Educational activities are aimed at Dance students of all levels from beginners to university students. The aim of this pedagogical program is to raise students awareness of their own body and mind systems and give them tools for injury prevention to safely develop into integrated dancers.

Activities include modular workshop sessions in theory and practice:

INFORMATIVE SESSIONS

How can I prevent injuries?

80% of dancers get injured during their careers. In this seminar we discuss the common injuries in dance, their causes, effects, and management. Particular emphasis is given on prevention and safe dance practice.

Basic anatomy of movement
This topic, divided into two seminars, is an essential session for any student to learn how the body moves. Looking at the upper body, lower body, the spine, bones, muscles, joints. Particular attention is given to muscular imbalance, to understand how it develops and how to avoid it. Basic concepts of biomechanics are discussed to show how dance movements can be improved.

Motivate yourself!

Motivation is the driving force behind any activity. This seminar helps the student dancer to explore where his/her motivation for dancing comes from, and how to keep it up.

Stress and performance anxiety

Understanding the causes of stress is an essential step before trying to get rid of it. This talk shows where stress can come from, how it can translate in anxiety, and gives the dancer tips on how to recognize and overcome it.

Self-esteem and confidence

This session is very important for the dancer to develop his/her confidence inside and outside the studio. Self-esteem depends on many factors which will be addressed and discussed.

Disordered eating and female athletic triad

It is common for female dancers to have troubles with their menstrual cycle (amenorrhea), with their eating habits, and with bone degeneration (osteoporosis). These three factors (triad) seem to be linked. This session is informative, preventive and helps dealing with the female athletic triad.

How fit are you?
What happens to the dancer’s metabolism (heart rate, breathing, etc.) while dancing? What is important to know in terms of aerobic/anaerobic fitness training inside and outside the studio. How do the muscles work? What happens during a contraction or a stretch? Why is it important to breathe correctly during exercise?

Nutrition for dance
What should dancers eat and drink to stay healthy and perform at best? How to plan and maintain a healthy diet with little money and irregular schedules?

Overtraining and burnout
It is common for dancers to overwork, more than the body and mind can take. This session helps the dancer recognizing the symptoms of overtraining and burnout (psychological and physiological) and gives tips on how to overcome it.

MOVEMENT SESSIONS

Experiential anatomy for dancers
In this series of informational/practical sessions for dance students we will examine the structure, function and common injuries of foot & ankle, knee, hip, spine, shoulder girdle. Seminars incorporate somatic movement explorations to integrate theory with self-awareness. Components include: introduction to the anatomy and physiology of the locomotor system, joint structure and movement potential, assessment of alignment, strength and flexibility, injury risk factors and common dance injuries, preventative exercise.

What exactly is ideal posture?
This session explores the anatomical posture and shows how alignment can be maintained during movement. Pictures of each student are taken to analyze their own alignment and improve posture.

Inside Warm up and Cool down
This is an extremely important session for each student dancer wanting to pursue a career in dance or not. Warming up properly before performance or class, is essential to maintain a healthy functioning of the body. An effective cool down is also important to restore muscle function. The lack of warm-up and cool down are  common causes of injury. This is a practical session showing warm-up and cool down techniques , including breath awareness.

Use of images to unlock dance technique

This experiential workshop connects the mind to inspire the body using mental images, and visualization techniques for a more pleasant and effective movement.

Introduction to somatic techniques
This session includes the discussion of the somatic theory, how somatic disciplines can be beneficial for dancers, and the practice of some basic sensing-feeling-action exercises. Particular attention is given to the breath to show how it connects the mental and the physical aspects.

Yoga with awareness
This Yoga session is an introduction to and breathing practices and yogic postures modified according to the Axis Syllabus to help discover and sense the body from within, and to learn to release localised tensions. The practice can help increase alignment, muscular strength, balance and peace of mind. Avoiding the harsh postures (legs behind the head etc.) these sessions will focus on recalibrating the tensegrity of the body.

Feldenkrais Method™
This is a practical introduction to the Feldenkrais Method™, Awareness Through Movement, exploring different ways of initiating the movement. The benefits for dancers will be explained and experienced.

Stress Management
This session is a proper stress release experience. Based on a sequence of stimulation-relaxation input on the body-mind system it helps in the self management of excessive tension.

Fundamental massage techniques for relaxation
In this session of bodywork for dancers students will learn basic principles of massage techniques from the Ken Eyerman Technique of Bodywork and Movement (KET). The work is carried out in couples, fully dressed.

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All courses are available in English, and most in French, Italian and Spanish. Please ask for translation in another language.