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. ​

Indigenous Performing Arts Alliance (IPAA) is hosting a free online event. Join facilitator Avril Helbig for Grant Writing Workshop 101: A Path to Funding Success on Tuesday, April 9th, at 6 PM EDT. Information and registration at Grant Writing 101 Tickets, Tu, Apr 9, 2024 at 6:00 PM | Eventbrite.

Explore becoming a member of IPAA. As a member, you'll gain access to exclusive benefits, workshops, and resources. Visit the website at  https://ipaa.ca/become-a-member/ to learn more and sign up.

The Journal of Dance Education: Vol 23, No 3 (Current issue) (tandfonline.com), Special Issue on the Mental, Emotional and Physical Health and Wellness of Dancers is open-access until the end of October. No miss these articles on dancer wellness, including HDC past-president and founding member Andrea Downie's Equity-Informed Dancer Wellness.

HYPERMOBILE DANCERS WEBINAR:
​While an asset in many dance forms, hypermobility can also present dancers with distinct physical and psychological challenges. Based on the most current research, this workshop will provide information about the signs, symptoms, and evaluation of hypermobility. Participants will also learn to address the special needs of hypermobile dancers, providing the necessary support, management, and training to help them avoid injuries and achieve their maximum potential. Join for the first quarterly webinar of 2023, on March 26, with Linda Bluestein, MD. 

​Dr. Bluestein is an international speaker on the forefront of research on pain, hypermobility and dance medicine. An integrative medicine physician with certification in Performing Arts Medicine, she takes a unique approach to the evaluation and treatment of this highly specialized population. Dr. Bluestein received her Doctor of Medicine from the University of California, Los Angeles School of Medicine followed by the completion of an anesthesiology residency at the Mayo Graduate School of Medicine. She is board-certified by the American Board of Anesthesiology. 

Note: This webinar is listed in Eastern Time. The zoom meeting will also be recorded for registrants that are unable to attend live.

National Dance Education Organization (NDEO) has made HDC founding member and Past President Andrea Downie's article Equity-Informed Dancer Wellness open-access for the months of August and September. Read the article at Journal of Dance Education: Full article: Equity-Informed Dancer Wellness (tandfonline.com).

Motor Development and the Young Dancer (by HDC members Dr. Donna Krasnow and Dr. Virginia Wilmerding) has been made available to the public on the open resources page of the website, while their latest resource, Motor Control and Dance, has been released with early-access to our members on the members' page.