Injury Prevention Strategies for Pre-professional and Professional Ballet Dancers

A dancer's performance career is often short-lived due to a universal factor in the field: injuries. A dance-related injury can range in severity and scope based on extrinsic and intrinsic mechanisms. Studies surrounding injury occurrences in ballet dancers note the consequences of this fatality—leading to permanent damages if not treated. In the ballet world, dancers risk moving through injuries due to the systemic pressures within the field. Historically, sports medicine experts and dance medical professionals categorize dance-related injuries according to age, gender, injury type, and body location. For purposes of this study, this thesis will focus on injuries reported in ballet dancers. To accurately assess injuries among these groups, case studies have distinguished specific types of injuries, the cause of injuries, and prevention strategies for this dance genre. Classical ballet training involves repetitive and rigorous movements, which can be physically taxing on dancers. In this profession, it is easy to be susceptible to injury occurrences due to executing improper technique, such as misalignment of the body during balletic movements and positions. When leading or managing a dance organization, including dance companies, studios, or institutions, there are essential components that leaders understand and implement. Evaluating the factors that expose professional ballet dancers to injury occurrences are not only defined by the mechanisms of the injury but also the organizational structures that are administered.