week one, physical limitations
It is extremely common for dancers to put a lot of pressure on themselves to continue dancing through pain - whether that is in training, where they fear falling behind or not improving if they take time off, or in their professional career, where taking time off could be detrimental to them maintaining their role in the company. However, by understanding the physical limitations of the body, it is more likely for dancers to be able to take the correct precautions in order to prevent injuries and maintain a strong and healthy mental and physical state. In order to meet the high artistic and technical demands of the industry, dancers push their bodies to the extreme, often resulting in 'burnout'. According to an article written by Brenton Surgenor and Jaime Redfern, "burnout is a state of consistent or unexplained tiredness, poor performance in spite of normal training, negative mood state and increased incident of illness or injury". By ignoring signs of this condi...