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...make the point that mastery of dance technique and skill acquisition is understand to be achieved through the dance student having an anatomical awareness and theoretical understanding of their physiology.

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"However, dance involves an additional artistic component where ultimately performance on stage is judged not according to a score card as in aesthetic sports, rather on the ability of the dancers to forge an emotional connection with the audience."

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BJSM blog - social media's leading SEM voice

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Traditionally dance medicine has been somewhat the poor relation of sports medicine. Why is this the case? There is no doubt that dancers, of whatever genre, require the physical and psychological attributes of athletes. However, dance involves an additional artistic component where ultimately performance on stage is judged not according to a score card as in aesthetic sports, rather on the ability of the dancers to forge an emotional connection with the audience.

As with athletes, injuries are always an important topic for dancers: how to recognise the aetiology of injuries and thus develop prevention strategies. Dance UK have published two reports on national enquiries into the health of dancers. Dance UK has now evolved into the organisation One Dance which includes the National Institute of Dance Medicine and Science (NIDMS). One Dance provides delivery of the Healthier Dancer Programme (HDP) whose talks regularly engage 1500+ dancers and dance professionals per year and which will be a part of the One Dance UK conference at the end of November, an overarching event for the entire dance sector. One Dance holds a list of healthcare professionals with experience and expertise in dance. One Dance is an especially an important resource for independent dancers who will not have access to the provision for those working in larger dance companies.

However, beyond injury management, there are important aspects of the health of dancers which need to be considered, highlighted in an information booklet "Your body, Your risk" from Dance UK. The female athlete triad is well established as a clinical spectrum comprising of disordered eating, menstrual dysfunction and impaired bone health. Indeed impaired bone mineral density many persist even after retirement in female dancers. The recent evolution of the female athlete triad into relative energy deficiency in sports (RED-S) provides an important clinical model. RED-S includes male athletes/dancers, involves multiple body systems and crucially, evidence of detrimental effects on athletic performance is being researched and described. In other words RED-S is not restricted to female dancers/athletes with bone stress injuries.

The fundamental cause of RED-S is low energy availability where nutritional intake is insufficient to cover energy requirements for training and resting metabolic rate. In this situation the body goes into energy saving mode, which includes shut down of many hypothalamic-pituitary axes and hence endocrine network dysfunction. As hormones are crucial to backing up adaptations to exercise training, dysfunction will therefore have an effect not just on health, but on athletic performance. In dance, neuromuscular skills and proprioception are key for performance. Hence, of concern is that these skills are adversely impacted in functional hypothalamic amenorrhoea, which together with impaired bone health from RED-S, greatly increases injury risk.

Low energy availability can arise in dance and sport where low body weight confers an aesthetic and/or performance advantage. There is no doubt that being light body weight facilitates pointe work in female dancers and ease of elevation in male dancers. Thus, low energy availability can occur intentionally in an effort to achieve and maintain low body weight. Low energy availability can also be unintentional as a result of increased expenditure from training, rehearsal and performance demands and the practicality of fuelling. This situation is of particular concern for young dancers in training, as this represents a high energy demand state, not just for full time training, additionally in terms of energy demands for growth and development, including attainment of peak bone mass.

Despite the significance of RED-S in terms of negative consequences on health and performance, as outlined by the IOC in the recent consensus update, further work is required in terms of raising awareness, identification and prevention. Fortunately these issues are being addressed with the development of an online educational resource on RED-S for athletes/dancers, their coaches/teachers/parents and healthcare professionals which is backed by British Association of Sport and Exercise Medicine (BASEM) and with input from One Dance and NIDMS. In terms of research to facilitate the proliferation of evidence base in dance medicine, One Dance lists calls for research, whilst NHS NIDMS clinics provide access to clinical dance medicine. The importance of the application of this growing field of dance medicine and science for the health and performance of dancers was recently outlined in an article " Raising the barre: how science is saving ballet dancers ".

On the international stage, the International Association for Dance Medicine & Science (IADMS) strives to promote an international network of communication between dance and medicine. To this end, IADMS will hold its 28th Annual Conference in Helsinki, Finland from October 25-28, 2018. In addition to extensive discussion of dance injuries, there will be presentations on "Sleep and Performance" and "Dance Endocrinology".

