calendar requisitedance Dance Mission Theater, SF JAN/FEB 2019
Injury Prevention and Longevity with ODC’s Healthy Dancers’ Clinic
by JULIET PARAMOR
More to Consider MOST, IF NOT ALL DANCE INJURIES are technique and overuse injuries, including injuries due to fatigue. There is sometimes a misunderstanding about overuse injuries. An overuse injury does not occur because you are doing too many battements or shoul- der rolls. An overuse injury occurs because a dancer overuses specific muscles incor- rectly in their battements or shoulder rolls, while underusing other muscle groups. As you train your body a certain way, you develop habits. The body is incredibly smart and may find shortcuts or compensate by activating other parts of the body to do work if you are weak in another area. A bad habit may not seem to affect your ability to dance until you begin feeling a con- sistent pain, get it looked at by a professional, and find out you have been doing batte- ments incorrectly for years. It is not your fault. There is also a tendency for dancers to accept chronic pain as normal. Dancers will say “oh, I have always had back pain” or “that’s just my hip thing!” casually, brushing off their own pain. Ignoring aches and pains like this could result in a more serious injury later in your dancing career.
Shapes of Self unfolds over two new works and two reset pieces by company codirectors, Jenna Monroe and Michaela Shoberg and guest cho- reographers, Ray Tadio and Cathleen McCarthy. Each piece, new, old or revisited, explores iden- tity, development and elemental change. Fri-Sat, Feb 8-9, 8pm; Sun, Feb 10, 12:30pm, $25. dancemission.com
muscles more efficiently.” Coleman did not define acupuncture but took me through his history as a bodyworker for 44 years and an acupuncturist for 32 years. He said he, “...hadn’t intended to go into acupunc- ture. A lot of people come out of programs but they don’t really understand who they are. I also studied Rolfing at the same time. In ‘75 I started Acupuncture, Rolfing in ‘82, in ‘86 I got my license in acupuncture, stud- ied somatic, and Feldenkrais kind of thing in ‘97. I felt like I could bring an awareness to people and developed my own style com- pletely. It happens after a while, you just have a sense to things.” Stein mentioned, “Chiropractic care has a lot to do with func- tion and balance in the body. It’s about try- ing to identify where people have imbalances and where people have overuse injuries or lack of high performance. We try to figure out where those imbalances are in terms of skeletal and muscular structure. We don't use drugs or surgery, it’s an all natural approach to wellness. Whether it is in response to an injury or to perform at a higher level.” Alway went on to explain that, “The first concern for everyone is their ergonomics, I want to make sure they are walking or sit- ting correctly before I check their plie. Some- times I will ask them to show me a little bit of choreography. The most common injury in dancers happen in relation to the foot and ankle. Then it goes up the kinetic chain: knee, hip, lower back and lastly shoulders and neck. Of course, if a dancer is doing more weight bearing on their arms they will have more shoulder issues. I don’t fix people. I help people fix themselves.” Coleman states, “It just depends on who the person is. Who they are, how serious the injury is. If someone has a very serious pain I will talk to them more about it. I don’t try to necessarily therapize them, I just try to help them understand why the pain is there. Usu- ally they will tell me. I’ll bring up the idea of why pain is there in the body in general and they will come forward with why the pain is happening. The whole idea is that the body is speaking to them and that is why they are in a lot of pain. It is bringing awareness to them so they can figure out how to manage the situation.” “I don’t fix people. I help people fix themselves.” —KENDALL ALWAY, DPT
IF YOU HAVE EVER TAKEN A DANCE CLASS or had a rehearsal at ODC you may have noticed the door in the Dance Commons with the words “Healthy Dancers’ Clinic” written above it. Whether you have stepped through those doors or not, you have probably won- dered at some point: what exactly goes on in there? A small room equipped with a treatment table and every type of athletic tape you could desire, The Healthy Danc- ers’ Clinic is a volunteer treatment center designed specifically for dancers. Through the volunteer collaboration of academic health care professionals, The HDC strives to improve the well-being and healthcare of the San Francisco Bay Area dance com- munity through education, musculoskeletal screenings, and enlightened treatment proto- cols—the goal being injury prevention and longevity. There are many approaches to dealing with injuries both preventatively and after the fact. A first step is to see a physician who may refer you to a physical therapist, or you can go directly to a physical thera- pist without a referral in the state of Cali- fornia. Massage therapists, acupuncturists, chiropractors, pilates or yoga instructors; all can be beneficial to you. I spoke with four trusted healthcare professionals who have been providing highly specific care to danc- ers for years. Nancy Kadel, MD, Orthopedic Surgeon and Dance Doctor; Kendall Alway, Doctor of Physical Therapy; Stephen Cole- man, Licensed Acupuncturist; and Lenny Stein, Doctor of Chiropractic have different methodologies in treating their patients and all three are