Smart Cycles: What dance teachers can learn from athletic training concepts.

Dance Studio Life Magazine, Volume 21, Issue 7, September 2016, p. 148-151.

At the University at Buffalo, where I teach, the dance and athletic departments stand side by side. I often cite this architectural relationship as a metaphor for the two sides of a dancer—one part artist and one part athlete. 

The benefits to dancers of aerobic exercise, weight training, and cross-training are common knowledge. Less widely understood is what dance teachers can learn and integrate into their work from the field of athletics, specifically the concept of periodization, which I learned about at an International Association for Dance Medicine and Science conference. Let’s look at how we can apply this idea to dance education in order to support students’ growth, health, and safety.

Periodization is the practice of planning the type and intensity of athletic training over a season or longer time frame, with the goal of maximizing performance. For dancers, periodization is an injury-prevention strategy. Rather than adopting the common “feast or famine” practice of surviving a rehearsal period and performance run, then dropping everything until the next rehearsals begin, dancers should follow a plan that anticipates their needs before, during, and after performance periods. By scheduling the appropriate kind and duration of training for each performance cycle, they’ll achieve the best conditioning results and perform at their peak.

Visualizing a yearlong arc helps dance students to see that once the school year starts and their studio time increases, they should decrease the time they spend cross-training. Typically perfectionists, dancers tend to think that if going to the gym twice a week is good, then four times a week would be better and six times a week would be best. But going to the gym six times a week during intensive dance training periods often leads to injury, exhaustion, or burnout.

The periodization arc for a studio class is different from that in a college dance setting, but the principles are the same. The first few weeks should include reviewing expectations, terms, and placement, and moving the body with progressive warm-ups and ample time to stretch. Increasing the intensity of training a month or so into the season gives the dancers a base from which to explore artistic and physical possibilities in both rehearsal and technique classes. Teachers should bring the intensity down near the holidays and start the cycle again after the break.

As the students advance, periodization should become more nuanced. Most young studio dancers do not actively cross-train, while older ones usually do, and they may experiment with different forms. When beginning a new rehearsal phase, studio teachers need to take these variations in cross-training—from none to some—into consideration. This is a difficult call for teachers. Essentially, you want to play it safe while simultaneously getting the students ready to push ahead. Starting a new rehearsal period with a basic technique class allows the group to build a sense of community and gives you time to assess them, to determine how to cast the dance safely.

At the college level, dancers take on most of the responsibility for their training as early as their freshman year. As they gain experience, and with guidance from the faculty, they learn that it’s in their best interest to modify their training schedules so that they stay healthy and productive during the rehearsal and performance seasons. These decisions—ideally made with support from faculty—might include which dance classes to take and how many, and a commitment to healthy practices such as regular warm-ups and cool-downs. 

College dance students should aim for a semester that pushes them but doesn’t overload them to the point of burnout or injury. Supplementing required courses with rehearsals, workouts, and other classes can enhance or diminish the overall experience, making mentoring and advising essential. 

All good dance teachers mentor their students by meeting with them individually and discussing training concepts in class, as well as modeling the concepts in classes and rehearsals. I advise my dancers about behaviors and practices, such as avoiding running or jogging because of the stress it puts on the knees, ankles, and shins. And of course academic advisors monitor the number and sequence of credited courses. 

Off-season

During summer and other breaks from dance training, students should take time to rest and refuel. Dancers tend to crash after a final performance, then feel guilty if they take time off, so it’s critical that they understand the physical and psychological benefits of downtime. Mindfulness is key here—being conscious of how they spend their time away from the studio. I advise my students to schedule some downtime before they start going to the gym or taking other dance classes. They can enjoy the time off because they know they have a plan in place to start exercising safely again. 

Dancers who don’t allow themselves enough time to heal and rest after a busy season risk injury or burnout; often, without a plan, they engage in random periods of rest and pre-season activities, which can be detrimental. Consequently, they may return to the season or semester exhausted and primed for an injury, with tight muscles, diminished skills, or extra weight. I advise college dance majors to stay out of the studio for two weeks after the spring semester but to stretch lightly and remain active in a gentle, recuperative way, with walking, yoga, and biking. After two weeks, they can add dance classes and cross-training.

