DANCE HEALTH

Massage for Dancers

We all LOVE a massage, and as dancers, boy do we get sore muscles! But when and why should we enjoy a massage? Dance Informa spoke with Stefan Karlsson, ex-professional dancer, massage therapist and Trigger Point specialist. Stefan danced with the Cullberg Ballet, Tanz Forum, WA Ballet, Sydney Dance Company, Chrissie Parrot Dance Company and [...]
Cardio Barre Raises the Barre

By Alex Little Ten years ago I was looking for a workout, outside of dance class, that was low impact but would get me into shape. I heard about a ‘barre class’ down the street. It sounded perfect. I was looking for something that would get my heart rate up and incorporate conditioning without impact [...]
Slow Down the Ageing Effects of Dancing

By Paul Vander Straaten Did you know that dancing and physical activity actually ages your body? This concept is hard to grasp as dancing keeps us fit and active, but we must understand what ageing actually is. As every day, week, month and year passes we age. However, ageing is not just about time versus [...]
Water & Dancer Health

We all know we should drink more water, but do we? As dancers, we are athletes and it is important to keep our bodies in the best condition possible. One of the major factors of body health is water consumption. We can’t expect to have the strength and energy we need, let alone feel and look [...]
Safe Stretching – tips and advice

By Samantha McKenzie, Physical Therapist Why do dancers stretch? As dancers, we love to stretch. We want to be flexible so we can achieve advanced dance moves and positions, and even dancers who are already flexible often work to stretch even further. We are taught to always stretch when we warm up for class or [...]
Healthy Hints for the New Year

Get plenty of sleep. Are you getting the recommended eight hours of sleep a night? Sleep gives our bodies time to recover and repair. Sleep is important in concentration, growth, hormonal balance, memory formation and immunity. 1 Eat breakfast Eat a healthy breakfast every day to kick start your metabolism and give you the necessary [...]
Dance & Sport – can they mix?

Sport and dance have long been regarded as competitors but it may just be that they are on the same team these days. By Paul Ransom. Remember all that stuff they told you about how jogging or playing basketball was bad for you? Well, suppose it wasn’t? Since the 1980s huge advances have been made [...]
Are You Sick Of Being A Sick Dancer?

By Paul Vander Straaten. Health & Fitness Consultant. I recently attended The Australian Dance Festival. My focus there was to help the dancers I met learn more about nutrition and the important role it plays in their health and ability to perform. I was impressed by the commitment and dedication they had for their passion [...]
Health Benefits of Dancing!

We all know that we love dancing and that it makes us feel great, but do we realise just how good it is for us? Below are a few reasons why dancing is a great workout and very beneficial to our health and well being. So never stop dancing! Keeps us trim Dancing burns anything [...]