passionate about the individuals they care for. Initially, I asked them each to describe what they do. On Dance Medicine, Kadel said “For me the focus of dance medicine is to support dancers of any style or genre to perform at their best. This includes giving an accurate diagnosis, realistic rehabilita- tion options and goals, and assist in modi- fication of activities in the case of injury to allow healing while not making the danger lose conditioning. It sometimes includes technique evaluation or demonstration by the dancer of their specific choreographic demands.” Alway said “Physical Therapy is both preventative and for when you have an injury. Physical therapists use a combination of manual therapy and exercises as well as looking at your joint motion and alignment to determine what other things you need to work on. We also use treatments like taping and occasionally muscle stimulation with a machine to help you learn how to use your
The Dandelion Seeds Private Home, Berkeley
The Dandelion Seeds is a grass-roots communi- ty that supports the inclusive performance work of Dandelion Dance Theater, Bandelion, and their ensemble members. This Salon launches the newly expanded Seeds subscription pro- gram with intimate performances of new dance, music, and theater in a cozy Berkeley home. Sat, Feb 9, 7:30pm, $1 -100 monthly contribution. dandeliondancetheater.org
little seismic dance company ODC Theater, SF
Taking the time to see a professional you trust BEFORE you are injured is crucial. Learn more about your body, ask questions, feel good and pain free, and stay curious.
Divining examines both the state of insecurity that compels us to ritualize behavior as well as the range of states that emerge in response to ritual itself: meditation or prayer; connections felt to the past and to the future; and degrees of assurance from the belief that these practices provide answers. Thu-Sat, Feb 14-16, $15-30. odc.dance
When asked how treatment differs between patients, for example: what’s the difference between treating a dancer or someone who works in the office all day? Kadel said, “Often the injury (for example an ankle sprain) may be the same, but the treat- ment and rehabilitation may be very differ- ent as what these individuals have to do with their ankles is different. Dancers can’t really dance with a brace that limits their motion. So understanding what dancers need to do helps in focusing the treatment and rehabili- tation.” Stein affirms, “Dancers are the most com- plex of all athletes. Unlike most people, they are required to use their body in a very specific way based on the choreogra- phy. You have to be much more precise and much more nuanced and more sophisticated in how you work on them than the aver- age person. It’s way more detailed and way more sophisticated. You could be very skilled at working on the average person but that doesn’t mean you would be able to do all the things that dancers would need. They have very unique injuries and complicated rela- tionships between parts relating to others. It is very unique even within sports medicine.” All of these healthcare providers are experts in what they do. Alway has played a huge role in The HDC since its inception, volunteering time to see dancers as well as maintaining the clinic today. She is also the person who has initiated the program- ming of a Day for Dancers’ Health in the Bay Area. The Day for Dancers’ Health will be held throughout ODC in the The- ater Building and Dance Commons on January 26, 2019 from 10am to 6pm. The event will provide screenings where danc- ers will be able to be seen individually by physicians to test their strength, endurance, and learn more about form and function. Nancy Kadel will be presenting a key- note speech. Two panels, of which Kendall Alway, Stephen Coleman and Lenny Stein
will be on, will take place where dancers can ask questions to various health profession- als and choreographers to get feedback from a wide array of methods and approaches to healthcare and well being. And that’s not all. During the day, there will be break out ses- sions with physical therapists and mental health professionals including progressive ballet technique, stress management, finance, identity as a dancer, nutrition, core work- out series and anatomy in clay. The day will include an open lab and a workshop hosted by ODC’s artist in residence: Kinetech Arts. The event has been planned as an excit- ing and dynamic day designed for the dancer to explore and learn more about their body, their mind, and how to take care of them- selves. There is limited space available for the health screenings and registration details can be found at odc.dance/hdc. Dance Medicine and treating dancers is a tricky job to master, and these four have truly made a name for themselves in this field. Kadel, Alway, Coleman and Stein are trusted by the dance community to not only assist them in healing physical injuries, but in bringing dancers back to their craft and art form. A dancers’ career does not have to be cut short. A dancer can keep moving and dancing their whole life, with care that is specific and sensitive. JULIET PARAMOR is a freelance dance artist based out of Oakland. She graduated from UC Santa Cruz studying Human Biology and Dance and is an intern at the ODC Healthy Dancers' Clinic. She is inter- ested in the moving body and how it affects one's relationship to themselves, to others, the past and present environment it inhabits and its ability to make change.
