From a very early age, dancers are taught that pain comes with the territory. When injuries inevitably arise, dancers feel shame, social stigma and tremendous pressure to bounce back as quickly as possible. This means taking a risk by downplaying the severity, or hiding it altogether due to fear.

When Los Angeles–based dancer Amanda Tran leaves her second job as a Pilates instructor, she often feels depleted. “Giving so much emotion, physicality, happiness and energy towards clients gets super-exhausting,” she says. Tran’s days—a mix of dancing in freelance projects and teaching Pilates classes—can be so draining that she turns her evening commute into a […]

Injury prevention is crucial for dancers. But compared to the resources focusing on dance styles like ballet, modern and contemporary, guidance for dancers specializing in percussive forms—for example, tap, flamenco or kathak—is arguably less common. What kinds of injuries tend to affect these dancers, and how can they be avoided? What Are the Most Common […]

Dancers are often on their feet for up to 12 hours a day. Not surprisingly, that can lead to a lot of fatigue in the lower leg muscles. And when muscles are tired, the rate of injury increases. But one muscle in particular turns out to make a huge difference: An in-house study at The […]

Even though we’re not dancing as much as usual right now, our bodies are going through a lot these days. Without our typical routines, we’re stuck at home, mainly stationary—until we hop onto Zoom classes, trying to do as much as we can in limited spaces, sometimes on carpet or concrete. Take the time to […]

By the Sunday evening of a long convention weekend, you can expect to be thoroughly exhausted and a little sore. But you shouldn’t leave the hotel ballroom actually hurt. Although conventions can be filled with magical opportunities, the potential for injury is higher than usual. Keep your body safe: Watch out for these four common […]

Throughout the dance field, artists are proving that early retirement is no longer an inevitability. “The myth that you have to stop dancing once you hit your 30s is pretty much gone,” says Julia Iafrate, founder of the Columbia Dance Medicine clinic in New York City. However, staying healthy requires consistency and hard work. Caring […]

Ankle injuries in dance are extremely common, but not all are created equal. When can you simply R.I.C.E.? And when do you need to seek professional advice? You don’t want to miss a potentially severe injury such as a fractured bone. Here are three warning signs that you should see an expert: 1.You can’t dance […]