Safe Dance Practices

Safe Dance Practices

Dance is an art form in which the body is the instrument of expression. When it comes to seeking movement perfection, no physical endeavour can compare with dance. Arnheim, 1991 p. 3

A recent study by medical researchers, of over sixty different athletic activities, ranked ballet second to only football in terms of physical, mental and environmental demands.

Today’s teacher of dance has an integral role to play in both creating a safe environment for dance education to take place, and ensuring the knowledge, skill and attitudinal development necessary for healthy dancers. The Australian Code of Ethics for Dance Teachers, emphasises a safe dance environment in which,

both studio principals and individual teacher will ensure that facilities provided, conform to minimum safety and space requirements and have suitable flooring, with a safe surface designed and constructed to minimise risk of injury. Ausdance industry committee (as cited on Ausdance website)

Dance injuries are those injuries resulting from all dance related activities, whether at home, in the studio or the workplace (for the professional dancer). The causes of these injuries, for the main part, fall into two distinct categories вЂ" firstly, faulty technique and/or physical limitations and secondly, environmental factors. For the purpose of this assignment, I will be discussing two common injuries from each of these two categories.

Temperature is an important environmental factor. Although a degree of warmth is needed to prevent muscle injuries, a studio that is too hot can also result in serious problems, something that is particularly relevant in the Australian climate. Heat stress is one injury factor that can easily be overlooked. Regardless of age, physical development and ability, a dancer’s reaction to heat is a very important consideration for teachers. Like any athletes, individual dancers start sweating at different temperatures, and at different rates, according to their own metabolism. This can lead to rapid dehydration, which causes muscle cramping, exhaustion, nausea, and otherwise preventable injuries due to fatigue. Any dancer, who is dieting, is at particular risk from dehydration. “When the dancer continues to work on cramped muscles, the results are muscle pulls and perhaps even tears.” (Arnheim, 1991 page 17)

In order to ensure a safe environment, in the hot weather that is so common to some parts of Australia, the teacher must be flexible and prepared to change a lesson plan if it is too taxing in high temperatures. Encouraging students to bring drink bottles and taking regular drink breaks is essential. When air-conditioning is not available, the use of fans and opening of windows and doors to create airflow, are very important. Being in tune with the level of tiredness of the students, and providing rest periods when needed is an excellent prevention strategy. Teachers can incorporate into the lesson, the reasons for these preventative strategies so students can relate this to other activities in their lives.

Justin Howse and Shirley Hancock refer to the practice floor as an extremely important factor in environmental cause of injury. “The actual floor construction is of greatest importance to the dancer.” (Howse, 1988, p. 75.) This is extremely significant, as not all suburban, Australian, ballet studios have the recommended purpose built floor. Some studio floors are reinforced concrete and where there is a timber floor, it may not be sprung. Sometimes the timber flooring is laid straight over the concrete and has practically no вЂ?give’ in it at all. This “lack of spring can cause many injuries.” (House, 1988, p. 75.) Lack of spring from the floor can not only cause foot problems, but is a major cause of injury to lumbar spine, muscles and bones - with the tibia and metatarsals subject to stress fractures. Howse and Hancock speak of covering unsuitable concrete floors with layers of vinyl as the current solution to minimising injury. Any injury to students resulting from a dirty floor could also result in loss of insurance coverage.

With any surface it is imperative to keep it clean, smooth and free from irregularities or imperfections that may cause the dancer to slip or trip. Ryan, 1988 page 117

Shin splints are one of the most common injuries sustained by dancers. They refer to “the microscopic pulling of muscle fibres away from the bone where the belly of the muscle attaches directly to the bone.” (NSW HSC on line Dance ) There are many situations, which can cause shin splints. The shock force of jumping and landing on hard surfaces and repetitive use of the foot flexors on hard surfaces can be a contributing factor. This has special significance for the adolescent dancer. It is a good idea to “Reduce the amount of impact work in the jump sections and especially jumps repeated on one leg at the end of class.” (Rist, 1999 as cited RAD Module Study Guide p. 51)

It is sometimes said that shin splints occur when we ask more from the muscle than it can give. If left untreated, pain progressively gets worse, can be constant and a stress fracture may occur. When the muscles and tendons become fatigued and overloaded, they lose their ability to adequately absorb the damaging shock force. “It is most apt to occur when a dancer is beginning to dance or resuming dance after a long layoff.” (Ryan, 1988, p. 145) There are also biomechanical causes that contribute to shin splints, such as flat feet and over-pronation, causing the tibia to twist, which in-turn, over stretches the muscles of the lower leg.

Although this is an extremely common ballet and sporting injury, and much is written in terms of what it is and how to treat it, much less is documented about prevention. However, it does appear that the following three practices are extremely important. The first is a thorough warm up to prepare the muscles and tendons for the class activities. Without this, the muscles and tendons will be tight and stiff. There will be limited blood flow to the lower legs, which will result in a lack of oxygen and nutrients for those muscles. The second, is the importance of flexible muscles in the prevention of most lower leg injuries. When muscles and tendons are flexible and supple, they are able to move and perform without being over-stretched. If however, muscles and tendons are tight and stiff, it is quite easy for those muscles and tendons to be pushed beyond their natural range of movement. To keep muscles and tendons flexible and supple, it is important