Can taking time to rest make you a better dancer? Haley Hilton speaks with performance coach and mental health counselor Liv Massey.

Recovery routines have gotten much more elaborate recently: We use high-tech gadgets to reduce soreness, take fitness classes dedicated to rest, wear trackers that monitor our sleep.It isn’t just a fad. Recovery is a key variable in the “performance equation,” says Andrea Kozai, who studies exercise science and dance as a doctoral researcher at the […]

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 […]

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 […]

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, […]

You know that how you care for your body before curtain can impact your performance. But with so many factors to consider, it can be difficult to nail down an exact routine. How much rest is enough? How close to showtime should you eat? We asked the experts. The Night Before Tirachard Kumtanom/Stocksnap Roll out […]

As the temperatures drop and sweater weather begins, most of us groan at the thought of chilly muscles and achy bones. Dancers know that a cold winter can make our bodies feel “off.” Dance Magazine tapped Dr. Thomas Sanders, a board-certified foot and ankle specialist at The Centers for Advanced Orthopaedics, to find out how […]