The Australian Ballet’s artistic health team has become a reference worldwide, and not just because they got David Hallberg back onstage after his two-year struggle with injuries. Their results speak for themselves: While foot stress fractures and hip arthroscopies are common elsewhere in the ballet world, The Australian Ballet hasn’t had any in over a […]

Have you ever felt like certain footwear gives you wings? The makers of Apolla Shocks, a dancer-specific version of compression socks, say some dancers feel like they can jump higher when they’re wearing them. “What’s happening is they’re more aware of their feet,” says co-founder Brianne Zborowski, “and the compression is helping activate intrinsic muscles […]

Have you ever consciously danced through pain? Or watched colleagues do it? The answer is most likely, “yes.” Dancers are notorious for forcing themselves to keep dancing, no matter what. Some level of pain is simply part of being a dancer. “You can’t tell a dancer to never dance with pain,” says Leigh Schanfein, MS, […]

Taking time off from dance is often inevitable when injury strikes. But receiving a misdiagnosis—and the wrong type of treatment—can prolong your recovery. “A lot of doctors practice where they’ll only see one or two dancers a year,” says Dr. William Hamilton, a New York­–based orthopedic surgeon specializing in dance medicine. Since most medical professionals […]

In 2018, the Youth America Grand Prix added a rule: For participants under age 12, performing on pointe became strongly discouraged. For those under 11, it became prohibited. The competition organizers made these changes after jury members, teachers and others raised concerns about students being pushed to perform on pointe too early. Larissa Saveliev, YAGP […]

File this under news that sounds too good to be true: A study published in last month’s International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance found that one little nutrient—vitamin D—could improve dancers’ strength and decrease their risk of injury. Known as “the sunshine vitamin” because of our body’s ability to produce it when exposed to […]

It’s the end of a long season: Your body is exhausted, you’re emotionally drained from back-to-back performances and you’re feeling ready for some serious time on the couch. But as soon as you start to relax, the doubts creep in. What will happen to my physique if I’m not in class? Will I lose muscle, […]

Have two or more months off from dance this summer? With a little planning, your body can reap the full benefits of your layoff—and transition back into the studio with ease. Weeks one and two: Use the first couple of weeks off to recharge your body. Photo by Leio McLaren/Unsplash Truly rest. Indulge in long […]