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There are debates about dancers whether they are athletes or artist. This explains why they are both.
Allie Wolf. 2017. Why are Dancers considered Artists but not Athletes. [ONLINE] Available at: https://medium.com/@176860/why-are-dancers-considered-artists-but-not-athletes-e70bd1169b80. [Accessed 13 December 2018].

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Looking at dance as a whole, what is the first thing that you think about? Do you consider those people artists, or do you believe that they are athletes just like any other sport in that category?

Dance for the longest time has been in the art realm because they are artists in motion telling a story through dance. The flip side is never really thought of when looking at these people, but there is no reason why dancers are not considered athletes.

The long known stereotype of dancers being considered artists and the subject of dance always being put into the artistic side of activities is a fallacy in itself. The work that these athletes put in everyday is not something that can go unrecognized.

Compared to the everyday practices of most sports like football and basketball, dancers are in technique classes throughout the day and later in rehearsals preparing for their performances in the near future. The words of Emerald Dean best put how dance is seen through the eyes of everyday people.

"The strength of a dancer is often hidden behind the gentle grace in which she performs, but unquestionably it is still there. The degree of athleticism needed to make dance look easy can become underestimated because dancing is considered a performing art"

The dedication that dancers put into their work and all the time they put into this sport is something that is never recognized. If everyone was able to see the daily life of a dancer there should be no reason for dancers to not be put in the category of athletes.

Dancers have to be well rounded in all different realms of their body. Mentally fit to endure all the painful times that they have to push through, the flexibility as they stretch their bodies to their breaking point, and the physical strength that is underestimated to get through all the classes and long performances.

"Dancers are physically and mentally strong athletes and look for other forms of exercise to challenge themselves. Dancers have to be so well-rounded. We have to be physically strong. We have to be mentally strong, and we have to have endurance. We are half physical strength, half flexibility."

former professional dancer Allison Pringle

The fallacy around dancers being artists but not athletes is an idea that people automatically turn to when asked the simple question. There is a way to be both artistically motivated but have the strength and endurance as an athlete. Dancers are the whole package. They dance for the audience as they watch the effortless looking feet fly across the stage. If the audience was able to understand the harsh critics in the rehearsal room and the long hours of painful feet they would see that it takes a lot more then just artistic ability.

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Why are Dancers considered Artists but not Athletes

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Looking at dance as a whole, what is the first thing that you think about? Do you consider those people artists, or do you believe that they are athletes just like any other sport in that category? Dance for the longest time has been in the art realm because they are artists in motion telling a story through dance.

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nidms.co.uk (n.d) NIDMS. [online] Available at: https://www.nidms.co.uk [accessed 12 Dec. 2018]

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Dancers' education, healthcare and research, NIDMS, United Kingdom

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The National Institute of Dance Medicine and Science (NIDMS) aims to enhance dancers' health, welbeing and performance through high quality scientific knowledge and by providing better, more affordable access to dance-specific healthcare.

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trinitylaban.ac.uk (n.d) Trinity Laban. [online] Available at: https://www.trinitylaban.ac.uk/study/dance/dance-science/about-dance-science/dance-science-research
[accessed 12 Dec. 2018)

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Helping Dancers Meet The Physical Demands of Contemporary Dance

A Trinity Laban team led an informative and well received seminar on the work of their world leading Dance Science Department at the Dance UK conference held in April 2015.

Trinity Laban's Head of Dance Science, Dr Emma Redding, explained the aims of the dance science team - how looking at physiological needs of dancers informs training and preparation and better prepares dancers for the demands that choreography places on the body.

Dancer Jessica Wright demonstrated the gas analyser, which shows the team the correlations between certain aspects of dance movement and the physiological effects on the body.

Edel Quin, MSc Dance Science Programme Leader, asked what can be learnt from measuring dance in this way and said there is a clear need for the dance community to be more aware of what they are preparing dancers for.

Read the full article by Lara Hayward at London Dance.

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A Trinity Laban team led an informative and well received seminar on the work of their world leading Dance Science Department at the Dance UK conference held in April 2015.

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Iadms.org. (n.d.). International Association for Dance Medicine & Science. [online] Available at: https://www.iadms.org [Accessed 12 Dec. 2018].

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International Association for Dance Medicine & Science

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International Association for Dance Medicine & Science

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onedanceuk.org. (n.d) One Dance UK. [online] Available at: https://www.onedanceuk.org [Accessed 12 Dec. 2018]

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This explains why staying hydrated is important for a dancer.

