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Nourishing Your Dancer Body: Understanding The Fundamentals of Making Good Food Choices

October 25, 2012 by 4dancers

by Diana Clanin, M.F.A., AT

Dancers have such a love-hate relationship with food!  Of course we need it: it gives us sustenance, repairs our over-worked bodies, and provides us with energy.  And of course we enjoy it: it not only tastes good, but is part of every cultural and social life-occasion from birth to death.  Yet, we are often afraid that it will make us – and I shudder to even write the word – fat.   So we teeter between trying to be super vigilant about nutrition, and the fear of gaining weight.  And the less food we eat, or the more we try to avoid eating, the more we focus on it.  It’s an ongoing internal conflict.

As The Stomach Growls

So why is this so hard?  Seems like balancing food intake, good nutrition, and weight would be as straight forward as a tendu devant.  But dancers have a unique challenge: how to get the optimal nutrition we need in the fewest possible calories.

To complicate matters further, between the print and broadcast medias, and our hyper-immersion in “smart” electronic communication gadgetry, we are on information overload.  Sadly, very little of what passes for nutrition “news” is fact or evidence based.  If you are increasingly confused about what to believe, you are not dancing solo.  Much published nutritional advice or claims are dubious attempts to sell you some product, which may or may not perform as described. Influencing you to purchase a supplement or special “food” often means convincing you that you have some critical deficiency, or are needlessly suffering from a chronic lack of energy.  It is fear-based marketing psychology and you are the target.

Keeping It Simple

So let’s start by laying down a few basic guidelines for making sane and healthy – and economical – choices:

1. Eat food as close to how Mother Nature packaged it as possible.

  • Avoid pre-packaged food mixes (Bisquick, Hamburger Helper, etc.).
  • Stick with whole grains:  100% whole grain cereals, breads, and pastas.  If it is white, Don’t Bite!  (In the grain department, that is.)
  • And…if it came through the car window, is it really food?

2. Eat several small meals a day and include components from each of the macro-nutrient food groupings each time.

  • This means be sure you have protein, fats, and carbohydrates in your selections each time you eat.  Examples: yogurt and fruit with granola, or cheese and whole grain crackers with vegetable sticks.
  • Try eating five or six small meals instead of three larger ones.  This will give you more even, sustained energy and allow you to metabolize the food more efficiently.
  • And yes, this DOES mean that you may have to do a little food research!! – to learn which foods fall into which the various macro-nutrient categories (i.e., is it a protein? A fat?  A carbohydrate?).  In general, for dancers trying to eat healthy / maintain weight,  and get good nutrition for energy, these guidelines are recommended for daily intake:

+ Protein                      12-15%
+ Fat                             20-30%
+ Carbohydrates        55-60%

Speaking of carbs, it’s good to learn what are healthy carbs (called “complex carbs”, like fruits / veggies / bagels, breads and pastas made with whole grains) and what are not-so-healthy-carbs (called “simple carbs”, like sugars and white grain products).

IADMS – the International Association for Dance Medicine and Science – has an excellent fact sheet on Nutrition for Dancers under the “Resources” tab on the left side of the home page – if you aren’t that familiar yet with different foods and nutritional information, this can be a great start.

3.  Eat a wide variety of foods. [Read more…]

Filed Under: 4dancers, Dance Wellness, Nutrition Tagged With: dance wellness, dancers, diana clanin, iadms, international association for dance medicine and science, nutrition, nutrition for dancers

Dance Wellness Update

September 6, 2012 by 4dancers

Jan Dunn, MS

Aloha All (I’m now based in Hawaii!) –

We wanted to let you know a couple things going on with our Dance Wellness column…

1.  If any of you have any  specific requests on topics for us to discuss in the column, please let me know.  I have many things on my list that I’d love to talk with you about, and also have more guest contributors lined up.  But we’d like to hear from YOU as well.  Just so you know, here are some upcoming topics that are on my list (not listed in order of how they will be posted!!) –

-Nutrition for Dancers

-Aerobic Conditioning

-Motor Learning for Dancers

-Dance Psychology

-Stretching Specifics

-Warm-up Specifics

-Somatics for Dancers

-Adolescent Growth Spurt

-Specifics on various injuries such as Ankle Sprain, etc.

2.  If you have an injury and would like personal help in connecting with a medical professional in your area who works in dance medicine, please feel free to contact me on email. I also recommend that you join IADMS (there are student rates), as you will then have access to the membership database, which will provide you with names in your area.

You can reach me on either of the above topics at  jddanmed (at) aol.com

Aloha to all and take care of yourselves / Happy Dancing !!

– Jan

Disclaimer: There is no substitute for the proper medical care of an injury. If you have an injury, 4dancers recommends you see a medical specialist who can diagnose and treat you based on a proper, in-person examination. Ms. Dunn is not a medical provider, and any information given by her should not be considered a substitute for getting medical advice, diagnosis or treatment of any kind. Ms. Dunn is offering her personal assistance to connect dancers with dance wellness medical providers and resources, and this process is not directed, supervised or otherwise managed by 4dancers. No responsibility or liability can be accepted by 4dancers.org or its owner/editors for harm occasioned to any person as a result of any action or decision taken or not taken based on the contents of the blog.

