Dancers Wellbeing

As the Head of Dance at READ College, I am passionate about ensuring that my young students have the very best start to their professional dance training and consequently their future careers. This means educating our young people about how to look after themselves both physically and psychologically.

- Helen Read

In recent years there has been an increased focus on addressing the physical and mental wellbeing of dancers, looking at dance artists as athletes and proactively preventing injury. ‘One Dance UK’ is one of the leading bodies who through their Healthier Dancer Programme (HDP) are working with professionals to improve the physical and psychological health and wellbeing of dancers.

It is both reassuring and inspiring to see how much attitudes have changed since my own experiences. Over 20 years ago, aged 16, I began my professional dance training at one of our country’s top classical ballet schools. I remember being frowned upon by my tutors for following my physiotherapists’ advice, asking to rest from class due to an injury. Of course I didn’t want to miss class or for my tutors to think unfavourably of me; consequently I pushed through the pain causing even more damage.

It is so encouraging to see how far the world of dance has come since then and I am keen to support these developments and excited to see the face of dance training changing and evolving in a positive and healthy way.