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Supporting adolescent dancers for prepointe readiness and pre-professional training

* This course was previously know as Screening and Conditioning for Dancers.

During adolescence, developing dancers undergo significant change in the volume, intensity and styles of dance training they undertake, especially if undertaking pre-professional training. Research highlights a sharp increase in the incidence of injuries at the onset and during pubertal development. Additionally, there is a high incidence of injury among both adolescent and professional ballet dancers with a prevalence of these injuries occurring in the lower extremity and spine. In some instances more than half the injuries sustained by pre-professional dancers are recurrent and retired professional dancers continue to experience muscle and joint pain.

This course will help physiotherapists who are managing dancers and their injuries, to gain an understanding of dance specific measures in order to ensure appropriate management of a dancer's complaint. An understanding of the relationship between range of motion and anatomical anomalies as risk factors for injury development, being able to identify variations in knee and pelvic angles in fondu and temps levés to help address injury concerns and identifying appropriate testing for inclusion in prepointe assessments that may give a better indication of pointe readiness are all essential skills for physiotherapists who wish to work with dancers. An appropriate exercise prescription is a vital link between assessment findings, injury management, return to class and injury prevention. It is the aim of this course to help physiotherapists develop these skills

Learning outcomes

  • Understand current injury statistics within the dance community and appreciate the implications of this research upon the relevance of baseline measurements undertaken.
  • Understand the relevance of adolescence on dance training, alignment and technique.
  • Demonstrate the ability to accurately measure, record and analyse the results of dance specific measures in the foot and ankle with respect to determining prepointe readiness and injury management.
  • Demonstrate the ability to accurately measure, record and analyse the results of dance specific measures in the hip and spine with respect to dance alignment, technical development and injury management.
  • Understand correct dance alignment and technique in order to be able to identify possible relationships to poor technical development.

Prerequisites

  • This course is open to registered physiotherapists treating and advising dancers at all levels of training, as well as physiotherapists working with other athletes who are familiar with musculoskeletal measurements. Physiotherapists must be currently registered and have an interest in working with dancers.

Presenters

Paula Baird-Colt


Paula Baird-Colt is a conditioning teacher working with dancers of all ages and all stages of participation in the art form. Her expertise has and continues to be sought by elite dancers and athletes nationally and internationally. As Body Conditioning Specialist at The Australian Ballet, she was an innovator and major contributor to the multidisciplinary medical team's success, evidenced through the low injury rates and internationally recognised best practice programs in injury prevention and rehabilitation. In addition to working with company dancers, Paula contributed to the preparation and delivery of the Dance Education Unit outreach programs. Her contribution included choreographic, production, teaching and administrative activities that enhanced the standard and delivery of dance education outreach to young people throughout Australia. She has co-presented with Physiotherapist Anita Bruce in the delivery of a dance specific course for the Australian Physiotherapy Association and is a member of the International Association of Dance Medicine & Science, presenting nationally and internationally.

Anita Bruce


Anita Bruce, APAM, is an APA Sports and Exercise Physiotherapist who has extensive experience assisting dancers and elite tennis players with injury management whilst focussing on alignment, technique and performance issues. Anita has a strong understanding of dance technique and its relationship to injury and technique development in many dance genres. Over the last 20 years, she has managed many dancers with their injuries and concerns, including performers from numerous dance companies and many stage shows. She educates dancers at Adelaide College of the Arts and dance teachers at a local and national level on the relevance of anatomy to dance alignment, technique and injury development. She collaborates with Paula Baird-Colt (Australian Ballet Conditioning Specialist) to deliver dance specific courses to physiotherapists nationally and is also author and head collaborator of the Cecchetti Ballet anatomy syllabus and of the physiotherapy screening protocol utilised by tertiary dance schools nationally. Anita has many years' experience working with tennis players at elite levels having been employed by Tennis Australia, the ITF and the WTA to cover player needs at the Australian Open, Hopman Cup, various WTA events and numerous ITF events both nationally and internationally. Anita is fortunate to have worked with many talented professionals whose influence has been invaluable in helping her develop the skills, knowledge and understanding required for these various roles.