Challis, J. and Stevens, A. (2016). Nutrition Resource Paper. [ebook] p.9. Available at: https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.iadms.org/resource/resmgr/resource_papers/dance-nutrition-2016.pdf [Accessed 17 Nov. 2018].

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For nutrition values i am going to follow this food plan by IADMs.

Challis, J. and Stevens, A. (2016). Nutrition Resource Paper. [ebook] p.9. Available at: https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.iadms.org/resource/resmgr/resource_papers/dance-nutrition-2016.pdf [Accessed 17 Nov. 2018].

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As a dancer it is important to know the different bones in the body. This is a labelled image of a human skeleton.

the human skeleton. (2018). [image] Available at: https://www.teachpe.com/anatomy/skeleton.php [Accessed 12 Dec. 2018].

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This explains the dangers of over stretching and how young people are influenced by social media.

Robinson, L. and Whyte, S. (2015). Dancers injured copying overstretching exercises from social media. [online] ABC News. Available at: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-10-12/young-dancers-injured-by-extreme-overstretching-exercises/6847796 [Accessed 11 Dec. 2018].

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Dancers injured copying overstretching exercises from social media

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Young dancers are being injured copying extreme overstretching exercises they see online and on social media, a trend that medical professionals say could ruin their careers.

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This blog post includes information of the female athlete triad in college dance students. Also linking that with eating disorders and injuries.

Avery, A. and Baas, J. (2015). The female athlete triad in college dance students: Video from the 2014 Annual Meeting - International Association for Dance Medicine & Science. [online] Iadms.org. Available at: https://www.iadms.org/blogpost/1177934/225016/The-female-athlete-triad-in-college-dance-students-Video-from-the-2014-Annual-Meeting [Accessed 11 Dec. 2018].

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International Association for Dance Medicine & Science

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404 | International Association for Dance Medicine & Science

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It is important to eat well as a dancer for many reasons, one of these are to avoid injury and to help repair injuries. This website gives some nutritious foods that will aid injuries.

Petre, A. (2017). The Top 14 Foods and Supplements for Sports Injuries. [online] Healthline. Available at: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/foods-supplements-for-sports-injury#section5 [Accessed 10 Dec. 2018].

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When it comes to sports and athletics, injuries are an unfortunate part of the game.

However, no one likes to be sidelined for longer than necessary.

Fortunately, certain foods and supplements may help reduce the amount of time your body needs to recover from a sports injury.

This article lists 14 foods and supplements you should consider adding to your diet to help recover from an injury more quickly.

Protein is an important building block for many tissues in your body, including muscle.

However, getting enough protein can help minimize this loss. Furthermore, a protein-rich diet may help prevent inflammation from getting too bad and slowing down your recovery ( 2, 4).

Moreover, slightly increasing your protein intake once you start training the injured body part again helps you rebuild any lost muscle ( 2, 4).

For all these reasons, make sure to include protein-rich foods like meat, fish, poultry, tofu, beans, peas, nuts or seeds in your daily menu.

How you distribute these foods throughout the day also seems to matter ( 5, 6).

Research shows that spreading your protein intake equally over four meals may stimulate muscle growth more than an uneven distribution ( 5).

Experts also suggest that eating a protein-rich snack before bed may help enhance your body's muscle-building process while you sleep ( 1).

Bottom Line: Eating protein-rich foods at every meal and snack may help prevent muscle loss following an injury. Protein-rich foods may also help you regain muscle mass faster once you return to training.

Recovery from injury often involves immobilization or limited use of the injured body part.

To prevent this from resulting in unwanted body fat, it's important to compensate by eating slightly less.

That's because fiber-rich foods such as fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains help promote feelings of fullness after meals ( 8, 9, 10).

As an added bonus, fiber-rich foods tend to be high in several other nutrients essential for your recovery, including vitamin C, magnesium and zinc ( 2, 11).

Therefore, individuals who were attempting to lose body fat before the injury should consider postponing their weight loss efforts. Instead, focus on maintaining your body weight until recovery is complete.

Bottom Line: Consuming fiber-rich foods while recovering from an injury can be an effective strategy to limit the gain of unwanted body fat.

Vitamin C helps your body make collagen, which helps maintain the integrity of your bones, muscles, skin and tendons ( 2, 14, 15).

Therefore, getting enough vitamin C from your diet is a great way to help your body rebuild tissue after an injury.

Luckily, vitamin C is one of the easiest vitamins to get enough of through your diet.

Foods with the highest amounts of it include citrus fruits, red and yellow bell peppers, dark leafy greens, kiwi, broccoli, berries, tomatoes, mango and papaya.

