Dancer Wellness Workshop

10:30am-11:25am Nutrition with Michelle Boltz, MS, RD, CSSD, LD
This presentation will provide practical tips for fueling to meet the energy demands of a dancer. We will cover topics such as foods and nutrients that support performance and recovery; hydration; and energy availability.
11:30am-12:40pm Injury Prevention, taught by Anna Cerveny, PT, DPT
This class will teach participants a variety of cross training exercises that dancers can do anywhere with little to no equipment, to prevent injury, and rehabilitate from injury. These exercises will also increase strength and flexibility to improve dancer’s technique and control in extensions, jumps, turns, and floorwork. We will also cover exercises that address common dancer ailments like snapping hip syndrome, shin splints, hip impingement, Achilles tendonitis, patellofemoral pain syndrome, low back pain, and more! Dancers should bring resistance bands (if they have them).
12:40-1:30pm Lunch, provided FREE for all registrants who register before Jan 30.
1:30-2:25pm The Cost of Comparison with Madi Jackson
As dancers it is inevitable that we spend endless hours comparing ourselves to others. Over time, it can have a negative impact on a dancer’s mental health. This is a brief conversation about the effects of comparing self to others and how it can lead to heightened anxiety, depression, and feelings of inadequacy by turning attention to focus on the negative disregarding valid and hard earned accomplishments. Dancers will learn how to reframe the negative thought patterns by using feedback as a method to draw on positive coping skills and building affirmations.
2:30-3:10 Mat Pilates with Bridget Murano, SPT, BASI Trained Pilates Instructor
This class will focus on developing core strength, flexibility, balance, and stamina. We will focus on hip stability and deep abdominal engagement in order to provide a foundation for further cross training and pelvic stability during dynamic dance movement. As the class progresses, we will become aware of breath patterns and spinal alignment while applying the foundational principles of Pilates, such as centering.
3:15pm-4:25pm Mindful Movement taught by Jessica “DiBa“ Bennett
This class will guide you through movement & improvisation exercises with the intention of giving dancers the opportunity to move freely without the task of choreography or extensive memorization. Improv can help dancers break out of their comfort zone, improve musicality, build tools for performance recovery (navigating mistakes on stage), inspire exploration of movement they might not normally embody, and sharpen such tools to help in auditions. This practice allows dancers to examine how movement feels rather than how it looks. Along with benefits for dancers, improv can boost mental health for anyone by igniting the parts of the brain that relieve stress, enhance focus, and promote emotional balance. The class will begin and end with a guided sensory meditation.