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Home address:
Courses and Workshops
01
Sunday
01 June
09:00AM - 05:00PM AEST
Level 1 1175 Toorak Road
Camberwell VIC 3124 View map
Price:
Early Bird - Non Member: $716.00
Early Bird - APA Member: $477.00
Early Bird - Sports and Exercise Group: $417.00
Early bird - Musculoskeletal group: $417.00
Early Bird - Paediatric group: $417.00
Early Bird - Distance Discount: $417.00
Registration closing date:
19 May 2025
Event status:
Open
CPD hours:
8.00
* Early bird prices close 8 weeks prior to the course start date
Your registration status:
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At a glance
Price:
716.00: $Early Bird - Non Member
477.00: $Early Bird - APA Member
417.00: $Early Bird - Sports and Exercise Group
417.00: $Early bird - Musculoskeletal group
417.00: $Early Bird - Paediatric group
417.00: $Early Bird - Distance Discount
Registration closing date:
19 May 2025
Event status:
Open
CPD hours:
8.00
* Early bird prices close 8 weeks prior to the course start date
Your registration status:
Presenters

Paula Baird-Colt


Paula Baird-Colt is a conditioning teacher working with dancers of all ages and all stages of participation in the art form. Her expertise has and continues to be sought by elite dancers and athletes nationally and internationally. As Body Conditioning Specialist at The Australian Ballet, she was an innovator and major contributor to the multidisciplinary medical team's success, evidenced through the low injury rates and internationally recognised best practice programs in injury prevention and rehabilitation. In addition to working with company dancers, Paula contributed to the preparation and delivery of the Dance Education Unit outreach programs. Her contribution included choreographic, production, teaching and administrative activities that enhanced the standard and delivery of dance education outreach to young people throughout Australia. She has co-presented with Physiotherapist Anita Bruce in the delivery of a dance specific course for the Australian Physiotherapy Association and is a member of the International Association of Dance Medicine & Science, presenting nationally and internationally.


Anita Bruce


Anita Bruce, APAM, is an APA Sports and Exercise Physiotherapist who has extensive experience assisting dancers and elite tennis players with injury management whilst focussing on alignment, technique and performance issues. Anita has a strong understanding of dance technique and its relationship to injury and technique development in many dance genres. Over the last 20 years, she has managed many dancers with their injuries and concerns, including performers from numerous dance companies and many stage shows. She educates dancers at Adelaide College of the Arts and dance teachers at a local and national level on the relevance of anatomy to dance alignment, technique and injury development. She collaborates with Paula Baird-Colt (Australian Ballet Conditioning Specialist) to deliver dance specific courses to physiotherapists nationally and is also author and head collaborator of the Cecchetti Ballet anatomy syllabus and of the physiotherapy screening protocol utilised by tertiary dance schools nationally. Anita has many years' experience working with tennis players at elite levels having been employed by Tennis Australia, the ITF and the WTA to cover player needs at the Australian Open, Hopman Cup, various WTA events and numerous ITF events both nationally and internationally. Anita is fortunate to have worked with many talented professionals whose influence has been invaluable in helping her develop the skills, knowledge and understanding required for these various roles.


Learning outcomes
  • Understand current injury statistics within the dance community and appreciate the implications of this research upon the relevance of baseline measurements undertaken.
  • Understand the relevance of adolescence on dance training, alignment and technique.
  • Demonstrate the ability to accurately measure, record and analyse the results of dance specific measures in the foot and ankle with respect to determining prepointe readiness and injury management.
  • Demonstrate the ability to accurately measure, record and analyse the results of dance specific measures in the hip and spine with respect to dance alignment, technical development and injury management.
  • Understand correct dance alignment and technique in order to be able to identify possible relationships to poor technical development.
Prerequisites

Prerequisites

  • This course is open to registered physiotherapists treating and advising dancers at all levels of training, as well as physiotherapists working with other athletes who are familiar with musculoskeletal measurements. Physiotherapists must be currently registered and have an interest in working with dancers.
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