From the Dance Floor to the Living Room: A Look into Dance Safety
Co-Authors: Andrew Ludwig PT, DPT and Bryan Lind PT, MPT, ATC
As the COVID-19 global pandemic continues around the country and the world, dancers have been taken from the studios and moved into their homes for virtual practices and performances. While the performing arts have had to adapt to these challenging times, it opens the door for potential injuries as many dancers do not have the proper equipment to practice safely and effectively in their home. In this blog, we’ll explore dance safety and the steps you can take to practice safely.
The New Normal: What it Means for the Dance Community
After almost six months of being away from The Joffrey Ballet and all of the dancers, there was finally a plan in which I can return onsite in my role as a Performing Arts Physical Therapist to safely provide care to them. I have to admit that I was a little nervous about returning. This day almost reminded me of first-day-of-school jitters. Our jobs are already high stakes and high pressure, but now a deadly virus has been added to the mix. We must be careful and mindful in everything we do that could risk our own or our dancers’ health. So before I get into how the return to studio unfolded, let me back up and explain the many months of preparation that went into this possibility turned reality of going back to help The Joffrey Ballet.
The Show Must (Virtually) Go On
With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, dance companies and studios are closed for classes and rehearsals. Even without an audience to perform for, it is important that dancers maintain appropriate mental and physical activities while at home.
As a performing arts physical therapist, I wanted to check in with some of Chicago’s professional dancers with Hubbard Street Dance Chicago – Adrienne Lipson, Kevin J. Shannon, and Craig D. Black Jr.. Read below to learn how their worlds are adapting and growing during this time when the theaters are dark and how they are keeping a positive attitude through it all.
Six Tips for At-Home Fitness for Dancers
Co-author: Derrick Agnoletti, Joffrey Ballet Company Dancer
The majority of the country has adopted shelter in place policies, which means many of our daily routines have been disrupted. For Joffrey Ballet dancer Derrick Agnoletti, this means being unable to attend daily ballet class and rehearsals with his colleagues. As a physical therapist, I am adjusting treatment sessions in order to continue to connect with patients safely. Here is some advice for dancers who are similarly adjusting to training at home.
Touring with Hubbard Street Dance Chicago: From Chicago to Germany
I am a performing arts physical therapist working at a downtown Athletico clinic in Chicago. I recently had the opportunity to travel with Hubbard Street Dance Chicago to Germany. As I let my patients know I would be away from the clinic, quite a few asked what I would be doing. When I told them I would be working while traveling internationally, many responded wondering “How does your work as a physical therapist take you to Germany for a week?!” Let me explain…
Are Injuries Common for Dancers?
A lot of athleticism is required to be a professional dancer. In every genre of dance, the goal is to maintain movement with grace and composure while on stage, never breaking performance. But the audience does not see the pain, grit and rehab behind the scenes, especially when a dancer sustains an injury.
5 Important Stretches for Dancers
While dancers are known for their flexibility, they are not immune to overworked muscles, which can lead to increased muscle tightness. Because dancers are often very flexible, sometimes it’s easy to bypass the stretch to the muscle through hypermobile joints. Here are some tips and tricks to help dancers’ stretch commonly tight muscles.
Touring with the Joffrey Ballet: From Chicago to California
As an Athletico physical therapist, I have been supporting The Joffrey Ballet for more than five years. I usually work with the dancers while they are rehearsing and performing in Chicago, where my job is to triage, evaluate and treat issues that may arise from their rigorous rehearsal and performance schedule. Recently, my career with The Joffrey Ballet took me beyond Chicago, when I traveled with the company to three different cities across the country. We started in snowy, cold Minneapolis for two performances of a full length ballet called Anna Karenina, then off to Santa Barbara for two mixed repertory shows, and finished with one final performance in San Diego.
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