The Dancers Profession

Dance is a demanding profession. It is an activity which is not usually regarded as a sport, yet the demands of a dancer are just as high as those of Olympic athletes. Dancers require the psychological readiness, motor control and aerobic and anaerobic capacity that is required of athletes, yet dance is more complex. In addition, there is a required element of personal artistry by which an individual dancer performs to achieve an aesthetic goal of clean lines, high elevation, precision, poise and grace whilst maintaining the endurance to perform anaerobically on-off for 30-60seconds (e.g. a series of adagios). As well as requiring the strength to hold limbs against gravity and the speed to move efficiently in a coordinated, effortless rhythmic manner. Thus dancers must be physically ‘fit’, however only 40% of fitness may be linked to genetics, leaving 60% to the dancer’s regular training, diet and appropriate lifestyle. Research, however has indicated that dancers are generally not as physically well-conditioned as sporting athletes by holding lower anaerobic values. It is reported that aerobic fitness varies also within the genres of dance as modern dancers hold higher anaerobic power outputs than ballet dancers. However, anaerobic fitness of contemporary and ballet dancers was found to be that of a similar level to a normal sporting population in a review by Angioi et al. (2009).

Additional challenges for dancers may arise for those whose company’s tour. The demands of traveling to new venues every few days, adapting to different theatres, climates, cuisine and climates adds to the demands placed on them. These are all challenges which professionals must learn to cope, deal and adapt with.

The life of a student is organised differently to that of a professional but still as demanding. Performances may be less regular, however there are greater technical classes, projects and academic work. In addition to dance studies, many students have an outside job to pay for their everyday needs. Young dancers often rely on their teachers and their young bodies to negotiate the physical stresses of dance. However dancers need take responsibility for their own bodies if they are to have a long fruitful career without injury.

Dancers must remember that their body is their instrument which needs to be kept well-tuned to the demands of their profession.

In the next post I shall be looking at the essential skills required of a dancer and his or her body.

 Start strong, finish stronger!

References

Allen, N., Nevill, A., Brooks, J., Koutedakis, Y., & Wyon, M. (2012). Ballet injuries: injury incidence and severity over 1 year. journal of orthopaedic & sports physical therapy, 42(9), 781-A1.

Baldari, C., & Guidetti, L. (2001). VO~ 2~ m~ a~ x, ventilatory and anaerobic thresholds in rhythmic gymnasts and young female dancers. Journal of sports medicine and physical fitness, 41(2), 177-182.

Brinson, P., & Dick, F. (1996). Fit to Dance?: The Report of the National Inquiry Into Dancers' Health and Injury. Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation.

Koutedakis, Y., & Jamurtas, A. (2004). The dancer as a performing athlete. Sports Medicine, 34(10), 651-661.

Russell, J. A. (2013). Preventing dance injuries: current perspectives. Open access journal of sports medicine, 4, 199.

Welsh, T. (2009). Conditioning for dancers. University Press of Florida.