzerland (Switzerland!) for a 10-minute presentation. Plus, the schmoozing, the fancy parties and catering (pageantry)….

Though the format, the networking, the light appetizers and harsh scrutiny are par for the course at any conference, I found each conference I attended this year to be a unique experience. The exercise psychologists we spoke to in February had no idea about dancers, and helped me draw connections between dance companies and athletic teams. IADMS opened me eyes to a rich pool of dance researchers that I hardly knew existed. As the sole dance researcher at a university with no dance program, I often feel like I’m on an island. IADMS assured me that there are many dedicated individuals in the world who have similar passions and goals. NDEO allowed me to interact with the educators who may actually benefit from this research. And without application, research is pretty much pointless.

One thing is clear: dancers, researchers and educators are passionately committed to dance. We have different skills, experiences, and approaches, but ultimately we all want the same things: inspired performances, health and wellbeing among dancers, longevity of the dancer’s career, and intelligent training practices. By working my way through the conference circuit this year I have never been more certain of that.

Contributor Lauren Warnecke is a Chicago-based dance writer/researcher and educator. She holds degrees in Dance (BA, ’03) and Kinesiology (MS, ’09), and is currently a full-time faculty member and doctoral student in the Department of Kinesiology and Nutrition at the University of Illinois-Chicago. Lauren researches trends in dance injuries, cross-training, and performance, and created the dance blog Art Intercepts in 2009. She is a dance critic for SeeChicagoDance, columnist at Windy City Times, a Huffington Post blogger, and a contributor to the websites Dance Advantage and 4dancers. Lauren has freelanced as a production/stage manager, curator, choreographer, and grant writer, doing nearly every job in the dance world at some point. She is a Certified Personal Trainer (ACSM) and Functional Training Specialist (ACE), enjoys coffee and vintage apparel, and believes in the Oxford comma. Follow Lauren on Twitter @artintercepts.

NDEO Offers “Mosaic Of Possibilities” In Chicago

November 28, 2014 by 4dancers

Overview

The National Dance Education Organization (NDEO) held its yearly conference in Chicago earlier this month (November 5-9) and 4dancers attended for the first time. We wanted to learn more about the offerings this organization extends to the community of dance educators, connect with other dance writers and bloggers from across the country, and share our conference experience with readers here on the site.

The theme for 2014 was “Collaborations–A Mosaic of Possibilities” and the first thing you noticed when browsing all of the sessions available is that there were a staggering variety of them to choose from. Here is just a brief sampling of some of the titles:

Collaborating Between Dance and Illustration Students
Deep Core Stabilizer Muscles and Global Movers; Finding Collaboration in Movement
Technique Class for the Mature Mover
Common Core & Dance: Let’s put it together!
Mambo to Hip-Hop
Preserving dance in collaboration with photographers and filmmakers, past and present
Moon Phases: A Collaboration Between Dance and Science Education
Dance, Pilates and PT: A Collaboration for Dancer Health
Community Collaborations: How to Create and Fund Partnerships with Performing Arts Organizations

And that’s just a small taste of all that was offered.

Both a hard copy of the schedule and an app were available to help conference attendees navigate their choices. We used both to fine-tune what we were going to see/experience. The sessions that we attended were well thought out and informative, and Q&A time brought some great perspectives to light as well.

In addition to our “learning time” we also browsed the tables that were set up for sponsors, exhibitors and advertisers and talked with people in the halls about their conference experience along the way. The overwhelming majority were excited and energized–thankful for this “time-out” to talk with other educators and people in their field. Many remarked on how busy they are and how this type of event allows them some much-needed time to re-fuel and remember why they went down this path in the first place.

We met up with other writers and bloggers and had some time to talk about everything from what they were getting out of the conference to how we were all connected on the web, and how exciting the possibilities are for extending education in various forms online through blogs and other platforms. We bonded. Big time.

Sometimes there is just no substitute for face-to-face communication. As a dance writer on the web, all too often I am alone. I have this in common with many dance educators in classrooms everywhere. It’s easy to lose perspective. It’s hard to stay connected to others who can help inspire you, guide you–and sometimes–just walk beside you along the way.

But don’t just take my word for it. Below you’ll find some thoughts from two other “first timers” at the NDEO Conference this year. And you can read more thoughts from dance educators about their experience over on Dance Advantage as well.

Lucy Vurusic-Riner

I was a “first timer” at the 2014 NDEO Conference in Chicago this past weekend.

