Glossary · Fundamentals
A field at the intersection of art, the body, and health science
Dance medicine is a specialised, interdisciplinary field concerned with the health, injury prevention, and medical care of dancers across all styles, age groups, and performance levels. It combines knowledge from orthopaedics, sports medicine, physiotherapy, psychology, and nutritional science with a specific understanding of the physical and artistic demands of dance.
Dance is often perceived as effortless, yet it constitutes a form of intensive physical work: professional dancers are considered highly injury-prone, and musculoskeletal complaints are widespread across all dance styles. At the same time, many dancers – particularly in amateur settings, schools, and clubs – receive no specific medical support. This is precisely where dance medicine comes in: it is concerned not only with treatment after injury but above all with prevention, education, and the question of how healthy dance practice can be structurally embedded – beyond individual institutions and for all dancers, regardless of performance level or background.
Dance medicine as a field is the foundation on which prevention in dance is built. Knowledge of how dance loads the body, which risk factors exist, and which measures are effective emerges from dance medicine research and practice. Prevention without a dance medicine foundation remains generic – with it, it becomes dancer-specific, evidence-based, and therefore more effective.
This entry serves to convey knowledge in a prevention context. For further information on training and education in dance medicine and professional referrals, we recommend the resources of ta.med and the IADMS.
Russell JA. Preventing Dance Injuries: Current Perspectives. Open Access J Sports Med. 2013;4:199–210. doi.org/10.2147/OAJSM.S36529 · Exner-Grave E. Tanzmedizin [Dance Medicine, German-language overview]. Sportärztezeitung. 2020. sportaerztezeitung.com
