The dancer?s workplace ? a series of brochures to introduce dance medicine to the dance world

Simmel, Liane MD, DO, Institute for Dance Medicine, Mettenheim, Germany

Many diseases in dancers can be avoided or lessened either through prophylactic measures or  skilled treatment. With sufficient knowledge about the influencing factors and their effects on the health and ability to perform, a dancer can prevent injuries. Various strains affect every dancer during schooling and professional work. Whether or not these will cause excessive strain depends to a large extent upon a dancer's personal abilities. These can be influenced. The Unfallkasse Berlin, an insurance company for theatres and schools started a unique project together with TaMeD, the German Dance medicine organization. Information is the best prevention was the motto that led to an extraordinary series of information booklets, addressing to various professions, dealing with dancers and their health. Five different booklets, edited for dancers, dance students, dance teachers, ballet directors, therapist and medical doctors, provide information one needs to improve the health and environment of dancers. The range of topics varies from Physical Prerequisites to Physical and Psychological Strain, External Circumstances like floor condition, temperature, lighting or sound, General Recommendations as dealing with stamina, getting into shape, detraining, warm up and cool down, first aid or nutrition. Knowing more about Planning for Classes and Rehearsals helps to improve the rehearsal schedule. The last part of the booklet aims to Diseases relevant to the dance profession according to the main dance style. The Social insurance system and the important question of The career afterwards give helpful guidelines.

The presentation will give an inside to the content of the series of booklets and encourage other organizations and countries to provide similar information adapted to their own working conditions. This is an important step to close the gap between the dance medical knowledge and the reality out there in the dance world.