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Safe Dance Practice

During the latter part of the twentieth century, dancers began increasingly to concern themselves with training principles that supported their health and well-being. It would seem obvious that professional dance, like athletics, would demand training specific to sustainability and longevity. Yet, unlike sports science, research on safe and effective dance practices has been slow to accrue. More than a quarter of a century has passed since the forming of the International Association of Dance Medicine and Science (IADMS), a worldwide organization committed to dance science research. To date, tangible resources that summarize safe dance practices have been sorely lacking. This book is a landmark offering to the field of dance medicine and science. As a compendium on safe dance practice, the book collates and underscores the findings of many practical initiatives—undergraduate and graduate modules in universities, certificate programs, and other efforts to increase qualifications for dance educators. All three authors hold advanced degrees in dance science and are known for their presentations at conferences and support of quality teaching. All are members of IADMS as well as being dance artists, teachers, and researchers in their own right. The book includes 11 chapters that are progressively organized. Each is written in clear, accessible—yet scientifically sound—language. Headers are large and concise. Each chapter contains boxes and tables that summarize key points and other material relevant to each subject. The authors define safe dance practice and outline the external environment that best supports injury prevention and care. Following chapters define what this means for the dancers’ personal use—alignment and biomechanics, cardiovascular fitness, and nutrition. Select chapters enhance the level of sophistication of the book, including one on motor learning and skill acquisition and another on psychological well-being strategies. All chapters contain a list of learning objectives at the beginning and key points to retain at the end. All contain tables that are explicit and thorough, such as one in Chapter 6 on “Sequencing and Progression,” in which suggested prescriptions are made for the different stages of a dance class (beginning, middle, and end). A welcomed addition is the chapter on adaptations for special populations, special meaning those requiring particular considerations in training. These populations include dancers with physical challenges and disabilities, those dancing through pregnancy and old age, and dancers with asthma and diabetes. The concluding chapter covers evaluation and appreciation of safe dance practice. Here, the authors offer (a) guidelines on monitoring practice to ensure effective goals, (b) an institutional checklist, and (c) a personal self-evaluation form on safe dance practice. Appendices include a variety of official forms necessary for data collection and documentation, such as a health questionnaire, equal opportunities statement, risk assessment form, and accident report form. Finally, there is a page of additional resources and a glossary. Brava to this team of experts who have taken a multidisciplinary approach to best practices in dance and created a seminal book on the subject to carry dancers into the future—safely and effectively.