Encourage students to make a written plan and share it with you or a friend or classmate. The plan will be different for every student, based on age, level of dance training, and normal activity. I don’t recommend that young students do any cross-training—having time for play and rest is essential for children. But a plan is important for teenagers who have declared their interest in pursuing dance at a professional or collegiate level. 

 Pre-season

This is the time for cross-training and technique classes. But how do dancers determine what’s appropriate for them? “Going to the gym” can mean something different to each person. Some go for overall strength training, others to gain aerobic fitness, and others to target specific muscle groups. Even yoga offers a range of benefits: “hot,” or power, yoga aids with flexibility, balance, and strength, while mindfulness-based yoga focuses on breathing and anxiety reduction. 

Both long- and short-term goals must be considered when defining what a particular dancer needs. If a dance requires much lifting, then building upper-body strength must be a short-term priority. If a dance requires endurance, aerobic exercise may be needed. Dancers whose muscles tend to be tight need to stretch consistently to improve their range of motion. All dancers will benefit from any cross-training exercise that enhances overall fitness and strength. 

Finding the right arc for a particular population of dancers is different for each teacher. College and university dance students typically face multiple arcs over the course of the year: each semester has a periodized training schedule, and summer has its own timeline of instruction with intensives and classes at local studios. In many college dance programs there is no pre-season; after the summer break, students immediately must audition for the year’s performances. The same is true for dancers who attend a summer intensive—often level placement is determined by how the dancers perform in the first hours or days of the program. 

Many students at dance studios, however, often do have time to ease back into class at the beginning of the year. Teachers should not get carried away by the excitement and energy of returning students and give them advanced-level steps.  For the first few classes, harness that energy by engaging them in movements they know. By giving a thorough warm-up, time to stretch, and challenging (but not impossible) combinations, teachers can assess what the class needs. It’s best to avoid introducing anything new, shortening the barre, or skipping the cool-down. The goal is to ride the students’ upbeat energy without overwhelming or injuring them.

 In-season 

During the in-season, the focus is on the “game”—learning choreography, adding skills, and increasing range of motion, technical articulation, and strength. The markers of a successful in-season are increased intensity in technique classes (in both the classroom material and the students’ dancing), engaging fully in rehearsals, and demonstrating endurance with daily attendance in class and rehearsals while remaining injury free. 

The in-season is not the time to experiment with new diets or workouts or to pull all-nighters. Consistency is key. Dancers who have a good in-season mentality show it by doing thorough warm-ups, giving 100 percent in classes and rehearsals, and cooling down properly. They create a platform for physical and mental success by keeping themselves hydrated, rested, nourished, and socially connected, and by using stress-relieving techniques. 

During the in-season, dancers should do little aside from classes and rehearsals. They have to learn to pace themselves—which is, unfortunately, often a trial-and-error process. Injuries and sickness are indications that they have done too much; not getting cast in a concert and getting poor teacher feedback mean they have not done enough. 

 Post-season

After the victory dance in the end zone, athletes take a day off knowing they have a plan for a light recuperation regimen—not weeks of unplanned time off, as many dance students do. An athlete’s post-season workout might include restorative stretches or exercises and low-impact cross-training (swimming, walking, yoga). This is called tapering—slowly easing out of a high-intensity training period. For college students, it’s the time after spring semester; for studio dancers, it’s after recital.

Dancers need to learn to taper instead of going from all to nothing. Teachers can point them toward other types of exercise, such as Pilates, yoga, and barre-type fitness classes. Psychologically, it’s often better to do these activities outside of the dance studio so that the dancers are not locked into the mentality of the studio space and its tights and mirrors.

 The takeaway

As teachers, we can emphasize the beauty in the rhythm and energy of our classes. We can also convey to the more advanced students the importance of the cyclical changes in a training arc and the need to take responsibility for managing their training year-round, even when they are not in the studio. 

Using periodization can make you more aware of how you structure your classes or mentor advanced students. Just as athletic coaches use a chalkboard to sketch out the plays, dance teachers can use a calendar, journal—or, yes, a chalkboard—to sketch out a yearlong plan. It’s another way to support dancers at any level—pushing them and easing off, safely and appropriately, and teaching them how to structure the cycles of training for themselves.