So maybe Dance Medicine and Science is not so much the poor relation of Sports Medicine, rather showing the way in terms of integrating input between dancers, teachers and healthcare professionals to optimise the health of dancers and so enable dancers to perform their full potential.

***

Fit to Dance? Report of National inquiry into dancers' health. Fit to Dance 2 Dance UK

One Dance: Your body your risk. Dance UK, Fit but fragile. National Osteoporosis Society

Bone mineral density in professional female dancers BJSM

2018 UPDATE: Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S) Dr N Keay BJSM 2018

Reduced Neuromuscular Performance in Amenorrheic Elite Endurance Athletes Medicine and Science in Sports & Exercise 2017

Dancing through Adolescence Dr N Keay BJSM

Healthy Hormones Dr N Keay BASEM 2018

Raising the barre: how science is saving ballet dancers The Guardian 2018

International Association for Dance Medicine and Science Medicine & Science in Sports and Exercise 2017

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What is Dance Medicine? | BJSM blog - social media's leading SEM voice

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Dr Nicky Keay @nickyKfitness Traditionally dance medicine has been somewhat the poor relation of sports medicine. Why is this the case? There is no doubt that dancers, of whatever genre, require the physical and psychological attributes of athletes. However, dance involves an additional artistic component where ultimately performance on stage is judged not according to a [...]Read More...

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Dance Medicine and Science

Medicine is the science and art of preventing and alleviating or curing disease. Dance medicine and science is the application of that realm to the specific life and body of the dancer. As a discipline it investigates the causes of dance injuries, promotes their care, prevention and safe post-rehabilitation return to dance, and explores the 'how' of dance movement. Some specific concerns include the biomechanical, physiological, and neuromotor aspects of dance, nutrition, psychological issues, and the body therapies and somatics area.

The training and self-discipline necessary for the individual to become a dancer are potential sources of physical and emotional strain that may result in temporary or extended disability. The performance of dance, in whatever form, can result in physical injury that may be acute or chronic due to overuse. Prevention of injury/illness is the concern of the educator and health care practitioner involved in dance medicine and science. Preventive recommendations are based upon:

The results of scientific analysis of dance technique and its impact on intensity of teaching, rehearsing and performing.

The results of clinical studies which examine the mechanisms and course of injury rehabilitation and movement re-education.

When injury or other related disability has occurred in the dancer, rational rehabilitative techniques based on these recommendations make return to and continuation of dance possible.

Definition of Dance Medicine and Science provided by the International Association of Dance Medicine and Science ( www.iadms.org)

Pursuing a Career

Currently, dance medicine and science is only defined by the actions and ideas of various health professionals, dance educators, alternative practitioners, and researchers that practice in the area of dancer health. Each discipline brings a unique perspective and body of knowledge to the health concerns of dancers. This diversity of perspectives is rightly perceived as a strength. However, this diversity prevents a simple answer to the question, "How can I learn about dance medicine and science?" The short answer is, "It depends." Students should be asked, "What unique skills, abilities, and knowledge do you currently possess and which ones do you want to acquire? Precisely how do you see yourself contributing to dancer health?" Focusing on the students learning objectives will clarify which discipline associated with dance medicine and science they should pursue.

Although there is no single existing education pathway that defines the required objectives for an education in dance medicine and science, there is much to be learned and multiple opportunities appropriate for every discipline. Not surprisingly, potential students will discover that their previous training and education objectives determine the format(s) of learning they can and should pursue. The existing formats of education of dance medicine and science are grouped as follows: 1. University/Academic Setting, 2. Conferences/Workshops, 3. Clinical Affiliations.

Generally, University/Academic formats are provided by an institution that has been reviewed by an accrediting body to insure that it meets certain criteria. Satisfactory completion of the program earns the student a "degree" (e.g. BFA, MA, PhD). Entry into these programs is highly regulated and requires various levels of previous education.

