During July and August 2014, dancers were encouraged to share photographs of themselves resting on Facebook and Twitter, using the hashtag #dancersneedrest. The best photograph, as judged by Erin Sanchez, One Dance UK Healthier Dancer Programme Manager, and Zoe Anderson, Dancing Times News Editor, won a year’s Dance UK membership, a Dancing Times subscription and a selection of books about dancers’ health.
http://www.onedanceuk.org/programme/healthier-dancer-programme/industry-standards/dancers-need-rest-campaign/
Rest is anything that gives you a break, whether it's mental or physical. In order to reach our physical capacities dancers train for long hours in the studios and sometimes overwork themselves leading to burnout. 'Characterised by consistent or unexplained tiredness, emotional changes, frequent illness and injury and poor performance in spite of normal training, burnout is a major concern for dancers. Although there are a number of possible causes, dancers’ burnout can be due to emotional and physical stress, poor fitness, and of course, too little rest.'
Plan training and performing in order to reach a physical and mental, physical and technical peak for performances. This process is called periodisation and involves a gradual build-up of training and learning. This process would work very differently depending on the company in which you are working for and the nature of the work you are doing.
Reducing training just before performance (called tapering), gives time for dancers to switch from preparation to performance mode. In this method, it’s important to reduce technical training and classes as rehearsals increase and allow for greater rest time.
At the end of this article it is mentioned how dancers and students are often not in control of their timetables so it is important for their artistic and administrative team to have a good understanding of these methods of performance preparation and the importance of rest. As dancers we should also listen to our own bodies and because everyone's body is different it is important for you to do what is right for you. Not everyone will be performing the same roles so everyone's workload will differ therefore it's important to understand where and how you will take time to rest and recover.
What are the benefits of rest?
- Rest allows the brain and body time to assimilate and store what has been learned each day, improving both your memory and how well you perform movement*
- Taking time to review movements and choreography mentally as well as practising physically is more effective than physical rehearsal alone*
- Dancers working in periodised environments (including rest) perform better and have fewer injuries
- Rest aids muscle regeneration after dancing and reduces fatigue and injury rates
How to integrate rest into your training
- Make sure to spend time eating healthy and nutritious food. Bring lunch and snacks with you so you can rest during breaks rather than spending time finding food. Click here for recipe ideas
- Prevent burnout by balancing high performance standards with realistic goals, including gradual return to dancing after breaks or injuries.
- Focus on quality of training, not quantity
- Try Active Rest – a lying down resting state where the mind is focused on a particular task. Click here for more information
- Spend time mentally reviewing the movements you have learned rather than physically practising
- Balance dance activities with other interests; rest isn’t just about sleep
- Don’t wait until your dancing starts to suffer. The longer you wait to address fatigue and overtraining, the longer it takes to recover. If you notice tiredness, illness, pain or niggles, don’t just train through it
Key vocad:
- Periodisation - gradual build-up of training and learning
- Tapering - reducing training before performance
- Burnout
- Active rest - a lying down resting state
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