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  ​

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.

Are you getting enough sleep to perform at your best?
​ 
ESTABLISH SLEEP HYGIENE
"Dancers are artistic athletes and require more sleep than non-athletes, particularly during adolescence. An athlete’s sleep needs change over the course of a lifetime. Inadequate sleep and sleep disorders have been linked to the following:

• changes in mood, concentration, and motivation;
• reduced endurance and recovery;
• increased risk of poor performance and injury.

Sufficient quality sleep is necessary to stay motivated, perform optimally, and to avoid fatigue-related injuries." (Andrea Downie, 2015)

Learn more about the sleep needs of athletes in Sport for Life's resource, Sleep, Recovery, and Human Performance, by Charles Samuels and Brent Alexander.