Workshops or conferences typically operate without an external body providing a review of the content or pedagogical design. Workshops and conferences generally provide proof of attendance, most often in the form of a certificate. Typically, entry into these programs is not regulated in any way, although some are explicitly aimed at particular disciplines.

Clinical affiliations (mentorships) are generally aimed at the practice of a specific discipline and occur within a treatment facility. These learning experiences vary widely in their time course and the formality of their structure. Examples in this category include the affiliations of the physical therapist student as part of the professional phase of an academic (college or university) education and the affiliation of the aspiring Pilates practitioner as part of an independent, commercial, education provider.

A few limitations in the current educational offering should be considered.

The majority of academic education in dance medicine and science is aimed primarily at students whose first discipline is dance. This suggests that there is currently no clear pathway for a student whose primary discipline is in health care or research to obtain an academic degree in dance medicine and science.

Generally, those academic programs that offer education in dance medicine and science offer it only as a "minor" or "emphasis" within a larger dance-oriented education.

The majority of the Clinical Affiliations for which information could be obtained are aimed at physical therapy students. This fact should not deter practitioners or students of other disciplines from contacting known leaders in the dance medicine and science community to inquire about potential affiliations at their treatment facilities.

Text cited from the Dance Medicine Resource Guide, Second Edition, J. Michael Ryan Publishing, Inc. Written and edited by Marshall Hagins, PhD, PT.

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Medicine is the science and art of preventing and alleviating or curing disease. Dance medicine and science is the application of that realm to the specific life and body of the dancer. As a discipline it investigates the causes of dance injuries, promotes their care, prevention and safe post-rehabilitation return to dance, and explores the 'how' of dance movement.

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The Royal Ballet is rich in tradition, but the company’s 97 dancers are now supported by a 17-strong team of sports science and healthcare experts. “Our facilities are now similar to those of a Premier League football club,” explains Gregory Retter, clinical director of ballet healthcare. “Strength, jumping, force attenuation, cardiovascular fitness, psychological wellbeing and nutrition; all support the dancer to be free to create artistic excellence. This is a completely new concept in dance.”

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IADMS ENHANCES HEALTH, WELL-BEING, TRAINING, AND PERFORMANCE IN DANCE BY CULTIVATING MEDICAL, SCIENTIFIC, AND EDUCATIONAL EXCELLENCE.

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https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.bolton.ac.uk/docview/2071013044?pq-origsite=summon

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https://www.iadms.org/page/A8

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5. Somatics, a term that was originally coined by Hanna, refers to a wide field of practice that includes Feldenkrais Method®, Alexander Technique, Body Mind Centering® amongst other approaches. The soma, a word of Greek origin, means ‘the living body in its wholeness’ and, in relation to somatics, describes the first-person perspective of embodiment (Hanna 1979

nice quote to describe understanding of the body.

Students spoke about the value of having somatics and anatomy in one semester. Knowing the muscles and feeling them helped bring awareness on how to work more effectively. The detail of the theory helped the articulation of the muscles. Although a focus on anatomy is not usually a characteristic of FM, the students found this useful in clearing confusion and making connections between the sensation of the body and anatomical structures in a class context

The results from this pilot have been overwhelmingly positive and support continued investigation into the integration of FM and other somatic approaches into dance technique classes. The researchers look forward to implementing further longitudinal research into the role of somatics within tertiary dance training, and the value of its application to not only the acquisition of dance skills but also the development of creativity and the growth of the performing dance artist.

https://www-tandfonline-com.ezproxy.bolton.ac.uk/doi/full/10.1080/19443927.2015.1027452

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https://www-tandfonline-com.ezproxy.bolton.ac.uk/doi/abs/10.1080/07303084.2015.1086621#aHR0cHM6Ly93d3ctdGFuZGZvbmxpbmUtY29tLmV6cHJveHkuYm9sdG9uLmFjLnVrL2RvaS9wZGYvMTAuMTA4MC8wNzMwMzA4NC4yMDE1LjEwODY2MjE/bmVlZEFjY2Vzcz10cnVlQEBAMA==

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Dance medicine is a subdivision of sports medicine that utilizes the same basic orthopedic concepts. It studies motions common to dance, which may not be common to other athletic activity, and the injuries that develop secondary to these peculiar movements. The best defense mechanism against injury and overuse syndrome development is a well-toned, strong, flexible body. Appropriate alignment and range of motion of large joints are necessities for dance activity. Biomechanical analyses are useful in treating and guiding the dancer through injuries that she may incur as well as prevention of such injuries. "Forcing the turnout" is a common problem with many dancers. This motion causes pedal pronation and a myriad of overuse syndromes that can be related to pronatory changes.

