Introduction
The Dancer Wellness Program is a program designed to assist dancers, dance educators, and medical care practioners who interface with dancers. The goal is to provide a wide array of information about the dancers' individual instrument, that being their body, both to the dancer and to the instructors, practitioners and medical professionals with whom the dancer may interact. With integration of theory provided by lecture classes such as kinesiology the overall intention and goals of the Dancer Wellness Program is to:
- Aid in making the dancers' training more efficient and effective
- Aid in preventing injuries
- Provide valuable resources and information to assist in the rehabilitation of injuries
- Assist educators and medical care practioners by providing valuable quantifiable information about the dancer that can not be derived by simple observations in the dance technique class nor in the rehearsal studio
- Continue to develop a body of quantifiable data that uniquely addresses the physical characteristics and demands of dancers' musculoskeletal system in order to promote the ongoing research into dancer health, physical attributes, injury prevention and biomechanical efficiency.
The primary aspects of the program consist of an annual screening process in which all the dancers of the dance program are screened using established physical therapy protocols. Muscle strength, flexibility, structural analysis, cardiovascular health, body fat composition and balance are just some of the data collected. This information is then used to create an individualized profile for each dancer. Areas of concern can be identified using established norms for such subjects. Through the access of data and analysis via the
Dancer Wellness Website, suggested course of actions for such areas of concern are presented. The annual process allows for follow up and progress reports on such areas/issues.
The program consists of three parts
1) Kinesiology and Introductory Seminars
Kinesiology is part of the regular class offerings to the students of the dance training program. This class introduces, examines, and explores the principles of kinesiology and biomechanics. Additionally, classes drawing from Physical Therapy and Pilates-based techniques are presented to introduce participants to the various exercises for strengthening and stretching. Seminars in nutrition and injury prevention and care address general health concerns for dancers.
2) Screening
A complete biomechanical assessment of all dancers is accomplished via the annual screening at the Ohio Physical Therapy Clinic. This screen assesses various areas of strength, range of motion, cardiovascular health, and body composition. This data is recorded and analyzed for each dancer.
Each dancers is rescreen each year thus allowing the dancer to continue to monitor progress and help program faculty continue to assist with development of strength, stretch, and general health.
3) Individual Assessments
Upon analysis of screening data, each dancers meets individually with a physical therapist that helps customize a unique and individual course of cross training to assist with cited areas of concerns.
Dancers often ask: "Why should I be screened? I know my body." The answer is, to pick up any RED FLAGS that warrant further investigation. All college athletes undergo mandatory physicals for this reason. Athletes and dancers challenge, and sometimes punish, their bodies at levels that put them at greater risk for injury than the general public. Dancers may not be fully informed about anatomical structure and their own unique biomechanics. This program is designed to address these issues and provide education and information to support the dancer's health.
Integration into Program of Study
Each student of the program participates in each Dancer Wellness screen each year. The kinesiology class, offered in the first semester of study, serves to introduce the applicable material. Program credit is ascribed to the program of study at the completion of the graduate program.
Dancer Wellness Staff
Chad Fortun
Clinical Director
University Hospital's Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation Division
Sunday Homitz
Physical Therapist and Director
Body Technic Systems
Grace Petot
Professor Emerita
Nutrition
Case Western Reserve University School of Dentistry
Karen Potter
Director and Associate Professor of Dance
Case Western Reserve University Dance Program
Gary Galbraith
Artistic Director, Mather Dance Center
Associate Professor of Dance
Case Western Reserve University Dance Program
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