 

Filed Under: 4dancers, Dance Wellness Tagged With: dance medicine, dance psychology, dance wellness, iadms, jan dunn, motor learning for dancers, nutrition for dancers, somatics for dancers, stretching specifics

Competition Dance: Maximizing Peak Performance Part I

August 9, 2012 by 4dancers

This month’s guest contributor to the Dance Wellness column is Robin Kish, MS, MFA, who is on the dance faculty at Chapman University in Orange County, CA. She is a leader in the field of dance medicine, and is especially focused on competition dance.  

Robin comes from that  background herself, and most of the students she trains come from competition studios as well.  Many of them graduate to teach in that same environment. Others  have become professional dancers in shows such as “Wicked”, competed at the highest levels of “So You Think You Can Dance”, and joined such top notch companies as Momix.

Robin’s passion is to help competition dancers look for ways to be able to dance / compete / teach without feeling broken.  We are so pleased she has joined us here on 4dancers.org, sharing information especially for this important segment of our dance community.                                   

– Jan Dunn, Editor, Dance Wellness

Photo by Catherine L. Tully

by Robin Kish, MS, MFA

Olympians, professional athletes, and even collegiate athletic programs have something in common….they all provide a team of medical health professionals to promote wellness and maximize peak performance.

Where is there anything similar for competition dance?

Choreography, music, costumes, hair, make up, technique class and 100’s of hours of rehearsing make up the day to day life of young competition dancers.  The bread and butter of private studios today are competition teams, with students ranging from ages 5-18.

Competition organizations have been around for a while, however; in the last decade the level and interest in competitions have reached an all-time high.  In addition to the increased opportunities to compete, there is also a continuous stream of conventions and workshops available for dancers to take technique class and learn choreography from the latest and greatest artists.  Reality TV shows such as “So You Think You Can Dance” and “America’s Best Dance Crew” have helped promote dance in the public arena. That said, the missing factor supporting a dancer’s longevity and maximal performance is wellness…i.e, what this column is all about!

Beyond the rhinestones and sequins, the most important instrument the dancer has is their body.  The hours of hard work take a toll on the body and sensations of pain may increase; therefore, a decrease in performance may develop.  Since the focus of training frequently is toward the final product and the tricks necessary to score big at each competition, dancers forget to listen to their bodies along the way. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Competition, conditioning, Dance Wellness Tagged With: anatomy for dancers, chapman university, choreography, dancers, department of dance, iadms, injury prevention, pama, pilates

Staying On Your Toes with a Physical Therapist

July 12, 2012 by 4dancers

Today’s post is the first of our Guest Writer contributions in Dance Wellness.  Sarah Graham, PT, is a dance medicine provider working in Denver, CO, where she is Co-Director of Denver Dance Medicine Associates.  Her article on working with a dance medicine PT is meant to give you information on what to expect when working with a physical therapist who specializes in dance medicine.  

It could also be useful if you have a good PT who is interested in working with dancers, but does not have the background or dance knowledge base.  You could give that person Sarah’s article, along with information on IADMS (International Association for Dance Medicine and Science), and that could help them get started.  Many dance medicine PT’s are not former dancers themselves, but through a love of dance and dancers, became specialists by a dancer connecting them to the field in that way.

Jan Dunn, MS – 4dancers Dance Wellness Editor

Sarah Graham, PT & Co-Director of Denver Dance Medicine Associates

by Sarah Graham, PT

Since dancers’ bodies endure more than their fair share of physical use, working with a physical therapist is a natural partnership.  Many companies have a PT on staff to regularly treat the dancers and provide care prior to and after performances.  For those without a PT, finding a dance familiar physical therapist can impact how quickly a dancer returns to dancing as well as provide valuable education to prevent future episodes of an injury.

Most outpatient orthopedic physical therapists with strong manual therapy skills will be able to help a dancer with an injury.  Manual therapy is a clinical approach using skilled hands-on techniques, including but not limited to manipulation/ mobilization to diagnose and treat soft tissues and joint structures to increase range of motion in the joint, decrease pain, facilitate movement and improve function.  However, two important elements that an outpatient PT who is familiar with dance will bring are:

-an understanding of the physical demands on a dancer

– the ability to assess dance technique for alignment/technique errors which may be contributing to the injury

Often when an injury is sustained, a patient will need to avoid aggravating activities or take time off from certain aspects of their exercise routine.  That works well for mere mortals who have a desk job, but won’t get a professional dancer ready for an upcoming show!   A PT needs to understand the psyche of a dancer in order to effectively work with them.  Most of the dancers I work with dance because they have to.  Dancing is ingrained in them as part of their soul, and the need to dance is as natural and necessary as breathing is. [Read more…]

Filed Under: 4dancers, Dance Wellness, Injuries Tagged With: dance injury, dance pt, dance therapy, dance wellness, denver dance medicine associates, iadms, physical therapy, rudolph nureyev foundation, sarah graham