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* 'the journal of dance medicine nd science'

This special issue of the Journal of Dance Medicine & Science provides readers a fresh perspective on the field of athletic training and insight into the role of the athletic trainer as a present member on the world stage of dance medicine and science.

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"A clear understand- ing of athletic trainers is particularly important now as the orthopaedic sub-specialty of dance medicine and science continues to grow and relies more and more on the international community of dancers, teachers, choreographers, scientists, healthcare providers, and others to develop and share vital knowledge toward the ul- timate goal of supporting optimum health and Wellness among dancers."

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Certified athletic trainers have been involved in dance medicine and sci-

ence since at least 1981.
Currently they work in numerous dance settings including professional companies, col- legiate, university, and conservatory departments, and community pro- grams, as well as in clinical, research, and educational institutions.
In these settings athletic trainers act as a primary party responsible for injury prevention, body conditioning, first aid, injury evaluation and management, dance-specific rehabilitation, education, initial psychosocial intervention and referral.

They provide on-site athletic training services for dance class, rehearsal, and performance, as well as clinical time before and after these activities. Athletic trainers work with physicians in conducting pre-participation screenings to minimize injury and illness risk and to expedite care and referral to additional healthcare professionals when necessary.
Shared philosophical opinions and clear communication with the physician and other allied healthcare professionals facilitates timely and appropriate return to dance activity.
Athletic trainers may also communicate pertinent and legally appropriate information to the teacher and choreographer to assist with the injured dancer's safe transition back into class, rehearsal, and performance.

The articles presented in this issue exemplify the knowledge and skill that certified athletic trainers contribute to dance medicine and science.

injury prevention; clinical evaluation and diagnosis; immediate care; treatment, rehabilitation and reconditioning; organization and administration; and professional responsibility.4

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Many of the Royal Ballet’s innovations are inspired by a wave of game-changing new research overseen by the National Institute of Dance Medicine and Science (NIDMS). Launched in 2012, this collaboration of UK dance institutions and universities examines everything from dancers’ ankle mechanics to performance anxiety. Professor Emma Redding, head of dance science at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music & Dance in south-east London, is a founding partner of NIDMS. “Dance has always been based on tradition and anecdote, but we started using words like ‘measure’ and ‘evaluate’, which are frowned upon in the arts world,” explains Redding, a former dancer. “People thought science might dilute the art. But we started asking, can’t we get dancers’ bodies and minds even stronger? Or even extend their capacities?”

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Trinity Laban’s Dance Science lab features wireless EMG equipment and face masks that can measure dancers’ muscle activity and oxygen uptake; an Optojump system, which uses infrared LED lights to analyse jumps; and a Tekscan pressure sensor, which gauges postural sway during pliés and pirouettes. This is where many ballet innovations are tested. “We have worked with choreographers like Wayne McGregor, but if you are paying to watch a professional ballet, you don’t want to see people with masks on,” smiles Redding. However, her findings are disseminated through journals and conferences to companies such as the Royal Ballet, which joined NIDMS last year. Research by current guest lecturer Kim Hutt, supervised by Redding, has shown how eyes-closed training can boost a dancer’s proprioception – a kind of “sixth sense” which helps them understand the relative position of their limbs on darkened stages.

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“Ballet’s old-school regime didn’t cater for the type of dancers we have become,” she explains, citing the relentless programme and high scrutiny. “Now we have higher demands of physicality, a more diverse repertoire, so many shows, and little recovery time. On stage, I now have the strength and confidence to keep pushing through and perform steps better. When productions return every few years I realise they feel easier.”

