Looking for guidance about teaching and dance training during the COVID-19 pandemic? There are several great resources to guide you while dancing at home and when returning to the studio:

• Guidance on delivering and participating in dance classes online
• All About Masks - Dances for Doctors (video)
• The Dancer's Planning Guide to Optimizing Immunity During COVID-19 and Beyond 
• COVID-19: Ideas for Staying in Shape during Social Isolation Restrictions 
• Return to Dancing and Training Considerations Due to-COVID-19
• COVID-19 FAQ for Dancers and Dance Companies Returning to the Studios  ​

Enhance Dance is pleased to announce the successful completion of the first online C-I Training Teachers Course! The course ran twice weekly on Zoom through the month of August. Thank you to Donna Krasnow for giving a great course and congratulations to our newest Level 2 C-I Training Teachers from Canada and the USA! Find a certified C-I Training teacher new you.

Contact Enhance Dance if you are interested in online courses leading to C-I Training Certification or the Safe in Dance International Healthy Dance Practice Certificates.
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 Wondering what you need to know to be an effective teacher?

"Dance educators need training in pedagogy that includes not only learning what to teach, but also how to teach. Core principles include the need to:

• ensure that physical and psychosocial environments are safe and inclusive
• adhere to principles of safe dance practice and provide appropriate physical training, mental training and stress management tools
• provide diverse instruction and constructive feedback on alignment, technique and artistry
• provide basic information on hydration and proper nutrition for dancers
• help students understand the difference between excellence and perfection
• address normal emotional, behavioural, mental and social challenges through dance and discussion
• recognize the signs of injuries, eating disorders and psychosocial disorders, and make referrals. Understand that it is outside dance teachers’ scope of practice to assess, diagnose and treat these problems and that the best help may be to direct the dancer to someone else." 

(Andrea Downie, 2017)

Learn more about the necessary knowledge base for dance teachers in Dance International's article Toward a Scope of Practice by Andrea Downie.

Are you an older dancer who wants to keep dancing their whole life?

DANCING & AGING
"Older dancers may need to arrive early to classes and rehearsals to allow extra time to warm up with movements that gently raise the body temperature and heart rate, mobilize the joints and lengthen the muscles. With sufficient physical fitness, older dancers can meet the technical requirements of continued dancing. They can also ensure that they have the requisite core support and adequate joint stability and mobility to stave off injuries. Engaging in supplementary physical conditioning can improve cardiorespiratory stamina, flexibility and muscular strength and endurance... Age-related declines in stamina may necessitate changes to a dancer’s training regimen in order to avoid undue fatigue... With proper self-care, careful attention to dance training and practices and a focus on the benefits of aging, dancers have great potential to remain healthy and dance for longer." (Andrea Downie, 2016)

Learn more about dancing and aging in The Dance Current's article Freer and More Fragile by Andrea Downie.

Are you naturally flexible?

MANAGE HYPERMOBILITY
​"Properly managing, rather than exploiting, hypermobility can help naturally flexible dancers improve their performance, prevent injuries and increase their longevity in dance. The following strategies can help those with hypermobile joints:

1. Use imagery, mental practice and mental rehearsal. 
2. Improve proprioception and balance. 
3. Avoid extreme positions and extreme stretching. 
4. Increase stability, muscle endurance and strength. 
5. Make time for rest and recovery. 
6. Consider complementary training. .
7. See a health-care professional if hypermobility is causing you problems." (Andrea Downie, 2019)

Learn more about managing hypermobility in The Dance Current's article Born Flexible by Andrea Downie.

Not sure how to get what you need from healthcare professionals?

​MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR APPOINTMENT
"Because dance is a physically demanding practice and profession, dancers are necessarily in tune with their bodies. They must also monitor their mental and emotional health because dancing can provide psychological and social challenges. For these reasons, dancers benefit from working with practitioners who recognize these factors and work collaboratively with them to find solutions. The following tips can help dancers communicate effectively with health-care professionals and make the most of their appointments:

• Find a practitioner who has experience working with dancers. 
• Prepare for your appointment. Bring a list of your symptoms and questions, medications and dosages, the name and contact information of those who should receive a copy of your report, and the HDC Communication Form.
• Take a patient advocate to your appointment if necessary. 

• Describe your symptoms accurately, and be honest about your current reality and intentions. 
• Understand your diagnosis and treatment plan.  

• Adhere to your treatment plan." (Andrea Downie & Amber Downie-Back, 2019)

​Learn more about how to communicate effectively with your healthcare team in The Dance Current article, Dancer and Doctors, by Andrea Downie and Amber Downie-Back.