The How and Why's of a Dance Screening
By Terri Carson PTA, and Dyan Quesada MPT, ATC

In the field of dance, dance educators and clinicians recognize that musculoskeletal, physiological, and performance parameters of dance are quite different and peculiar from those of sports. Specialized education, training, and experience are necessary to effectively communicate with the dancer and their health care team in order to provide the best care. One way to do this is through a dance screening.

Screening of dancers is not a new concept. Experienced dance teachers and choreographers have screened their dancers for years. According to the Journal of Dance Medicine & Science (1997), screening of dancers is necessary to establish the norms for various parameters such as body alignment, anatomic deviations, muscular strength at key joints, range of motion, body composition, and overall cardiorespiratory fitness levels.

The ability to dance well and to dance safely is what all dancers and their instructors strive for; however, this does not always occur due to the demands placed on a dancer’s body. The screening is one method that will allow Physical Therapists and Athletic Trainers to assess and collect key information about individual dancers. Screenings allow therapists to:

► Detect risk factors at an early stage in order to prevent injury.
► Learn specific body characteristics of dancers that can be utilized as a baseline for
    comparison if injuries occur.
► Establish a baseline data to set rehabilitative education and conditioning goals.
► Assist in guiding the dancers to the appropriate form or level of dance.
► Provide education to the dancer and implement strategies to rehabilitate deviations
     with equipment, (e.g. specific shoes, taping, or padding.)

A variety of screening tools that can measure dance specifics are available (e.g. a screen can evaluate a dancer’s jumping ability or turnout.) A traditional screening serves as a general assessment for dance educators and clinicians. Since dancers endure great physical demand, (often equivalent to athletes,) the traditional components of the dance screen are similar to sport screens.

A traditional dance screen consists of the following components:

♦ Medical History
♦ Postural Evaluation (includes screening for scoliosis)
♦ Flexibility
♦ Body Composition
♦ Cardiovascular Endurance
♦ Muscle Strength
♦ Nutrition