Prompted by a bad mammogram, Marsha Scarbrough, a middle-aged divorcee with a career in film production, sought healing from Native American mystic Joseph Rael. This book shares the wisdom gained from Marsha's experiential participation in Native American shamanism and illustrates the relevance of its ancient teachings to contemporary life.

Dance Medicine in Practice is the complete physical textbook for dance, written specifically to help dancers understand the anatomy, function and care of their bodies. Specific chapters are devoted to focusing on the spine, pelvis, hips, knees, feet, shoulders and arms. Each of these covers the following key aspects: Anatomy: bone structure, musculature, and function. How each part of the body moves and how it responds under pressure Pitfalls: Common examples of bad practice and the effect that these can have on the body Self Analysis: How to become aware of and muscle groups and the capacity of each joint. Injury Prevention: Tips and advice on how to best avoid and prevent injury both in training and everyday life Exercises: Simple and effective methods of strengthening, mobilising and relaxing joints and muscles Checklists: Dos and Don’ts for the best dance technique. The best dancers know that looking after their bodies is the key to their success, and Dance Medicine in Practice also covers how to ensure the best possible nutrition, plan and manage training schedules, and ensure that injuries are kept to a minimum both in frequency and impact. It is the best possible companion to a life in dance.

“Lively and enlightening.”—Sarah L. Kaufman, Washington Post “[A] zippy guide to better health.”—Publisher’s Weekly STARRED Review Discover why humans were designed for dancing—and learn how to boogie for better health—with two neuroscientists as your guide. Dancing is one of the best things we can do for our health. In this groundbreaking and fun-to-read book, two neuroscientists (who are also competitive dancers) draw on their cutting-edge research to reveal why humans are hardwired for dance show how to achieve optimal health through dancing Taking readers on an in-depth exploration of movement and music, from early humans up until today, the authors show the proven benefits of dance for our heart, lungs, bones, nervous system, and brain. Readers will come away with a wide range of dances to try and a scientific understanding of how dance benefits almost every aspect of our lives. Dance prevents and manages illness and pain: such as Diabetes, arthritis, back pain, and Parkinson’s. Dance can be as effective as high intensity interval training: but without the strain on your joints and heart. Dance boosts immunity and lowers stress: it also helps reduce inflammation. Dance positively impacts the microbiome: and aids in digestion, weight loss, and digestive issues such as IBS. Dance bolsters the mind-body connection: helping us get in tune with our bodies for better overall health. We’re lucky that one of the best things we can do for our health is also one of the most fun. And the best part: dance is something anyone can do. Old or young, injured or experiencing chronic pain, dance is for everyone, everywhere. So, let’s dance! Types of dance featured in the book: Partner dance (salsa, swing dancing, waltz) Ballet Hip hop Modern Jazz Line dancing Tap dancing And more!

"With understandable information--about health, injury prevention, and treatment of common dance-related problems--this handbook is literally a tour of the body from head to toe. Includes advice specific to dancers' well-being, such as body awareness and self-image, eating disorders, stress fractures, turn-out, damaged or painful knees, feet and toes; and the excellent five critical things to know and five great exercises for each part of the body at the end of each chapter."--P. [4] of cover.

A history of dance’s pathologization may startle readers who find in dance performance grace, discipline, geometry, poetry, and the body’s transcendence of itself. Exploring dance’s historical links to the medical and scientific connotations of a “pathology,” this book asks what has subtended the idealization of dance in the West. It investigates the nineteenth-century response, in the intersections of dance, literature, and medicine, to the complex and long-standing connections between illness, madness, poetry, and performance. In the nineteenth century, medicine becomes a major cultural index to measure the body’s meanings. As a particularly performative form of madness, nineteenth-century hysteria preserved the traditional connection to dance in medical descriptions of “choreas.” In its withholding of speech and its use of body code, dance, like hysteria, functions as a form of symptomatic expression. Yet by working like a symptom, dance performance can also be read as a commentary on symptomatology and as a condition of possibility for such alternative approaches to mental illness as psychoanalysis. By redeeming as art what is “lost” in hysteria, dance expresses non-hysterically what only hysteria had been able to express: the somatic translation of idea, the physicalization of meaning. Medicine’s discovery of “idea” manifesting itself in the body in mental illness strikingly parallels a literary fascination with the ability of nineteenth-century dance to manifest “idea,” suggesting that the evolution of medical thinking about mind-body relations as they malfunction in madness, as well as changes in the cultural reception of danced representations of these relations, might be paradigmatic shifts caused by the same cultural factors: concern about the body as a site of meaning and about vision as a theater of knowledge.

The inaugural actions of the Brazil-United Kingdom Dance Medicine & Science Network (BRUK NET) emerged through the organization of the symposium "The Potentials and Challenges of Research in Dance Medicine & Science: building innovation collaborations between the United Kingdom and Brazil" held in Goiânia, in 2016. In this bilingual Portuguese-English book, 23 leading researchers/authors from the BRUK NET write about their experiences in this field. The idea of the book is to share part of their knowledge and to build paths and theoretical, conceptual and methodological constructs around DMS, from where visibility, access and sustainability could develop. The desire for an interinstitutional, interdisciplinary, collective and supportive cooperation has enabled us to create a book of cross-cutting contexts and diverse views. The demand for DMS services and knowledge is growing. It requires that professionals from different backgrounds; dance, health, education and many others, ethically reflect and debate over the breadth and rigor necessary for the growth and valorization of this field of study.