However, it's currently unclear whether supplements provide any benefits for those already getting enough vitamin C from their diet.

Nevertheless, the small number of people who can't consume enough vitamin C-rich foods may want to consider taking supplements.

Bottom Line: Vitamin-C rich foods can help your body produce the collagen that's required to rebuild tissue after an injury. It can also help prevent excessive inflammation from slowing down your recovery.

After an injury, the first phase of wound healing always involves some inflammation. This inflammatory response is beneficial and needed for proper healing ( 2).

However, if this inflammation remains too high for too long, it may slow down your recovery ( 2).

One way to prevent excess inflammation from delaying your recovery is to eat enough omega-3 fats.

These fats, which are found in foods such as fish, algae, walnuts, flaxseeds and chia seeds, are known to have anti-inflammatory properties ( 16).

You can also prevent excess or prolonged inflammation by limiting omega-6 fats, which are commonly found in corn, canola, cottonseed, soy and sunflower oils.

Consuming too many omega-6 fats is known to promote inflammation, especially if your intake of omega-3 fats is also low ( 17).

In addition, some studies report that omega-3 supplements may help increase the creation of muscle protein, reduce the loss of muscle during immobilization and promote recovery from concussions ( 18, 19, 20, 21).

That said, high intakes of omega-3 fats from supplements may reduce your body's ability to regain muscle mass once you return to training. Therefore, it may be best to increase your omega-3 intake from foods rather than supplements ( 22).

Bottom Line: Foods rich in omega-3 fats may help speed up your recovery by limiting excessive or prolonged inflammation. Limiting your intake of omega-6 fats can also be helpful.

Zinc is a component of many enzymes and proteins, including those needed for wound healing, tissue repair and growth ( 23, 24).

In fact, studies show that not getting enough zinc from your diet can delay wound healing ( 23, 25).

Therefore, consuming zinc-rich foods such as meat, fish, shellfish, pulses, seeds, nuts and whole grains may help you recover more effectively from an injury.

Some people may be tempted to simply take zinc supplements to ensure they meet their recommendations.

But zinc competes with copper for absorption, so receiving high doses of zinc from supplements may increase the likelihood of copper deficiency ( 26).

Overall, if your zinc status is good, additional zinc from supplements probably won't speed up wound healing. However, getting enough from your diet is important.

Bottom Line: Regularly consuming zinc-rich foods can help speed up wound healing and tissue repair and growth.

Calcium is an important component of bones and teeth. It's also involved in muscle contractions and nerve signaling ( 27).

That's why it's important to ensure you always get enough calcium - not just when you're recovering from an injury.

Calcium-rich foods include dairy products, leafy greens, sardines, broccoli, okra, almonds, seaweed and calcium-fortified tofu and plant milks.

Also, getting enough vitamin D may increase the chances of a good recovery after surgery. For instance, studies have found a good vitamin D status can enhance strength recovery following an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) surgery ( 30, 31).

Few foods naturally contain vitamin D, but your body has the ability to make vitamin D from exposure to the sun.

Those living in northern climates or spending a limited amount of time outdoors may require supplements to get enough vitamin D ( 28).

Bottom Line: Eating enough calcium-rich foods is necessary for proper recovery from fractures. Getting enough vitamin D can also help.

Creatine is a substance naturally found in meat, poultry and fish.

It helps your body produce energy during heavy lifting or high-intensity exercise. The human body can also produce about 1 gram of it per day ( 32).

Creatine has become a popular supplement commonly used to increase muscle mass and improve performance in various sports ( 33).

Interestingly, it may also help you recover from an injury.

One study reported that creatine supplements enhanced the gain of muscle mass and strength lost during a two-week immobilization period more than a placebo ( 34).

Both of the studies showing positive results provided the creatine supplement in four doses of five grams each day.

It's important to note that there is currently no consensus about creatine and sports injury recovery. That said, no studies to date have found any negative effects.

Bottom Line: Creatine may boost your recovery by reducing how much muscle you lose immediately after your injury. It may also help you regain muscle more quickly once you go back to training.

Glucosamine is a natural substance found in the fluid that surrounds your joints. It is involved in the creation of tendons, ligaments and cartilage.

Your body naturally produces glucosamine, but you can also increase your levels through supplements. Supplements are generally made either from shellfish shells or fermented corn.

One recent animal study also showed that taking glucosamine daily after a fracture may speed up bone reformation ( 45).

Based on these findings, some people take glucosamine supplements to help reduce pain after joint and bone injuries or speed up recovery from fractures. However, more research is needed before strong conclusions can be made.

