How to Create a Positive Injury Culture

Injury is an unfortunate reality of the dance world and one that your students will likely face during their careers. But however painful, these moments can also be an important source of growth and learning. 

As a dance teacher, you are in a unique position to help your students shape their relationship to injury. Taking an intentional approach will lay the groundwork for young dancers to respond to this challenge in a positive and productive way, enhancing their knowledge of their craft and facilitating a deeper appreciation for their bodies. 

Facilitate Open Communication

In order to create a positive culture surrounding injury, it’s important to foster an environment where students feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and feelings—and speak up when they’re not at their best. “The most important thing is to start a dialogue about injuries before they happen,” says Sarah Wilkerson, a Ballet Tucson soloist and faculty member at the School of Ballet Tucson. “It’s something that shouldn’t be a surprise.”

Both Wilkerson and Deidre Sears, founding artistic director of Elevé Dance Theater, say they start every class with a check-in with their students. “It sort of separates the day,” Sears says. “Like, now you’re at your dance home—now you’re in your space where you can just be.”

To further bolster this communication and sense of comfort, Sears adds that she often shares anecdotes from her own time as a dancer so her students don’t feel alone. Wilkerson agrees, encouraging teachers to also think about the ways they respond to student injuries when they happen. Being understanding and supportive can mean the difference between the student taking time to heal versus pushing through and risking exacerbating an injury.

“It’s OK to feel the feelings you’re feeling, and it’s OK to be frustrated, because I’ve been there too,” Wilkerson tells her students. “But this is not going to be your last opportunity. Don’t start spiraling—this isn’t the end.” 

Create Growth Opportunities

Dancers should feel empowered to modify, take breaks, or sit out when injured—and do so without fears of retribution. However, these breaks can be an active experience, full of opportunities for dancers to learn and engage. 

Ana María Álvarez, founder of CONTRA-TIEMPO Activist Dance Theater and an associate professor of dance at the University of California, San Diego, recalls a time when a student got injured during CONTRA-TIEMPO’s summer intensive. Although the dancer wasn’t able to participate through movement, she became involved in the process through videotaping, taking notes, and working with the music. 

“She learned so much, and then she wound up coming back the following year when her injury was completely healed and doing the program fully embodied,” Álvarez says. “But I don’t think that would have happened if she had just sat out and not engaged.”

Wilkerson adds that her own experiences observing class during an injury when she was young made her realize she had a passion and knack for teaching. Now, she encourages dancers to explore the teacher’s role when they are injured. 

“A lot of times I’ll have students not only take notes, but I’ll still acknowledge them within the class,” Wilkerson explains. “I’ll ask, ‘What did you see in that combo?’ ”

Approach Wellness Holistically

Another way to set students up for success is to encourage overall wellness and body positivity.

“Where we can all start is our relationship with our bodies,” says Álvarez. “If our approach to our bodies is one that is holistic and accepting, that makes a difference when you’re dealing with an injury.”

Part of a teacher’s job is to train students how to care for their bodies, Álvarez adds. This can be done through incorporating both somatics and injury prevention into classes, as well as emphasizing the mind–body connection and the importance of prioritizing mental health. Sometimes, this might mean bringing in an expert or guest teacher to lead a workshop. 

Álvarez has been working with Holly Johnston, a choreographer, healer, and somatic practitioner, at CONTRA-TIEMPO and with her students at UC San Diego. “She’s working with us to build the capacity of our artists, but also the ways we work as an ecosystem,” says Álvarez. “When people are really being cared for, that does heighten our capacity to do our work.”

Wilkerson adds that the School of Ballet Tucson has access to nutritionists, physical therapists, and other doctors that Ballet Tucson company dancers use if students have questions or need support. If you don’t have the resources to bring a professional into the studio, keep a list of trusted physical therapists, physicians, nutritionists, and mental health workers available so you can easily refer your students to someone who can help. 

Injury provides a chance to get to know your body in a new way and begin exploring ways to give it what it needs, Sears says. “A student shouldn’t feel like they are being punished, but if they are on the side, they can become a little more conscious when they’re doing their stretches, warming up, or using other tools.”

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