The International Association for Dance Medicine & Science (IADMS), the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing (ISTD) and Safe in Dance International (SiDI) have collaborated to create an industry-wide online event for all teachers of dance taking place on Sunday 31 July 2022.
The morning symposium is led by active practitioners in their fields Professor Emma Redding PhD MBE, Dr Liliana Araújo and Donna Krasnow PhD who will present stimulating keynotes looking at the range of challenges and opportunities that dance teachers face in the 21st century. This will be followed by a reflective and topical conversation with all three presenters discussing their individual keynotes and answering questions from the audience.
The afternoon sessions contain continuing professional development workshops which will give the participants take away practical tools on topics which address both the psychological and physiological health and well-being of dancers and dance teachers. The day closes with a presentation by Virginia Wilmerding PhD “So, what is the 21st-century dance teacher?”
This collaborative dance science event aims to reach all dance teachers and educators with valid, scientific information that can easily be disseminated and integrated into training tomorrow’s healthier dancers.
Afternoon events are mixed and matched and there is no obligation to attend all sessions.
Find the full programme here:
*Please note that you can only book one CPD session in the same time slot. Do not double book.
Symposium
09:45 - 10:00 BST - Introduction and welcome to partners
10:00 - 10:30 BST - Keynote 1: The world in which we dance
Dr Liliana Araujo
This session invites all to reflect on the contexts and people who make up our 21st-century dance community, their needs at this time and what this asks of us as teachers. Dr Araujo will discuss the changing landscape in our society and how this affects our teaching practice. She will touch on areas such as mental health, cultural and social factors and of course the lasting impact of Covid19. How can we as dance teachers adjust our teaching to reflect the changing landscape we navigate and how our practices can best respond to the different individuals' needs?
10:30 - 11:00 BST - Keynote 2: The physical beings we teach
Donna Krasnow PhD
Dr Krasnow will highlight the differences in body types that we encounter as teachers and how we manage these differences in relation to what dancers want to do and are able to do safely. She will touch on the individual characteristics we need to recognise such as dancers with spine variations, differences in leg and foot structures, and turnout variability. Are there any myths we need to dispel about diversity in potential? What are the strategies that dance teachers have to use now, supported by safe and healthy dance principles, to allow us to engage with all kinds of dancers?
11:00 - 11:30 BST - Keynote 3: Dance science and practice
Professor Emma Redding MBE
Professor Redding will talk about how dance science can support preparation, development and risk taking in dance from daily practice to optimal performance. What can we do to perform better and why do we need to? She will touch on the benefits of understanding dance science principles and the influence of research. She will address areas such as the relevance of warm up and cool down, rest and recovery and the concept of periodisation. To what extent can the dance teacher integrate dance science principles into their practice?
11:45 - 12:45 BST - Panel Discussion: What does the dance teacher of the 21st century look like?
CPD Sessions
13:30 - 14:30 BST - Why warm-up and cool down?
Charlotte Tomlinson MSc
How do you know that you delivering an effective warm-up and cool-down? How can you be effective with the time you have? Recommendations and reasoning for simple approaches to warm up and cool down for different groups of dancers including the most beneficial types of stretching.
13:30 - 14:30 BST - Dance-specific nutrition and hydration
Zerlina Mastin MSc
The importance of pre-and re-fuelling to support energy demands whether faced with one class, a full rehearsal day, a 5-minute competition piece or a longer performance. Looking at the differences between what, when and why depending on the activity you are undertaking.
14:45 - 15:45 BST - Talking feedback: Enhancing learning
Clare Guss-West, BHum MA
Takes a fresh look at the role and function of feedback in movement skills learning. How understanding optimal feedback structure, frequency and timing can enhance teaching efficiency and influence dancers’ progression. The session presents feedback strategies for teachers to improve the consolidation, retention and transfer of new skills learning, promoting a motivating yet inclusive learning environment for all.
14:45 - 15:45 BST - Our dancing bodies
Katy Chambers MSc BSc (Hons) MHCPC MCSP MAACP
How can a dance teacher manage the individual differences in body type and structure so as to acknowledge and support everyone’s potential? The session will touch on some common issues dance teachers encounter such as hypermobility and dancers experiencing a growth spurt.
16:00 - 17:00 BST - Everyday rest, recovery and relaxation: Can we afford not to?
Edel Quin MSc FHEA
How can we organise our dance activities to get the best out of ourselves and our students? How can dance teachers incorporate rest and recovery principles and additional activities to better enhance our own and our students’ wellness and opportunities to progress? Tips to embed some simple tools within your practice to support and enhance the teaching and learning experience.
16:00 - 17:00 BST - Supporting dancers' mental and social wellbeing
Andrea Downie, PhD Candidate
Following on from Dr Araujo’s keynote, what are the issues that affect dancers’ mental well-being? How do we all stay balanced and resilient in a challenging landscape? What can we do as dance teachers to support our students and what are the limits of our expertise? Sharing our experiences and looking forward.
17:15 - 18:15 BST - "So, what is the 21st-century dance teacher?"
Virginia Wilmerding PhD
Panel discussion: Astrid Sherman (IADMS), Louise Molton (Director of Education - ISTD), Maggie Morris and Sonia Rafferty (SiDI)
In this closing session, Dr Wilmerding reflects on dance science and its positive effects on practices inside and outside the classroom, including mental health, social factors, anatomical differences and various body types, rest and recovery, and feedback to enhance learning. She will then facilitate a panel and discussion of how we move forward together as dance teachers to find solutions and address the new and recurring challenges. How do we open additional doors and make space for new ideas to turn challenges into opportunities?
Further information
Pricing:
The Symposium is free for members and associates of SiDI, ISTD or IADMS. For all other attendees, the symposium is priced at £48
The CPD sessions are £11 each for members and associates of SiDI, ISTD or IADMS. For all other attendees, CPD is priced at £16 per session.
Times and dates:
Please note that all course dates and times are stated in British Summer Time (BST). If booking the afternoon CPD, please ensure to take note of the timings as some sessions will be taking place at the same time as others. Delegates will only be able to attend one session per time slot, therefore please ensure that you do not book onto courses running at the same time.
Waiting list: If a course you wish to attend has sold out, please contact us via email at coursebookings@istd.org to be added to the waiting list.
Further questions: If you have any further questions, please contact coursebookings@istd.org and a member of the CPD team will get back to you.
Please read the terms and conditions before booking.