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Retter has noticed a cultural shift: “When I arrived, the nutritionist was seen as the person you visited if you had a disordered eating issue. Now she is the person dancers ask about how best to fuel their day.”

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“One dancer is jumping in the gym four weeks post-op, whereas 10 years ago he would still be on the sofa,” says Calvert.

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Days later, I watch a performance of Swan Lake, attended by 2,256 spectators at the Royal Opera House and beamed to 1,084 cinemas in 29 countries worldwide. Memories of EMG graphs and pneumatic boots dissolve from my mind as the dancers enchant the audience with their ethereal talent, every gesture electrified with raw emotion, every limb flowing like shimmering silk. Science may be silently ushering ballet into the future, but dancers’ centuries-old talent for conjuring movements of impossible beauty with such effortless grace will forever remain ballet’s grand, unquantifiable mystery – and its greatest gift.

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Sports and Dance Therapy - BSc (Hons) at London Metropolitan Uni

Dance science at trinity laban

Moira McCormack - Uk

http://iseh.co.uk/consultantdetails/musculoskeletal-research/118/Moira--McCormack
regulatory system

OPDI Course Catalog

https://www.ndeo.org/content.aspx?page_id=22&club_id=893257&module_id=196516

University of Roehampton

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Three European creative organisations - Theatre de Liege in Belgium, Sadler's Wells in the UK and Maison de la Danse in France - will be part of a collaborative event to examine the technological innovations that could help shape the future of the dance art form. Eleanor Turney finds out more

As part of Lyon Dance Biennale, three European institutions - Theatre de Liege in Belgium, Sadler's Wells in the UK and Maison de la Danse in France - will co-host an event in September billed as a "hackathon for dance". A hackathon being when various technologically minded people come together for a short intense period of time to collaborate on software or other tech projects.

The Dansathon borrows this idea, bringing together interdisciplinary teams working in dance, technology, design and communication. Running for 72 hours, the programme will combine their skills and ideas to explore new territories for the creation of dance and for audience development.

Maxime Fleuriot, conseiller artistique (artistic adviser) at Maison de la Danse in Lyon, which presents the Biennale, explains how the project started: "Two years ago, we initiated in Lyon and Paris a sort of symposium on the issue of dance and new technologies. We had the same wish as BNP Paribas [the project's funder] to explore this issue, and we wanted to have a kind of dance hackathon."

The BNP Paribas Foundation for Culture supports arts and culture projects across the world, mostly focused in Europe. It has been supporting Maison de la Danse for a remarkable 33 years.

Majorie Carre, who runs the performing arts programme at BNP Paribas, tells me: "We of course ask ourselves questions about how to innovate, how to collaborate, how to develop new approaches to creation, something that creates something different, and the approach of hackathons seems to us very appropriate. We work with artists and organisations in a long-term way to support the development of artists and ideas - we don't support projects on a short-term basis, but rather the path and trajectory of an artist. For example, we've recently started supporting Hofesh Shechter [and] we've been supporting Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui for six years.

"We've been looking to support innovation in dance - new fields, new approaches etc - and we're interested in what happens at the crossroads of dance and new technologies, and how technology might interfere with dance creation to produce something different. We've started supporting artists who look in this direction."

Fleuriot continues: "Maison de la Danse is really developing its attention on digital art and dance. We have an international video dance platform, with about 500,000 viewers every year, so that's the trigger point for the project. We suggested inviting Theatre de Liege to join us as a partner. We are very close to Sadler's Wells, as well, and we admire what they do. We were very pleased that they joined the initiative."
Continues...
5 dance events in 2018 that you need to know about

1. World-renowned Akram Khan is at Sadler's Wells in May/June with his last performances as a dancer in a full-length piece.

2. Rambert is performing at Bergen International Festival in Norway in June, before heading to Edinburgh in November.

3. Northern Ballet presents Cathy Marston's Jane Eyre in April-June. The ballet was nominated for the South Bank Sky Arts Dance Award 2017.

4. The Place is collaborating with the Korean Cultural Centre in London to host a festival featuring performances by five Korean dance companies in May.