It's worth noting that glucosamine supplements may pose a risk to those who are allergic or sensitive to shellfish or iodine, pregnant women and those with diabetes, high cholesterol, asthma or high blood pressure ( 46).

Bottom Line: Glucosamine may help reduce pain and speed up recovery from fractures. However, more research is needed and some people shouldn't take it.

In addition to getting enough calcium and vitamin D, good intakes of the following nutrients can contribute to a speedier recovery from bone fractures ( 11):

1. Magnesium: Promotes bone strength and firmness. Found in almonds, cashews, peanuts, potato skins, brown rice, kidney beans, black-eyed peas, lentils and milk.

2. Silicon: Plays an important role in the early stages of bone formation. Best sources include whole grains and cereals, carrots and green beans.

3. Vitamins K1 and K2: Directs calcium toward bones and helps improve bone strength. Best sources include leafy greens, Brussels sprouts, prunes, sauerkraut, natto, miso, organ meats, egg yolks and dairy products from grass-fed cows.

4. Boron: Promotes bone health by increasing calcium and magnesium retention and enhancing vitamin D's effect. Prunes are the best dietary source.

5. Inositol: Helps improve calcium absorption in bones. Found in cantaloupe, grapefruit, oranges and prunes.

6. Arginine: This amino acid is needed to produce nitric oxide, a compound necessary for fracture healing. The best sources include meat, dairy, poultry, seafood, nuts and oatmeal.

Those recovering from bone fractures should consume foods rich in these nutrients daily.

Bottom Line: The nutrients described above are necessary for the health of your bones. Therefore, getting enough of them may help you recover from a fracture more quickly.

When it comes to recovering from a sports injury, many elements come into play.

While not all of them are under your influence, one factor you can control is the nutrients you provide your body.

Therefore, regularly consuming the foods and supplements mentioned in this article is one way you can speed up your recovery.

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The Top 14 Foods and Supplements for Sports Injuries

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When it comes to sports and athletics, injuries are an unfortunate part of the game. However, no one likes to be sidelined for longer than necessary. Fortunately, certain foods and supplements may help reduce the amount of time your body needs to recover from a sports injury.

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PRICED - how to assist an injury shortly after.

PROTECTION: Remove additional danger or risk from injured area.

REST: Stop dancing and stop moving the injured area.

ICE: Apply ice to the injured area for 20 minutes every two hours.

COMPRESSION: Apply an elastic compression bandage to the injured area.

ELEVATION: Raise the injured area above the heart.

DIAGNOSIS: Acute injuries should be evaluated by a health-care professional.

HARM - how to assist an injury a few days later.

HEAT: Any kind of heat will speed up the circulation, resulting in more swelling and a longer recovery.

ALCOHOL: Alcohol can increase swelling, causing a longer recovery.

RUNNING OR OTHER EXCESSIVE EXERCISE: Exercising too early can cause further damage to the injured part. Exercise also increases the blood-flow, resulting in more swelling.

MASSAGE: Massage increases swelling and bleeding into the tissue, prolonging recovery time.

Urmston, E. (2015). An Introduction to Dance Injury - International Association for Dance Medicine & Science. [online] Iadms.org. Available at: https://www.iadms.org/blogpost/1177934/218813/An-Introduction-to-Dance-Injury [Accessed 10 Dec. 2018].

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This document explains how to manage hypermobility and why this is important.
Knight, I., McCormack, M. and Bird, H. (2012). [online] Onedanceuk.org. Available at: https://www.onedanceuk.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Managing-Hypermobility-for-the-Dance-Teacher-FINAL.pdf [Accessed 4 Dec. 2018].

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This image clearly explains the structure of the female athlete triad and shows what symptoms to look out for.

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This article gives a lot of information about how science is helping dancers.

Bailey, M. (2018). Raising the barre: how science is saving ballet dancers. [online] the Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2018/jul/15/raising-the-barre-how-science-is-saving-ballet-dancers#img-2 [Accessed 3 Dec. 2018].

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trinity laban conservatoire of music and dance

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Raising the barre: how science is saving ballet dancers

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Could new science and high-tech training protect dancers from the injuries that end so many of their careers far too early? Mark Bailey investigates

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This video explains the differences between aerobic & anarobic excersise, enhancing understanding between the two.

Wilson, D. (2017). AEROBIC vs ANAEROBIC DIFFERENCE. [video] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Y_FdjI2v4I [Accessed 30 Nov. 2018].

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This is a visual explaining the nutrition that dancers need to enhance their performance.