Conducting Healthy and Safe Dance Classes
How to Avoid and Treat Injury Whilst Practicing Dancing
Aug 19, 2009
Dancing is more than moving to a rhythm. It often involves stretching, jumping, twisting, running and freeze-frame postures. The bodies of trained dancers often undergo movements not practiced in everyday life. For this reason, the dance teacher must ensure that the space is suitable for dance classes and also that safety precautions are taken.
A Safe Dance Floor
Assessment of the dance studio must be carefully conducted to ensure the following
- The dance floor has slight flexibility, such as a wood or cork to absorb shocks.
- The floor must not be slippery.
- Tripping hazards such as wires and cables must be eliminated.
- Objects that might cause collisions must be cleared away.
- The area must be sufficiently warm.
- Some dance studios use a plastic mirror.
Risk Assessment of the Dance Studio
Risk assessments are a must to ensure the area adheres to health and safety guidelines. However, some dance studios also conduct their own risk assessments. The following must be taken into account:
- Electrical equipment is maintained.
- Fire equipment is in working order.
- Fire exits are kept clear and also that staff and the students know the drill.
- The dance teacher (and the locum teacher) is aware of additional safety policies.
- The dance teacher knows first aid.
- Teachers and parents of dance students have contact numbers in case of emergencies.
Initial Assessment of Dance Students
It is good practice to conduct an initial assessment of the dance students to ensure the teacher is aware of any health conditions. Joint problems, allergies and asthma will impact upon the scheme of work and upon differentiation of lesson plans. To ensure physical safety, the following must be practiced:
- The dance students wear snug outfits such as tights and leotards so that the teacher can see that their postures are aligned correctly.
- The dance students must warm up prior to the lesson. This might involve anything from gentle stretches, side lunges, pacing briskly about or pushing against walls. Tendons and muscles are more flexible when warmed up and injury is less likely during the dance routine.
- After the routine, the body must be cooled down in similar fashion as the warm up. This rids the body of lactic acid.
What to Do About Injuries
It is good practice to keep a logbook of any injuries that might occur. The most common might be sprains and tears to the muscles or tendons. Until the doctor is consulted, the best practice is RICE: Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation. This will control the swelling and the pain. Heat treatments might then be used to aid healing.
Making the Dance Studio Safe
Health and safety during dance classes involves several things. An initial assessment of the dance space must be conducted to ensure the apparatus and the resources are suitable and correctly maintained. Objects that might pose a tripping or collision hazard must be eliminated. Precautions against injuries such as warm ups and health assessments are essential to any dance class and helps the teacher take special needs into account when planning their scheme of work.
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