5 Questions With Carina Nasrallah, Stephanie Alimena and Lucie Clements

Our next featured members in the “5 Questions With…” column are Student Committee Members, Carina Nasrallah, Stephanie Alimena and Lucie Clements. Carina is an athletic trainer at Physical Therapy Solutions, Mechanicsville, Virginia - the official provider of physical therapy services and onsite care for the Richmond Ballet. Stephanie is a medical student at University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT and Lucie is a PhD student at Trinity Laban Conservatoire for Music and Dance, London UK.

Caring for muscle strains demystified!

Author: Meredith Butulis

Welcome to our three part series on muscle, ligament, and bone injuries. We will explore some common myths, and how you can use current evidence to efficiently return to performance. This month, we will begin with muscular injuries.

Bridging Dance and Health in Brazil IV – Dancing against the odds

Author: Clara Fischer Gam

This is the 4th installation of a series about the opportunities and challenges of Dance and Health in Brazil. Over the last few months we have been exploring together the potentialities of this emerging field – as experienced by our Brazilian IADMS members! As we start heading to the end of this post series, today, in the second-to-last installation, I will be sharing with you some perceptions and lived experiences of Brazilian IADMS members when it comes to building up a dance career in Brazil.

Feet: Skeletal and Muscular Structure

Author: Elsa Urmston on behalf of the IADMS Education Committee 

Over the next few months the Education Committee bloggers shine a light on the importance of the feet. In June, Maggie Lorraine will write a two-part blog which focuses on potential foot injuries, structural issues, and working with them in dance. We look forward to her insight. By means of introduction to this topic, this short blog provides an introduction to the foot’s skeletal and muscular structure.

Bridging Dance and Health in Brazil III: Taking Action

Author: Clara Fischer Gam 

This is the 3rd installation of a series about the opportunities and challenges of Dance and Health in Brazil – through the eyes of the Brazilian IADMS members’ community! In a previous post, we discussed the current scenario for public policies and access to information in the field. Today, I will be taking you on a journey across the country to the projects that are taking action to bridge that gap.

5 Questions With Andrea Alvarez and Siobhan Mitchell

Our next featured members in the “5 Questions With…” column are Student Committee Members, Andrea Alvarez and Siobhan Mitchell. Andrea is a third year graduate student at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, OH, USA. Siobhan is a PhD student at the University of Bath, UK.

Bridging Dance and Health in Brazil II: Raising Awareness

Author: Clara Fischer Gam 

This is the 2nd installation of a post series about the opportunities and challenges of Dance and Health in Brazil - taking the perspective of our fellow Brazilian IADMS members. In a previous post we started delving into the sector of Dance Medicine and Science in this country, a field still in its infancy. Today I am bringing to you a byte-sized overview of our current issues and aspirations to reach information accessibility and community engagement in Brazil.

Stretching: Some thoughts on current practice

Authors: Maggie Lorraine and Elsa Urmston on behalf of the IADMS Education Committee 

Dancers are often passionate about developing their flexibility, reaching ever-greater ranges of motion (ROM), as choreographers require ever-more spectacular contortions of the body. For example, it’s been observed that the height of the développé in Les Sylphides Nocturne section has increased from 60° to nearly 180°, and of course, different dance styles require different ROM at different joints; Spanish dancers need increased ROM in the shoulders compared to a non-dancing population whereas classical ballet dancers need extensive ROM in the hips. We see a wide range of images and videos online nowadays which see young dancers especially, pushing their body into incredibly contorted positions, often compromising safety and alignment, and possibly leading to increased likelihood of injury as they pursue increased ROM. It’s not as simple as pushing dancers into various positions, as it has been reported that up to 17 factors can affect flexibility, including age, body morphology, genetics, gender, bones, nerves, muscle, ligaments, and connective tissue, so it becomes vital as dance educators that we educate our dancers to look after their body, practise safe stretching activities and understand that achieving optimal flexibility is a complex process.

Bridging Dance and Health in Brazil, Part I: The early steps of an emerging field

Author: Clara Fischer Gam 

In 2016, all eyes are on Brazil - country that will be hosting the Olympic Games this year. Inspired by this vibrant atmosphere, today we start a post series about the opportunities and challenges of Dance and Health in Brazil – from our members’ perspective!

Happy Birthday, IADMS Blog!

The IADMS Blog turns 1 Year Old this month!