Concussions in Dance

           The human brain has 100 billion neurons, each neuron connected to 10 thousand other neurons. Sitting on your shoulders is the most complicated object in the known universe. - Michio Kaku

           Concussions have become a topic of concern among the athletic community, but very little information is available about concussions in the dance community. Although the risk of concussion in dance is not as high as it is in others sports like football, basketball, and soccer, it still exists.

           

            A recent article published in the Journal of Dance Medicine and Science documented concussions that occurred in dancers over a 5 ½ year period. These injuries occurred in classes, rehearsals, and performances and seemed to be common among all types of dance. The documented cases included dancers who studied ballet, modern, acro, hip-hop, and musical theater dance.

            In most instances concussions are caused by a bump or a blow to the head. Almost all of the dancers reported hitting their heads while doing stunts, diving, flipping, or accidentally falling. It is interesting to note, however, that one dancer reported developing concussion symptoms after “repeatedly whipping her head and neck in a choreographed movement.”

            Although there is little information readily available that discusses concussions in dance, it is important for dancers, dance educators, and dance parents to know that they do occur and how to recognize the signs and symptoms.

            Fewer than 10% of people who sustain a concussion lose consciousness, and the symptoms may not show up right away. For some the symptoms may appear immediately, but for others it may take hours or days.

            Some symptoms that a concussed dancer may have:

·      Headache

·      Nausea or vomiting

·      Blurred vision

·      Light sensitivity

·      Noise sensitivity

·      Feeling mentally foggy

·      Concentration or memory problems

Listed below are the signs a teacher or parent should look for if a concussion is suspected:

·      Appears dazed

·      Cannot remember what happened before or after the injury

·      Seems confused

·      Forgets instructions

·      Moves clumsily

·      Answers questions slowly

·      Changes in personality or behavior

            If a concussion is suspected, the dancer should stop dancing immediately and be seen by a health care professional, who can evaluate the injury and determine when he or she can return to dance class. Returning to class too soon can result in a second concussion that can result in long-term problems like brain damage.

            My next post will discuss what happens in our bodies during a concussion and the treatment for those suffering from concussions.

            I would love to hear from you in the comments below if you or a dancer you know has sustained a concussion while dancing – is it more of a problem than we realize?

Celebrating Tap Dance….

           "When you dance to your own rhythm, life taps its toes to your beat." - Terri Guillemets 

         In 1989, George H.W. Bush declared May 25 National Tap Dance Day. This particular day was chosen to honor Bill “Bojangles” Robinson since it was his birthday, and he was influential in advancing this dance form.

            In the United States, nationwide celebrations take place on May 25, celebrating tap dance. Like all forms of dance, tap dance is beneficial on many levels. It improves cardio-respiratory fitness levels, creates and reinforces neural pathways so that messages are carried efficiently and quickly between the muscles and the brain, and it increases muscular strength and flexibility.

            Additionally, tap provides other specific benefits. Tap requires dancers to shift their weight continuously from one foot to the other, improving balance and reactionary skills. The fact that tap is a high impact, weight-bearing dance form also means that it puts additional stress on bones, which encourages bone growth and helps provide insurance against osteoporosis.

           

            Moreover, since tap is rhythmic in nature, it stimulates parts of the brain also stimulated by music. Studies have shown that rhythm stimulates an area of the frontal brain lobe called the inferior frontal gyrus. This area of the brain is called upon each time a tap dancer needs to learn or reproduce a rhythmic phrase and becomes very well-developed. The inferior frontal gyrus is the same area of the brain that is called upon when a person needs to understand spoken language. Those who are exposed to rhythm often have been found to have better phonological awareness.  This awareness is the ability to divide words into syllables and detect different sounds at the beginning, middle, and end of words.

            So on May 25, we celebrate National Tap Dance Day and remember once again how dance can make a difference.  In addition to being fun to do and exciting to watch, tap dance helps develop different areas of the brain, can increase literacy levels, and makes us healthier individuals.

Using Dance to Help People Grow...

            "What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything?" Vincent van Gogh

         I am a dance educator and, on a cold day in January, 21 college students apprehensively entered my dance studio. Some had registered for the class because it seemed like it would be a fun elective, some because they had danced before and wanted to continue, and some because it fulfilled a requirement.

            It is impossible for me to imagine a life without dance.  I am passionate about what I do and I fight a constant battle – trying to convince others that dance is beneficial in a myriad of ways.  The easy part of my job is to teach the students who want to be in class – those who are looking for a fun elective or have danced before.  The challenge is to find a way to reach those who are there because it is a requirement and are hoping it will not be too painful.

            As the semester progressed the students learned about how the body works, the roles that muscles, tendons, and ligaments play in movement, and the importance of proper nutrition and hydration.

            They reaped the benefits of new neural pathways forming as they mastered dance steps and combinations, their circulatory and respiratory systems grew more efficient, and they increased the range of motion in their joints.

            They learned to trust each other, to take risks, to laugh at themselves, and to feel pride when they accomplished what seemed impossible on that first cold January day.

            Last week was warmer, but those 21 college students were still a bit apprehensive as they entered the college quad.  Their final class assignment was to perform in a flash mob in front of their peers and anyone else who might be passing by.  The music began, they all looked at each other and took a deep breath, and they started to dance, and they laughed and had fun!

            For a short three minutes they were all dancers and for many of them, it was the first time this semester that they truly believed it. The physical benefits had been apparent all semester, but last week there were emotional and mental benefits as well. These 21 students did something that scared them, something they had not thought they were capable of, something that took courage and confidence.

