Dancer Wellness

Dancers who want to get the most out of their experience in dance—whether in college, high school, a dance studio, or a dance company—can now take charge of their wellness. Dancer Wellness will help them learn and apply important wellness concepts as presented through the in-depth research conducted by the International Association for Dance Medicine & Science (IADMS) and their experts from around the world.

Four Primary Areas

Dancer Wellness covers four primary topics:

1. Foundations of dancer wellness, which explores the dancer’s physical environment, the science behind training, and conditioning

2. Mental components of dancer wellness, which investigates the psychological aspects that influence a dancer’s training—imagery, somatic practices, and the ways that rest, fatigue, and burnout affect learning, technique, and injury risk and recovery

3. Physical aspects of dancer wellness, which examines dancer nutrition and wellness, including the challenges in maintaining good nutrition, addressing body composition issues, bone health, injury prevention, and first aid

4. Assessments for dancer wellness, which offers guidance in goal setting, screenings, assessing abilities, and designing a personal wellness plan

Each chapter offers learning objectives at the beginning and review questions at the end to help readers recall what they have learned. Sidebars within each chapter focus on self-awareness, empowerment, goal setting, and diversity in dance.

“Dancer Wellness meets the needs of dancers in any setting,” says Virginia Wilmerding, one of the book’s editors from IADMS. “Our authors are leaders in the field, and they thoroughly investigate their areas of specialization. Through that investigation we have provided theoretical concepts and practical information and applications that dancers can use to enhance their health and wellness as part of their dance practice.”

This text offers foundational information to create a comprehensive view of dancer wellness. “Wellness defines the state of being healthy in both mind and body through conscious and intentional choices and efforts,” says coeditor Donna Krasnow. “Anyone interested in the health and wellness of dancers can benefit from this book, regardless of previous training or level of expertise. This book covers each aspect of dancer wellness, whether environmental, physical, or psychological.”

The International Association for Dance Medicine & Science (IADMS) was formed in 1990 by an international group of dance medicine practitioners, dance educators, dance scientists, and dancers.  Membership is drawn equally from the medical and dance professions, and has grown from an initial 48 members in 1991 to over 1200 members at present world-wide, representing 35 countries. IADMS enhances the health, well-being, training, and performance of dancers by cultivating educational, medical, and scientific excellence.

Virginia Wilmerding danced professionally in New York City and is now a Research Professor at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, where she teaches for both the exercise science and dance programs. Courses include kinesiology, research design, exercise physiology, exercise prescription, exercise and disease prevention, and conditioning. She also teaches at the Public Academy for Performing Arts, a charter school. Ginny is formerly the Chief Executive Officer of the International Association for Dance Medicine & Science (IADMS). She is past president of IADMS and served on the IADMS Board of Directors from 2001 to 2011. Ginny was the Associate Editor of science for the Journal of Dance Medicine & Science. She has published original research in Journal of Dance Medicine & Science, Medical Problems of Performing Artists, Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, and Idea Today. With Donna Krasnow she has coauthored resource papers for IADMS. Research interests include body composition, training methodologies, injury incidence and prevention, pedagogical considerations in technique class, and the physiological requirements of various dance idioms.

Donna Krasnow is a Professor Emerita in the Department of Dance at York University in Toronto, Canada, and was a member of the Special Faculty at California Institute of the Arts in the United States. She specializes in dance science research, concentrating on dance kinesiology, injury prevention and care, conditioning for dancers, and motor learning and motor control, with a special emphasis on the young dancer. Donna has published numerous articles in the Journal of Dance Medicine & Science and Medical Problems of Performing Artists, as well as resource papers in collaboration with M. Virginia Wilmerding for the International Association for Dance Medicine & Science (IADMS). She was the Conference Director for IADMS from 2004 to 2008 as well as serving on the Board of Directors. Donna was the Associate Editor for dance for Medical Problems of Performing Artists. She conducts workshops for dance faculty in alignment and healthy practices for dancers, including the Teachers Day Seminars at York University, and is a nine-time resident guest artist at Victorian College of the Arts and VCA Secondary School, University of Melbourne, Australia. Donna has created a specialized body conditioning system for dancers called C-I Training (conditioning with imagery). She has produced a DVD series of this work, and in 2010 she coauthored the book Conditioning with Imagery for Dancers with professional dancer Jordana Deveau. She offers courses for teachers in Limón technique pedagogy and C-I Training.

Ginny and Donna co-authored Motor Learning and Control for Dance: Principles and Practices for Performers and Teachers, published by Humaan Kinetics in 2015.