NIDMS at the annual IADMS conference: Helsinki 2018
On a cold October afternoon the NIDMS team arrived into Helsinki to participate in the annual conference of the International Association for Dance Medicine and Science (IADMS). This annual event brings together dance medicine practitioners, dance educators, dance scientists, and dancers from across the world, to discuss, learn and debate current research. The 28th annual conference took place in the city of Helsinki, Finland with a packed schedule of workshops, talks and discussions on topics from lower limb kinematics, to Understanding growth and maturation in the context of dance and Trigger points and pain referral patterns in dancers.
The partners of the National Institute of Dance Medicine and Science also presented current research, including data from the NHS dance injury clinics.
Professor Matt Wyon (University of Wolverhampton) - Testing and training the cardio respiratory system for dancers; The effect of different dance floor cushioning properties and fatigue on dance jump kinematics
Caroline Jubb, (Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital) - Injury patterns in hip hop dancers
Emma Redding (Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance) - A 10-year retrospective study of contemporary dance students' standing active turnout
Austin Flood (Royal Ballet) - Kinetic and kinematic evaluation of the counter movement jump as a screening tool for injury in professional ballet dancers
With NIDMS’ ongoing work to facilitate a wide scale epidemiology study in the UK, it was interesting to hear of the injury tracking systems being utilised at Australian Ballet and the subsequent impact upon prevalence of injury throughout the season. Through monitoring of dancers’ workload, how can adaptations be made to reduce the risk of those dancers becoming injured?
Nico Kolokythas, Strength and Conditioning Coach at Elmhurst Ballet School, presented the findings of the 11+ dance injury prevention programme, including a practical demonstration of the components taught to the ballet students. The 11+ is an injury prevention protocol, adapted for dancers from the programme currently utilised by FIFA, focused on muscular endurance, ankle, knee and hip stability and control during landing and take-off.
On the first evening we were treated to an evening of Finnish dance supported by Dance Health Finland, including ballet, ballroom and pole dancing. The conference was also a chance for delegates from across the world to network and socialise, building new connections across countries, dance genres and disciplines.
The NIDMS team looks forward to the next IADMS annual conference in Montreal, Canada in October 2019.