            Some may choose to continue to dance, but some may never dance again, and that is okay.  They will all have a greater appreciation for other performers in the future, they may become arts advocates, and they might look at dance differently because of this semester.  My greatest hope, however, is that they realized that sometimes you have to step out of your comfort zone, sometimes you have to throw caution to the wind, sometimes you have to trust in yourself, and sometimes you just have to dance – just because…..and in doing all that, you might just realize that somehow dance helped you grow. 

Mirrors in the Studio: Do They Help or Do They Hinder?

            “Mirrors,' she said, 'are never to be trusted.” ― Neil Gaiman

         Mirrors – you will see them lining the wall of every dance studio you enter. Dancers are taught from a young age to fight for a spot in the studio where they can see themselves.  Teachers use the mirrors as a teaching tool  - they allow the teachers to face the mirror when demonstrating a combination, while being able to watch and monitor the students at the same time. Teachers teach dancers to use the mirror to determine if their legs and arms are in the correct positions, to determine if they are dancing in unison with other dancers, and to help determine where they are in space.

            Mirrors are a valuable teaching tool for dance. But, is it possible that dancers can rely upon them too much?

            Constant reliance upon the mirror can cause dancers to grow too mirror-focused. When this occurs, dancers tend to stare at themselves constantly rather than use their heads as part of their instrument to complete lines or to spot appropriately during turns.

            While some may argue that mirrors are invaluable tools for teaching combinations in class, several studies have actually shown that better learning occurs without the use of the mirror. Moreover, reliance on the mirror can also cause dancers to watch others when executing combinations. If the dancers are able to see others all the time, the mirror becomes a crutch, and dancers may not learn the combinations completely for themselves.

            The mirror may also become a crutch for balancing. Dancers typically rely heavily upon somatosensory information to help them maintain balance when executing movements and combinations. Somatosensory information is feedback that is received during physical activity from our muscles and joints. This information helps us determine where our bodies are in space and is also known as proprioception. Over-reliance upon what a dancer sees will compromise the dancer’s ability to develop his or her proprioceptive sense of balance.  A recent study published in the Journal of Dance Medicine and Science had dancers perform exercises in class with their eyes closed. The researchers found that when vision was limited, dancers were forced to rely upon proprioception, and balance  improved. 

            It is important for dance educators to consider all of these factors and also to remember why they are training dancers. The ultimate goal for all dancers is, and should be, performance, yet the ways we sometimes train dancers does not prepare them what they will encounter when they step out onto a stage. 

           

            There are no mirrors on stage for dancers to determine if their bodies are in the right positions, no mirrors to assist them if they forget what step comes next, no mirrors to help them determine where they are in space and no mirrors to provide visual cues for balancing.

            Mirrors can definitely be used effectively as a teaching tool in the classroom. They can be used to teach dancers how to spot, they can be used when teachers are trying to monitor the progress of the class, and they can help dancers place their bodies into correct positions when learning poses or movements for the first time. It is important, however, to remember that training needs to be specific to the desired goal. Incorporating exercises into class that are executed with the eyes closed and covering the mirrors are both valid ways to achieve this end. In addition to covering the mirrors, having the dancers use different “fronts” in the studio is also valuable. Having to re-orient themselves to face a different direction, forces dancers to constantly be aware of where they are in the space and is a perfect way to prepare them for dancing on different stages and in different venues.

Ballet Glider Giveaway!

            “Where a new invention promises to be useful, it ought to be tried.” – Thomas Jefferson

           A pointed foot, a high relevé, a fully stretched foot in a jump – these are all sought after in dance.  Whether dancers study ballet and are constantly on their toes, study tap and dance on the balls of their feet, study Irish dance and are always in a relevé, or study modern and jazz and are stretching their feet in jumps, they demand a lot from their calf muscles.

            Since these muscles are constantly worked, they tend to grow very tight in dancers. The calf muscles are connected to the calcaneous, or heel bone, by the Achilles tendon, and when the muscles are tight, the pull on the Achilles tendon increases. As a result of this increased pull, the tendon becomes irritated and inflamed, and dancers often develop Achilles tendonitis. The Achilles tendon can be irritated further when a dancer partakes in a barre stretch. In a barre stretch, the ankle of the leg is placed upon the barre, putting additional pressure upon the Achilles tendon and possibly irritating it further.

            Often dancers drape towels or folded sweaters or legwarmers over the barre to act as a cushion for the Achilles tendon and to decrease any friction that might be caused as the dancer slides his or her leg along the barre.

            After watching dancers do this during her 25 years of teaching, Kathryn Sullivan designed a dance accessory for dancers called the Ballet Glider. The Ballet Glider is made of plush fleece, fits around the barre, and is held in place by velcro. Although Kathryn’s original goals were to reduce friction and pressure on the Achilles tendon during barre stretches, dancers have developed other uses for the Ballet Glider as well. In Kathryn’s classes at Steps on Broadway, Peridance Capezio Center, and Barnard College at the Columbia University, dancers have begun using them to hold their places at the barre, to help remind them to hold the barre lightly without gripping it, to cue placement of the hand on the barre after a turn, and to help eliminate germ transfer on barres that are used by many dancers in the same day.

            The Ballet Glider can be purchased through Kathryn’s website and will also be available soon through Discount Dance Supply. The Healthy Dancer is also giving away 2 Ballet Gliders this week. To enter the giveaway, simply comment on this post by 11:59 PM on Thursday, April 10, 2014. I will be in touch with the winners on Friday, April 11, to find out where to send your Ballet Gliders!