Information sharing in the digital world

Author: Claire Farmer, MSc, on behalf of the Dance Educators' Committee

Over the past few years, we have seen a steady increase in the use of technology within the arts, as dance artists explore the ways in which digital content can be utilized in the creation, documentation,¹ and sharing of work. The move towards a digital world has been profoundly accelerated due to the coronavirus pandemic and our transfer as dance educators to online learning and communication...

Reopening dance studios in a global pandemic

Authors: Karen Sudds and Charmaine Tay on behalf of the Dance Educators' Committee

As dance studios begin to re-open, IADMS members from across the world talk about their experiences of reopening studios amongst a global pandemic, the measures they have put in place, the challenges they have faced, and the dancers’ reactions to returning.

Getting Jiggy with It

Author: Roisin Cahalan on behalf of the Dance Educators’ Committee  

...In recent decades, the complexity and physical demands of Irish dancing have increased exponentially, as has the incidence of injury in the genre. At the elite level, it is comparable to that experienced by peers from contemporary dance1 and ballet fields². Despite the unique choreographic features of Irish dancing, not least the upright torso and stationary arms, and the requirement to land on the toes with minimal knee bend, there are many similarities between the risks and injury profiles of elite Irish dancers and peers from other genres^1,3.

Mara Brenner shares her experiences of her first IADMS conference

Author: Mara Brenner, Founder and Director of Gabriola Dance and Pilates

...Now, 25 years later, I have attended my first IADMS conference. I watched throughout the years as it toured the world and when it landed in my home town I seized the opportunity. Living in a remote town (like my teacher before me), accessing hands-on learning is difficult, so what a treat for me to attend an IADMS conference!

The Language of Eating Disorders: Are you helping or harming? Part 1

Author: Monika Saigal

Research confirms that the prevalence of eating disorders and disordered eating (ED/DE) is significantly higher among dancers than the general population, with especially high rates of ED/DE among ballet dancers.[1,2] Without proper detection and intervention, ED/DE can have devastating effects on a dancer’s performance, career, and physical and mental health, but fortunately these serious issues are preventable and treatable.

Interview with 2019 Dance Educator Awardee – Nico Kolokythas

Dr Nico Kolokythas, Performance Enhancement Coach at Elmhurst Ballet School, was the 2019 recipient of the Dance Educator Award. Here Nico talks about the challenges and successes of implementing strength and conditioning training within a vocational dance school.

How are dancers coping with quarantine? Perspectives from the Houston Ballet

Author: Carina Nasrallah on behalf of the IADMS Promotion Committee

I’m Carina, Houston Methodist Athletic Trainer for Houston Ballet and a member of the IADMS Promotions Committee.  We were proud to have Houston, Texas as the location of the #IADMS2017 Annual Conference.  As part of the Helping Dancers Help Themselves initiative, I wanted to share some perspectives from within our Houston community as to how we are adapting to the COVID-19 quarantine.

Healthy Dancing for Every Body

Authors: Rebecca Barnstaple, Lucie Beaudry, Sylvie Fortin

IADMS has recently expanded its mandate to include a focus on Dance for Health (DfH) with the aim to promote and validate dance as a life-long partner for health and well-being for all publics. The development of innovative research related to a variety of healthy dance practices is a key aspect of this initiative. In this brief report, we present core aspects behind the rationale for this new direction of IADMS, followed by a description of a substantial DfH research collaboration in Montreal, Québec, Canada, host city of IADMS 29th Annual Conference.

Helsinki in Retrospect: Movement Session/Partner-Based Bodymind Warm-up

Author: Meredith Lyons on behalf of the Dance Educators’ Committee

In preparation for #IADMS2019 in Montreal I was excited to reflect on a presentation I did with Betsy Miller last year in Helsinki at #IADMS2018. Movement sessions provide an important venue for hands-on application of research and group feedback.

Heels Down During Jumps…Technique or Physics?

Author: Samantha Panos on behalf of the IADMS Dance Educators' Committee

As dancers, we have all been told at one point to put our heels down when we land our jumps. As teachers, we may feel like we are constantly nagging our students to put their heels down. But why is preparing and landing from jumps with heels down important? Is it just good technique or does it play a larger role in performance capacity?