5. Motionhouse Dance is on a epic tour in 2018, including Canterbury; Nottingham; Neuwied, Germany; Portsmouth; Leuven, Belgium; Bregenzer Fruhling Festival, Austria; Manchester; Aachen, Germany; Kaiserslautern, Germany; Pforzheim, Germany; Budapest, Hungary; Hull.

The tagline for the Dansathon is "imagine the future of dance", but what does that mean to Jonathan Thonon from Theatre de Liege?

"The future of dance is not only that technology takes the power on stage, but also how it can help choreographers and dancers themselves to develop their skills, and to develop new aesthetics." he says.

"It's also the question of the audience; the audience in the theatre has always been in the same position, and we see no theatremakers or choreographers who try to get out of this system of having the audience in front of the stage. Technology can help us, perhaps to find a new way to address the audience."

Fleuriot agrees: "When we say 'imagine the future of dance', it's about dance, new technology and audience development. It's not just about new technology helping new dance creation - though it could be that - it's also a matter of how we can develop the audience for dance with the use of new technologies. For instance, there are a lot of people watching dance on the internet - some videos have 100,000 people, even a million views. What do we do with these audience figures, besides say 'wow'?

"As institutions, where we are very engaged in developing audiences and targeting young audiences, we need to take this into consideration; can we tap into this viral video world? Can we make people who like viral videos come to the theatre? So that might be the future of dance. That's one answer.

"It could be, how can we use AI [artificial intelligence] and VR [virtual reality] that are going to change all futures, and the present. Look at smartphones, we are Skyping right now... we have to live with these technologies. It's changing our experiences as citizens and as artists.

"I think dance is a good way to observe this, because it's something you can do without anything - you can dance naked, you just need your body. It's a way of seeing what happens to your body as a simple human being, and when your human experience is changed by all of this new technology, dance is a way to observe that, think about that, to challenge that and to have a point of view on that."

Alistair Spalding, artistic director of Sadler's Wells, explains that they are also thinking a lot about how technology might influence the world of dance. "It's about understanding what impact digital culture will have on the art form," he says.

"How can we, as an art form, use the tools of the digital age to create better understanding between people? In other words, to use the tools for themselves, but also to use our qualities of bringing communities together through the use of digital tools. Whether it's to do with digital or not, there's a high prevalence of loneliness and isolation, and we want to see whether the combination of our art form and digital tools can help to bring people together."

Carre emphasises the importance of bringing people together, too, especially with Brexit looming: "At BNP Paribas, we are European - that's our approach. We have cultural links with Sadler's Wells and with England, and in the short term there's no question about that. From a cultural point of view, we see our work as a vector for dialogue and cooperation at a European level. Brexit or no Brexit, England is part of Europe.
Continues...
Other programmes supported by BNP Paribas

1. Theatre des Amandiers in Nantes is one of France's leading national theatres. Its productions tour extensively in France and around the world. It receives €15,000 a year from BNP Paribas, split with Maison de la Musique de Nanterre.

2. La Monnaie in Brussels, Belgium, is an opera house with an international reputation for producing opera, dance, concerts and recitals.

3. Dublin Dance Festival has been supported by BNP Paribas in the past.

4. Flagey cultural centre in Brussels hosts a wide-ranging music programme, plus films and other culture events.

5. Le Theatre du Nouveau Monde in Montreal -BNP Paribas sponsored productions in 2010, 2012 and 2014, including Yasmina Reza's God of Carnage.

"Dialogue is the basis for living together, and dance is a very useful tool for that because it's a universal language. We can speak with our bodies and our movements. We really see dance as our contribution to well-being at a European level, to invest in dance for its capacity to bring people together."

Thonon says: "The UK is one of the biggest cultural influences in Europe, and has some of the biggest artists. Brexit cannot change that.

"We need to build these networks because in the performing arts it's becoming more and more difficult to work on your own. You need co-producers, more space for residencies and more money. It's impossible to work alone and it makes sense from a European point of view."

