Injury reduction training programs for dancers

The most common dance injuries are those that come from overuse usually in the ankle, leg, foot, and lower back (Common Dance Injuries and Prevention Tips, Johns Hopkins Medicine). Since dancers are very active, especially at the collegiate level, injury reduction is critical to have in a dancers training program. Collegiate dancers who undergo dance conditioning training at least twice a week specific in strengthening their joints and balance may experience significant increase in strength and a decrease in injuries over the course of a semester, compared to when they did not have dance conditioning. At the University of Montana, nine dance majors and minors are enrolled in a Dance Conditioning course this Spring 2025 semester, which includes exercises designed to enhance their strength and stability. Overall, we expect that the dancers will show improvements in both strength and stability, and that new or recurring injuries will decrease over the semester. Dancers who participate in a dance conditioning training at least twice a week will hopefully benefit in gaining strength and stability and will be better prevented from getting injuries compared to those who are not in the conditioning course. This oral presentation includes two dancers from the conditioning class who will demonstrate the exercises and techniques practiced. This research will serve as a foundation for a more hands-on, experimental, and observational project that I plan to pursue next year.