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COACHES did you know.. Dance is one of the most demanding activities on the musculoskeletal system (Miller, 2006)? This is due to the fact that a proficient dancer not only needs technical skill but also high endurance, muscle strength, aerobic capacity, flexibility, joint stability, somatosensory integration and neuromuscular coordination (Motta-Valencia, 2006). Not to mention factors such as high training loads, monotony and strain are all extremely common within the sport (Jeffries et al., 2017).

Studies have shown that annual injury rates at classical ballet companies range from 67-97% with 60-76% of all dance injuries relating to overuse (Bronner et al., 2003).

As coaches it is our responsibility to monitor our athletes training loads to reduce the risk of injury but how exactly can we do this?

One simple, non invasive and cost-effective way of monitoring the exercise intensity of a session is by using the sRPE method (session rating of perceived exertion). We can do this by using the Borg CR-10 scale pictured above ("Borg Scale - RPE -", 2022) after classes. Studies have shown this is an effective way for teachers and coaches to evaluate and compare the stress, particularly the internal training load, placed on individual dancers (Jeffries et al., 2017). With this information we can introduce periodisation strategies to help lower the risk of injury amongst our dancers/athletes.

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