I was happy to be involved in the Conference in a number of ways. Thursday morning, my New Trier MENZ dance students performed a work I choreographed for them at a two-hour session led by my colleague Christopher Rutt. I started Friday morning by presenting at my own paper session with my artistic partner, Michael Estanich. Our session, Long Distance Collaboration: Thriving Artistically Across State Lines was well attended and well received. Michael and I look forward to returning to future NDEO Conferences to present on other topics that are pertinent to our classrooms and our artistic work.

I had the opportunity to take a great movement class with good friend Rebecca Bryant. Her session on using the Number Score to assist in Embodied Collaboration was creative and got a lot of laughs. Other notable sessions I attended were Elizabeth Lentz’s paper, Beyond Dancer and Actor and the awesome trio of artists known as AGA Collaborative whose panel on The Collaborative Voice was the perfect way to end the Conference.

The main reason I’ll be back though is for the invaluable amount of networking that took place for me. I had lunch with dance bloggers from across the country and saw some face-to-face for the first time. I spoke on behalf of RE|Dance Group and got us some future performance opportunities. And most importantly, I connected with a lot of teachers from across the globe who share a collective desire to bring dance to our students’ lives.

Cassandra Dara-Abrams

This was the first NDEO Conference I attended and I am already writing my proposal for a movement workshop for the 2015 Conference.

Arriving on the first day of the conference in my “proper” Pendleton blazer and stretchy red velvet leggings, I felt too formally dressed. What? Me–too formally dressed in a blazer and leggings? The following days I came more suitably dressed in my teaching clothes—yoga leggings and layers of shirt and sweater to take off as I warmed up.

Being surrounded by women and men as passionate as I am about dance, the wisdom of the body, and the art and craft of the teaching of both, was an honor. I engaged in dialogue with many professors, teachers, and emerging artists who are creating and honing genuine, authentic, and educationally sound methods of dance education.

One such dialogue was with California State University Professor Rebecca Bryant who led a movement workshop that inspired creative collaboration through a structure that lessens the “preciousness” of being on stage. Her workshop was centered on the Number Score from Ensemble Thinking. I brought the Score to Brave and Barefoot Dance Troupe’s practice session with great success just a day after Professor Bryant’s workshop.

Thanks for an inspiring conference, NDEO!

NDEO Conference 2015

NDEO’s next conference will be in Phoenix, AZ in 2015 and it will run from October 7-11. They will be accepting proposals until February 1, 2015, and the theme will be: “Engaging in the Artistic Processes: Creating, Performing, Responding, Connecting“.

4dancers received free admission to the NDEO annual conference for review and promotional services.

The Dance USA Conference – Minneapolis, MN

July 16, 2014 by 4dancers

This year marked my second Dance USA experience. The first time I went by myself to speak on a panel titled “The Blogosphere: Writing About and For Dance”. This year I made the trip up to Minneapolis with a fellow dance writer, Lauren Warnecke. We piled in the car at 6 am and headed out to network and hear more about the current state of our field.

It has taken me a while to write this post because I wanted to think about how to frame it. Based on that, rather than give you a play-by-play of the sessions I attended and what they taught me, I’d rather talk a bit about the main thing that makes this conference well worth attending…

Basically, it comes down to this: the Dance USA Conference is an incredible forum where you can talk with other people in the dance field–from all over the country and beyond. Connecting with other dance professionals from different backgrounds provides an immense opportunity for learning and growth. I even wound up spending more time with people from my own city than I probably would have throughout the course of a year.

Let’s face it, those of us in the dance field often wind up in our own little bubble; busy working, creating and trying to keep everything afloat. The Dance USA Conference provides a kind of “time out” where one is able to get a better perspective on what is going on in other places. It gives you permission to put your own creative process on hold for a little bit, so you can hear more about what others are doing. This can be quite an informative, inspirational thing.

Conference sessions often serve as a starting point for conversations that continue afterwards into the evening over dinner and drinks. There is ample opportunity to meet up with people one-on-one over the course of the conference and talk about common interests, investigate new ideas or simply spend a little time getting to know one another better. When I attended the Dance USA Conference in San Francisco, it was the first time I had met many of my fellow bloggers in person, even though we had been corresponding on the web for some time. The bond we forged over just the course of a few days is one that remains strong even years later.

So, yes, the conference sessions provide interesting information, and yes, the opportunity to see several evenings of dance performances in another city is a wonderful thing. But the real benefit of attending the Dance USA Conference is that of camaraderie and community. It is the chance to form relationships that continue long after the meetings and initial discussions take place. It gives each of us the gift of time to set aside all we are immersed in so that we can tune in to the bigger picture and see things from an entirely different perspective.

And that alone is definitely worth the trip.

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Mark your calendars for the Dance USA Conference in 2015, taking place in Miami, Florida from June 17th-20th.