Jessica Lang Dance, Feb 28-Mar 2 / Photo courtesy of Jacobs Pillow Dance
Risa Jaroslow & Dancers ODC Theater, SF How do we serve? How are we served? Who serves whom, and where do the lines blur? Asking these questions led Risa Jaroslow & Dancers, vocalist/composer Amy X Neuburg, and guest performers to create At Your Service . Thu-Sat, Feb 21-23, 8pm, $15-30. odc.dance
RAW presents Peri Trono and Chelsea Van Billiard SAFEhouse Arts, SF Peri Trono in little memories is a work devel- oped on memory loss. Chelsea Van Billiard in 26 - A look into the significance of relation- ships. Sponsored by RAW (resident artist work- shop), a residency program of SAFEhouse for the Performing Arts. Fri-Sat, Feb 15-16, 8pm; Thu-Fri, Feb 21-22, 8pm, $15-20. safehousearts.org
Rotunda Dance Series City Hall Rotunda, SF
Dancers’ Group and World Arts West kick off the 9th annual season of the free series of dance and music forms from around the world. Fri, Feb 15, 12pm, FREE dancersgroup.org/rotunda
The 7 Fingers Zellerbach Hall, Berkeley
Black Choreographers Festival: Here and Now Dance Mission Theater, SF
Montreal’s award-winning contemporary circus troupe. For Reversible , each of the company’s cast members researched generations of fam- ily history. Through acrobatics, aerial stunts, and dance, the artists build an intergenera- tional bridge between past and present, then and now. Fri-Sun, Feb 22-24, $15-68. calperformances.org
Celebrating 15 years of presenting African American art and culture with performances, master classes and special events. Represent- ing the African Diaspora with traditional and contemporary dance forms. Co-Sponsored by Dance Mission Theater. Sat-Sun, Feb 16-17 &
requisitedance, Feb 8-10 / Photo by Brian Monroe
23-24, 7:30pm, $10-15. bcfhereandnow.com
Berkeley Dance Project Zellerbach Playhouse, Berkeley
RAW presents Prahelika Rajagopalan, Nrityakalya Dance Company, and Kanha
Bandelion, part of 8x8x8 / Photo by Hans Holtan
Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the found- ing of TDPS’s dance program, Berkeley Dance Project 2019 will feature Joe Goode; Rulan Tangen; Latanya Tigner; a current student choreographer; and alumna Cherie Hill. TDPS dance program co-founder and Professor Emerita Marni Wood will be here for a short residency, including a discussion as part of the TDPS Speaker Series on February 21. Thu-Sat, Feb 21-23 & 28-Mar 3, 8pm, $13-20. tdps.berkeley.edu Jessica Lang Dance Hammer Theatre Center, San Jose YBCA Theater, SF Bessie-Award winning Artistic Director Jessica Lang transforms classical ballet language into artfully crafted, emotionally engaging works. San Jose: Sat, Feb 23, 7:30pm, $37-61; SF: Thu- Fri, Feb 28-Mar 1, 7:30pm; Sun, Mar 2, 2pm & 7:30pm, $45-70.
School of Dance SAFEhouse Arts, SF
Prahelika Rajagopalan: Portraying the goddess ‘Aandal’ from Hindu Mythology. Nrityakalya Dance Company: Sakhi Sakhyam - Friend and Friendship. Kanha School of Dance: The ancient tradition of Indian classi- cal dance called Bharatanatyam. Sponsored by RAW (resident artist workshop), a residen- cy program of SAFEhouse for the Performing Arts. Sat-Sun, Feb 23-24, 7pm, $15-20. safehousearts.org RAW presents nomadMVMT and Olivia Schlanger SAFEhouse Arts, SF nomadMVMT/Logan Scharadin - Fractal Eyes is a work-in-progress performance that explores inner and outer truths. Olivia Sch- langer’s new work plays with weight, spiraling, partnering, and counterbalance. Thu-Fri, Feb 28-Mar 1, 8pm, $15-20. safehousearts.org
Rituals at the End of the World ODC Theater, March 1-2 7PM Participatory Installation 8PM Performance
$30 discounts available dogandponydance.org
Day for Dancers’ Health: Jan 26, ODC Commons and Theater, SF. odc.dance/hdc
hammertheatre.com sfperformances.org
dog+pony
made possible in part by the Fleishhacker Opportunity Fund at ODC
Conjunto Folklórico Panamá América, part of First Friday Fiestas, Feb 1 / Photo courtesy of artist
Joe Landini Alma Esperanza Cunningham
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