Author: K. Michael Rowley on behalf of IADMS Promotion Committee 

This phenomenal Dancer Wellness textbook is like a who’s who of the dance medicine and science world. A quick scan of the Table of Contents will toss up well-known names in the community like Luke Hopper of Australia, Emma Redding of the UK, Derrick Brown of the Netherlands, and Margaret Wilson of the US among many many more. This textbook embodies what I personally have wanted from IADMS for the entire time I’ve been aware of the organization – a reference textbook combining the best of the best in contributors, scientifically and clinically rigorous information, and accessibility to multiple audiences. 

Editors M. Virginia Wilmerding and Donna H. Krasnow have done a superb job compiling everything a dancer, dance teacher, or dance practitioner needs to know about dancer health and wellness. These two have even included chapters on Psychological Wellness (authored by Lynda Mainwaring of Toronto, Canada, and Imogen Aujla of the UK) and Optimal Nutrition for Dancers (authored by Derrick Brown of the Netherlands and Jasmine Challis of the UK). These two topics are frequently cited as overlooked or under-acknowledged. Well, not for these two star editors who clearly made every effort to give readers this important information. 

A highlight of the textbook design is the Application Activity found at the end of each chapter. This takes information from the chapter and helps readers incorporate the main points into their practice or their wellness plan. In addition, the supplemental resources found on Human Kinetics webpage would be quite useful for students and teachers. Here, readers can find sample syllabi, slides, tests and quizzes, as well as learning activities for inside and outside the classroom. 

I’ll end this short review by highly recommending this textbook. Whether you’re already plugged in to IADMS and the dance medicine and science community or not, this textbook is a great up-to-date summary of where the field stands. It delivers only the best to students, teachers, and practitioners who take advantage of it. You can order the textbook at Human Kinetics, here. 

Editors M. Virginia Wilmerding (left) and Donna H. Krasnow (right)