2020 has been a strange and challenging year for the dance community. We have faced the closure of theatres, studios, companies and schools. The cancellation of performances, classes, rehearsals, workshops and programmes. The validity of dance as a profession has been called into question. Our industry has been under political and economic threat. Many have…
Category: Health
My Surgery Experience
If you’ve been following my story on this blog or my social media channels, you will know that for me, 2019 was really defined by my being injured. I say “being injured” because it most accurately describes the state I was in; I was in pain, I had swelling and inflammation, I was unable to…
Become a Better Dancer in 2020: The Habits that will Get You There
Happy New Year, dancers! 2019 was a strange one for me- mainly because I spent 9 months of the year out of dancing due to injury, eventually undergoing ankle surgery. My main goal for 2020 is to get back to full fitness and back to dancing fully again (at the moment I’m only managing a…
What’s Going On? Posterior Impingement Syndrome
Hi dancers & dance lovers! If you don’t follow me on social media, this will be the first you’ve heard from me in some time. That’s actually because I’ve been out for several months with an injury. Even though that means I’ve technically had more time for writing than I usually would, creating content about…
Update- Where Have I Been?
Hi everyone! I am aware that I haven’t posted in a really long time. On top of that, pretty much all of my recent posts have been reviews. I’m so sorry about that- I have had a whole bunch of new posts planned but I wasn’t sure where to begin. So, I’ll begin with this-…
Finding the balance between health and body positivity
Most dancers I know are pretty obsessed with health: myself included. As people with such a physically demanding lifestyle, it is important that we are well-nourished and energised to get through each day, perform at our best, and avoid injuries. Dance as a profession also demands an especially slim physique, so dancers are usually keen…
Self- Care Tips for Dancers
Dance is incredibly demanding, especially at a serious level. As dancers, we not only give an incredible amount of mental and physical energy to what we do, but what we do also informs the rest of our lives. You can’t keep dance and life separate, because when you dance, it IS your life. When every…
Dance and Nutrition Part Two: Things I Learned from Visiting a Dance Nutritionist
If you haven’t already, start off by reading Part One to this post, where I outline my story with dance nutrition, and how I came to visit dance nutritionist Zerlina Mastin. As promised, here are the things I learned! 1. CARBS ARE NOT THE ENEMY! Dancers, say it with me and rejoice! It’s OK to…
Dance and Nutrition Part One: My Story
Dance and Nutrition: what an important topic. Dance is incredibly demanding- dancers train (at least) as hard as athletes, however as artists are required to maintain a certain line. (‘Line’ is how we often describe the shape of the body in dance, both in general and when in specific poses). I recently went to see…
How to Improve Your Sleep
This might seem like a strange topic for a dance blog, but it’s surprisingly important. Dancers have to train like athletes, and a huge part of training is allowing your body adequate recovery time. Getting enough good-quality sleep is essential in order to dance at your best, to improve and to get stronger. When you…