CENIT e.V.

“For a healthy future of dance”

CENIT e.V. – Association for the Promotion of Interdisciplinary Dance Medicine

Dance Between Fascination and Medical Underprovision

Dance looks effortless – but for the body, it is heavy physical labour. Jumps, landings, and repetitive movement place considerable strain on joints and muscles, and the injury risk persists throughout an entire career. This affects far more than professionals: children, adolescents, and the large group of recreational dancers are at risk too – often without professional medical support. Two figures by way of illustration; the charts on "Facts & Figures" go into more depth:

97 %

Injury prevalence among professional dancers

Almost all professional ballet dancers (97%) reported at least one injury over the course of a season – and even among children (ages 8–16) it's already 42%. Injuries are common at every level of dance, not only among professionals.

Junge et al., Sports Med Open, 2024

69 %

Ankle joint injuries

The lower limb and joints are especially vulnerable in dance: among professional dancers, up to 69% of injuries affect the ankle joint – with foot, knee, and lower back close behind.

Wiesler et al., Am J Sports Med, 1996

The current prevention and care system in dance is fragmented – dance-medicine services are rarely part of standard practice. This is where CENIT comes in.

Full Facts & Figures

Vision & Mission

We are committed to making injury prevention in dance a natural part of health culture – across institutions, generations, and communities.

Our mission is to make the scientific foundations of dance injury prevention visible, enable research, and translate and share evidence-based knowledge – so that structures emerge that support healthy dancing for everyone.

Making knowledge accessibleWe translate scientific insights on dance injury prevention into accessible knowledge – for dancers, teachers, and movers.

Enabling researchWe support collaborations and projects that advance prevention in dance. We don’t research ourselves; we enable access to evidence and expertise.

Education & awarenessWe support accessible education and information that helps prevent injuries and promotes healthy training.

Building structuresWe connect stakeholders from dance, science, and healthcare – so sustainable prevention structures can emerge.

Find our complete mission statement here.

To the mission statement

Who does CENIT address?

Thought through holistically – physically, psychologically and structurally. Five perspectives, one cause.

Parents→When energy intake and training load are chronically mismatched, it can affect growth, menstrual cycles and bone health. What parents should know about RED-S. …moreTeachers→How much training is too much? Load management helps plan training volume and recovery so progress stays possible without raising injury risk. …moreRecreational Dancers→Dance medicine isn't just for professionals: it addresses the health of dancers across all styles, ages and levels – including recreational dance. …moreProfessionals→Current research, scene developments and events in dance medicine – curated monthly in the CENIT Radar, for anyone who wants to stay at the pulse of the field. …morePayers→Prevention isn't just good for health, it makes economic sense too: structured prevention work measurably reduces claims and downstream costs. …more

About us

CENIT connects artistic practice, scientific perspective, and structural responsibility – with the goal of establishing sustainable prevention in dance.

Prof. Polina Semionova

Principal Dancer · Patron

Voice of the Stage

connects international stage experience with objectives of sustainable prevention.

Dr. Christiane Theobald

Board · Artistic Practice

Artistic Practice

Connects artistic expertise with support structures – for more health-oriented training pathways.

Prof. Dr. Herbert Schuster

Board · Medical Practice

Dance Medicine

Brings extensive experience in dance medicine and prevention research – with a focus on sustainable care.

Manfred G. Schneider

Board · Treasurer

Structures & Impact

Connects entrepreneurial experience with prevention goals – for stable structures and effective support.

Expertise that protects movement.

We share knowledge from dance medicine, prevention, and practice – and build connections so healthy careers become possible.

Making knowledge accessible

Our glossary translates dance-medicine expertise into language that works in the studio – from load management to injury prevention.

To the glossary

Enabling research

We curate publicly accessible EU funding programmes for dance-medicine research – as orientation for universities and professional associations.

To the funding calls

Education & awareness

In the monthly CENIT Radar, we put current research, scene developments and events into context – compact and accessible.

To the CENIT Radar

Building structures

We connect stakeholders from dance, science, and healthcare – in exchange with established partners such as ta.med.

ta.med

Contact & Information

If you have questions about CENIT e.V. or specific projects, you will find the relevant contact options here.

CENIT e.V. operates as a non-profit association. For professional inquiries, cooperation, or organizational information, we are available to you.

Contact Options

Further information can be found in our FAQs or by contacting us directly.

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