Keeping Dancers Dancing: Outside Conditioning – The Franklin Method Part II

June 15, 2012 by 4dancers

by Jan Dunn, MS

Today we continue our focus on the Franklin Method, with part II of thist series by Jan Dunn…

In the dance world, there is a long list of institutions / companies where the FM has been used and acclaimed– below are only a few of them:

-The Julliard School (NYC)

-Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance (London)

-The Royal Ballet School (London)

-The Royal Danish Ballet

-“A Chorus Line” national touring company

-Cirque de Soleil

-Paris Opera Ballet

-Frankfort Ballet

-Hong Kong Modern Dance Academy

-The American Dance Festival

Articles about the FM have been in several dance publications over the years, such as Dance Teacher, Pointe, and Dance Magazine. These can all be found on the Franklin website www.franklinmethod.com, along with articles in other areas such as fitness and Pilates.

The FM is based on practical applications of neuroplasticity, and uses imagery as the primary tool to achieve positive changes in our bodies.  There is much research to validate the use of imagery in teaching movement, especially in the sports world (there is research in dance as well, but only recently – whereas in sports, studies involving imagery go back many years).  Experiential anatomy is also a major part of learning the FM.  That means not only learning anatomy from a book perspective, but taking the knowledge into your body with movement – “embodying” it is a term often used for this, in Franklin as well as other movement education systems.  Embodiment gives you direct physical awareness of the body’s function and design.

If you have never experienced working with the Franklin Method, the best way to start is by taking a workshop with a certified instructor.  The FM is relatively new to the US – while the teacher training has been in Europe for over 20 years, here in the States it only started 8 years ago.  There are still less than 200 instructors in the US, and as yet only a small percentage are also professionals in the dance world.  You can find the list of certified teachers / their locations on the Franklin website, and also on the website www.franklin-method.us.   I encourage you to take a workshop with whomever you find in your area, regardless of whether or not they are a dance person.  Dancers usually relate instantly to FM, as it incorporates many concepts they have already had exposure to in their dance lives (Eric Franklin was, after all, first and foremost a dancer and choreographer J).  Franklin himself gives several workshops a year in the US, so if you can locate one that works geographically for you, do it!  You will most likely love it, and it will open your eyes to a whole new way of thinking about your body and movement.

If you do not have access to any workshops or certified teachers, there are still ways to experience the FM.  All of Franklin’s books and videos are available through OPTP, a physical therapy supply house – www.optp.com.  Two of his many books are especially useful for a dancer new to the FM, and are ones I recommended immediately:

-“Dynamic Alignment Through Imagery”

-“Dance Conditioning”

The second book has many actual conditioning exercises that dancers usually find very useful, and that will help give you that overall balance and strength that you need to avoid injury –something we’ve talked about before in this column!

If you are interested in becoming a Franklin-certified teacher, that information can also be found on the www.franklinmethod.com website.  There are 3 levels of training, but you do not have to do all 3 in order to teach. You are allowed to teach whatever material is contained in each level that you complete, even if you do not go on to the next one.  There are usually at least one or two Level One courses taught in the US each year.

Our next posting will continue with our topic of “conditioning”, only this time it will all about the importance of aerobic conditioning for dancers.  Our guest author will be Emma Redding, PhD, who is head of Dance Science at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, and current President of IADMS (International Association of Dance Medicine and Science).

Jan Dunn, MS

Editor Jan Dunn is a dance medicine specialist currently based on the island of Kauai, Hawaii, where she is affiliated with Pilates Kauai. She is also a Pilates rehabilitation specialist and Franklin Educator.

Originally a dancer / choreographer, she became university dance faculty, most recently as Adjunct Faculty, University of Colorado Dept. of Theatre and Dance.  Her  28 year background in dance medicine includes 23 years with the International Association of Dance Medicine and Science (IADMS) – as Board member / President / Executive Director – founding Denver Dance Medicine Associates, and establishing two university Dance Wellness Programs.

Jan served as organizer and Co-Chair, International Dance Medicine Conference, Taiwan 2004, and was founding chair of the National Dance Association’s (USA) Committee on Dance Science and Medicine, 1989-1993. She originated The Dance Medicine/Science Resource Guide; and was co-founder of the Journal of Dance Medicine & Science.  She has taught dance medicine, Pilates, and Franklin workshops for medical / dance and academic institutions in the USA / Europe / Middle East / and Asia, authored numerous articles in the field, and presented at many national and international conferences.

Ms. Dunn will be writing a new column, “Dance Wellness” for 4dancers in 2012 and will also be bringing in voices from the dance wellness/dance medicine field to share their expertise with readers.

Filed Under: 4dancers, conditioning, Dance Wellness Tagged With: a chorus line, cirqui de soleil, conditioning, dance, dance wellness, dancers, dr. emma redding, frankfort ballet, hong kong modern dance academy, iadms, jan dunn, paris opera ballet, the american dance festival, the franklin method, the julliard school, the royal ballet school, the royal danish ballet, trinity laban

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