Schoolbooks? Check. Dance clothes? Check. Breakfast, lunch and dinner? Check, check and check. Dancers have to schlep a lot of stuff, but the way you schlep it matters. A poorly organized bag can lead to serious neck and back pain—and bad posture, to boot. Here’s how to pack a bag that won’t send you crawling […]
Always give your muscles a solid stretch before you perform. (Matt Karas) When it comes time to perform, you can’t wait to be onstage. But preparing for a show takes more than doing your hair and makeup. Your muscles need to be warm or you’ll risk getting injured—and a warm-up isn’t just a quick stretch […]
School, dance classes, rehearsals, homework, family activities—a million things can push your daily wake-up time earlier and your bedtime later. You might feel like getting a good night’s sleep is an impossible dream. But you shouldn’t just accept sleep deprivation as a fact of life. Sleep is one of the things that keeps your body […]
Do you feel overtired, have a hard time catching your breath during grand allégro or seem unable to remember the choreography you learned an hour ago? If you’re experiencing these symptoms, don’t assume that you just can’t keep up. There might be a good reason for your sluggishness: iron deficiency. Iron deficiency occurs when the […]
Thanksgiving leftovers are easily the best part about the holiday. But digesting rich foods can sap your energy. We spoke with Emily Cook Harrison, a registered dietitian at the Centre for Dance Nutrition in Atlanta, for the scoop on the best Turkey Day leftover recipes for performance power. She suggested a number of delicious combinations, […]
With summer comes sun-kissed skin—except when you’re in the studio all day! When you find yourself months into peak sun season with no tan lines to show, reaching for a bottle of self-tanning lotion or spray seems like the perfect quick fix. It’s easy, cheap, safer than broiling in the sun all day and convenient—you […]
All dancers get tired—eventually an intense rehearsal or class schedule can take its toll. But some of us experience something greater than periodic tiredness: chronic fatigue syndrome, which is persistent or never fully goes away. Here’s how to address and reverse the effects of chronic fatigue and get back to your fully energized self. What […]
Let’s face it: Body shaming and size shaming in the dance world is pervasive and incredibly harmful. And while we know many wonderful teachers, studios and competitions have a zero-tolerance policy around any form of bullying, there are ways that dancers with non-traditional bodies can be made to feel unwelcome—even when no one says anything […]