Every physically demanding activity or “sport” carries a risk of injury. Injuries can happen for many reasons: overuse, poor technique, or trauma.
Injuries can be humbling, scary, and sometimes frustrating. Yet in dance, we are often afraid to stop, slow down, or speak up about them—because injury is often seen as weakness and/or a setback.
And while that may be true to some extent, an injury is also an opportunity.
Injuries can be our greatest teachers.
An injury is a call to action—an invitation to go deeper.
They are a call to action—an invitation to go deeper and grow as both an athlete and an artist.
An opportunity to learn more about your unique instrument and build habits that support a well body.
Support Your Body
• Fuel your body with nutritious foods
• Prioritize sleep
• Warm up
• Cool down
• Gradually ramp back up after time off
• Maintain strength and conditioning
• Practice efficient alignment and technique
• Know your limits
• Be mindful of space and surfaces
• Don’t ignore pain
All of these practices can help reduce your risk of injury—especially for dancers experiencing frequent setbacks.
Use this list as a barometer.
Rate each item from 1–5 to identify where your self-care practices can improve.
Now, it’s important to understand: total injury prevention is unrealistic. Accidents happen.
Even if you haven’t experienced an injury, this is your opportunity to build awareness now—so that if one does occur, you can respond with clarity instead of fear.
Take heed, but don’t let it overwhelm your heart.