Covering the full spectrum of treatment guidance for dance artists, circus artists, musicians, and more, this practical title by Dr. Lauren E. Elson expertly explores the intersection of sports medicine and performing arts medicine. Ideal for practicing and trainee physiatrists, physical and occupational therapists, and sports medicine physicians, it addresses a wide range of relevant topics including auditory symptoms in musicians; management of the dancer’s foot and ankle, hip, and spine; return-to-dance or return-to-performance guidelines; and much more.

Dancers who want to get the most out of their experience in dance—whether in college, high school, a dance studio, or a dance company—can now take charge of their wellness. Dancer Wellness will help them learn and apply important wellness concepts as presented through the in-depth research conducted by the International Association for Dance Medicine & Science (IADMS) and their experts from around the world. Four Primary Areas Dancer Wellness covers four primary topics: Foundations of dancer wellness, which explores the dancer’s physical environment, the science behind training, and conditioning Mental components of dancer wellness, which investigates the psychological aspects that influence a dancer’s training—imagery, somatic practices, and the ways that rest, fatigue, and burnout affect learning, technique, and injury risk and recovery Physical aspects of dancer wellness, which examines dancer nutrition and wellness, including the challenges in maintaining good nutrition, addressing body composition issues, bone health, injury prevention, and first aid Assessments for dancer wellness, which offers guidance in goal setting, screenings, assessing abilities, and designing a personal wellness plan Each chapter offers learning objectives at the beginning and review questions at the end to help readers recall what they have learned. Sidebars within each chapter focus on self-awareness, empowerment, goal setting, and diversity in dance. “Dancer Wellness meets the needs of dancers in any setting,” says Virginia Wilmerding, one of the book’s editors from IADMS. “Our authors are leaders in the field, and they thoroughly investigate their areas of specialization. Through that investigation we have provided theoretical concepts and practical information and applications that dancers can use to enhance their health and wellness as part of their dance practice.” This text offers foundational information to create a comprehensive view of dancer wellness. “Wellness defines the state of being healthy in both mind and body through conscious and intentional choices and efforts,” says coeditor Donna Krasnow. “Anyone interested in the health and wellness of dancers can benefit from this book, regardless of previous training or level of expertise. This book covers each aspect of dancer wellness, whether environmental, physical, or psychological.” A web resource is included with all new print books and some ebooks. For ebook formats that don’t provide access, the web resource is available separately.

This issue of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Clinics, guest edited by Dr. Kathleen L. Davenport, will discuss a number of important topics in Dance Medicine. This issue of one of four issues selected each year by series Consulting Editor, Santos Martinez. Topics discussed in this issue include, but are not limited to: Rehabilitation of the Dancer, Access to Healthcare Among Dancers, Dry Needling and Acupuncture, Nutrition Periodization in Dancers, Choreography Specific Cross Training for Dancers, Mental and Physical Resilience in Dancers, Pointe Readiness Screening, Dancers with Disabilities, Special Considerations for the Growing Dancer, Supplemental Training in Dance: Systematic Review, Concussions in Dancers and Other Performing Artists, and Nutritional Concerns for the Artistic Athlete.

Never before has a greater variety of careers been available in dance—and never before has such comprehensive, expert guidance on those burgeoning careers been accessible in one book. Careers in Dance is a master guide that will help students navigate the expanding opportunities in dance and familiarize current professionals with potential career choices that best align with their pursuits and strengths. This highly practical text offers a wealth of information on career options in a variety of settings and with a variety of focuses, including commercial ventures, scholarly pursuits, administrative avenues, medical and scientific settings, and interdisciplinary opportunities. Readers are guided in discovering their deepest interests and learning how to translate their unique strengths into rich and fulfilling careers. In keeping with recent trends in higher education dance programs, Careers in Dance spotlights entrepreneurship and leadership opportunities for dancers, delving into an array of options and offering much-needed advice. The book covers some of the social and cultural influences that affect success in the field, and it explores various career opportunities: K-12 and postsecondary dance education Dance studios Performance, choreography, and production Dance research, analytical writing, and journalism Dance administration and advocacy Dance science, therapy, and medical and somatic practices Private competition companies Technical theater and related areas The text also helps readers understand the connections between dance and other disciplines. For example, it details the interdisciplinary opportunities involving technology, technical theater, and media. It also notes the possibilities for continued education in graduate school programs and suggests approaches to acclimating to life as a working professional. Careers in Dance offers two recurring elements throughout the book: Profiles of, and interviews with, esteemed professional dancers, revealing their real-world experiences and affording insights into different dance careers Reflection prompts that encourage self-reflection and prepare readers to seek career development and career advancement opportunities This text explores the opportunities dance students and professionals can pursue, helps them pinpoint their areas of interest and strengths, and equips them to create their unique paths to a fulfilling career in dance. In doing so, Careers in Dance provides the advice and strategies dancers need to actualize their own destinies in dance.