For Spalding, these connections remain hugely important: "As subsidy is declining, we need to work together in order to make the best out of joint ventures, rather than individual ventures. It's happening in London and the UK, that people are working more closely together. Whatever is going to happen with Brexit, that's something that needs to happen anyway around the world. On top of that, it leads to better understanding between nations and cultures."

This is how Fleuriot feels, too: "We are very concerned with keeping a European dimension, because we are a European institution and the scope of our work is international. Europe is threatened at the moment, and we have a responsibility as a French institution to keep bridges and collaborations; it's important for artists, it's important for audiences, and it's important for citizens."
Lyon international Dance Biennale takes place from September 28-30. BNP Paribas Foundation; sadlerswells.com
Breaking down barriers to the language of dance

Nick Awde gives a taster of what's in store for this year's International Dance Day, with the gala event featuring five of Cuba's top companies

April 29 is International Dance Day, celebrated worldwide since 1982. The event was created by the Dance Committee of the International Theatre Institute to land each year on the birthday of Jean-Georges Noverre, the 18th-century French dance master who gave ballet the shape we know today.

The focal event on this year's 29th is the Dance Committee's gala event, evocatively hosted in Cuba at Havana's Gran Teatro de la Habana Alicia Alonso. It's an enviable opportunity to catch five of Cuba's top companies on the same bill: Acosta Danza, Danza Contemporanea de Cuba, Lizt Alfonso Dance Cuba, Folklorico Nacional de Cuba and Ballet Nacional de Cuba.

Also appearing at the event are the Dance Committee's international message authors - each year a message from a choreographer or dancer of influence gets circulated worldwide. The list of past contributors is appropriately wide-ranging, with alumni featuring the likes of Trisha Brown, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Mats Ek, Kazuo Ohno and Merce Cunningham.

International Dance Day 2017: Celebrating Trisha Brown

This year sees messages emanating from a five-way breakdown of the world's regions: Burkina Faso's Salia Sanou (Africa), Lebanon's Georgette Gebara (Arab Nations), Hong Kong's Willy Tsao (Asia Pacific), Ohad Naharin (Europe), and Cuba's Marianela Boan (the Americas). Tonally, messages tend to range from the whimsical and personal to hard-hitting and political, and this year is no exception.

Gebara, founder of Beirut's Ecole Libanaise de Ballet, recalls taking a group of Lebanese students to see a show by the Martha Graham Company in Jordan as the war back home in Lebanon raged. Meanwhile Sanou, artistic director of Ouagadougou's Dialogues de Corps festival and La Termitiere centre, which opened in 2006, acknowledges his cross-border inspiration and sees it being "tested in my double belonging to Africa and Europe".

Based in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, where she heads the National Company of Contemporary Dance of the Ministry of Culture, Boan takes up both concepts: "To each displaced person, refugee and exile from around the world, I say: you have a country that goes with you that nothing and no one can take away - the country of your body."

As artistic director of Batsheva Dance Company, Naharin opts for direct action, urging: "We need to resist the conservative and conventional thinking that has roots in much of dance education and training, and let go of old ideas for new, better ones."

Meanwhile Tsao, founder and artistic director of City Contemporary Dance Company and Beijing Dance, pitches in with a candid snapshot of China's gradual opening up to international ideas, concluding: "With a growing connection with international communities and stronger mutual contemporary dance exchanges, I am confident that China will accelerate to become a significant force for advocating individual viewpoints, championing innovative changes, and fostering tolerance and understanding among nations in this troubled world."

As part of the UNESCO-created International Theatre Institute, the International Dance Committee (iti-worldwide.org/dancecommittee.html) holds the remit of developing the study and practice of dance through activities such as patronage of festivals and workshops for young professionals.

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Will technology affect the future of dance? | international festival

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Three European creative organisations - Theatre de Liege in Belgium, Sadler's Wells in the UK and Maison de la Danse in France - will be part of a collaborative event to examine the technological innovations that could help shape the future of the dance art form

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EMILY SIMPSON - UK.   GRACE WINDSOR - US. QUESTIONS

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EMILY SIMPSON - UK.   GRACE WINDSOR - US. QUESTIONS