Join Jo-Anne La Flèche, clinical and dance psychologist, for Body Image and Self-Esteem in Dance: Challenges and Self-care Tips. This interactive webinar reflects on body image and self-esteem issues frequently encountered by dancers and other members of the dance community. Participants will learn to identify risk factors and warning signs about how they relate to their own body and self, and how they perceive other dancers. Attendees will also see how practicing daily self-care may nurture body and self-satisfaction. Webinar is recorded and available for one month to those who register but are unable to attend the live webinar.

Jo-Anne works as resident psychologist in a vocational ballet school in Montréal. She provides workshops and lectures on dancer mental health and dance psycho-pedagogy and has written many articles and informational papers. She does research on dancer maltreatment. Jo-Anne takes part in several international working groups on dancer mental health. She serves as HDC Board member and Co-chair of the Continuing Education Committee, as well as Past President (2021-2022).

May 22 2026 from 1-2:30 ET. Register at Body Image and Self-Esteem in Dance Webinar.

​Join HDC founding members, Donna Krasnow and Andrea Downie, for the Level 1 and Level 2 C-I Training™ Teacher Certification Courses, this spring in Toronto. 

C-I Training™ (conditioning-with-imagery), created by Donna Krasnow, is an evidence-informed body conditioning system designed for dancers. It incorporates exercises and imagery work to develop strength and flexibility, and to improve alignment and mind-body connections. C-I Training™ provides dancers with an excellent daily warm-up, and promotes improved dance technique and prevention of dance injuries.

For more information and to register visit C-I Training Courses. Profits of these courses support the Healthy Dancer Canada Dancer's Necessity Fund.

Congratulations to this year's recipient of the Healthy Dancer Canada research award Alyssa Hughes for the presentation Surveying the Silence: Exploring Mental Health and Psychological Skills Needs in Competitive Dance Training. The HDC research award is granted in recognition of a research quality and significance to Healthy Dancer Canada’s mission to empower dancers and all who engage with the art of dance by nurturing a culture of wellness within a vibrant dancing community.

Alyssa is a Master’s student at the University of Lethbridge in the Psychology for Active Living and Sport (PALS) Lab. Growing up as a dancer, she is passionate about bridging her academic background in kinesiology and psychology with her personal experiences in the arts. Her research focuses on understanding mental health in youth competitive dance and identifying ways to enhance resources and supports available to both dancers and educators. Alyssa is committed to advancing knowledge that helps foster psychologically safe and supportive environments in the dance community.

Congratulations, Alyssa, on your outstanding research achievements. We look forward to seeing what you do next.

​Healthy Dancer Canada is accepting applications and nominations for the 2025 BIPOC Emerging Dance Artist Scholarship. This scholarship supports emerging BIPOC artists pursuing careers in dance in Canada. It is open to artists aged 18-30 who self-identify as emerging/early stage professional dance performers and/or choreographers in any and all genres. For additional information visit BIPOC Emerging Dance Artist Scholarship - Healthy Dancer Canada. Applications are due by May 1.

The Annual Healthy Dancer Canada Conference, coordinated by HDC Conference Coordinator Jamie Hawke, was held in Calgary AB on November 30 and December 1. Over 60 people joined us in-person and virtually from around the world, including Australia, Italy, and USA! Lecture presentations, workshops, performances centred on building community and collaboration in dance research and practice. We also welcomed guests from Dancer’s Studio West to speak about the role of community and collaboration in the creative process.

Additionally, we welcomed the National accessArts Centre as part of the Thomas Poulsen Symposium on Dance and Disability led by founding member and Past President Andrea Downie. The symposium included a panel discussion, a workshop, and performances by Meg Ohsada (AB), Propeller Dance (ON), and All Bodies Dance (BC). 

In recognition of her ‘outstanding commitment to educating future professionals in the field of dance medicine and science’, HDC Vice-President Dr. Sarah Kenny has been selected by the International Association for Dance Medicine and Science to receive the 2024 Dance Educator Award. Congratulations Sarah!

HDC Member Jada Kiss, a 4th year BSc Exercise and Health Physiology student, received a Student Research Award for her oral presentation titled: Normative Data for Preseason Screening Assessments in Female University Contemporary Dancers at the International Association for Dance Medicine and Science annual conference in Rimini, Italy. ​