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). 

Universal dancer podcast host Leslie Zehr leads a thought-provoking roundtable discussion with special roundtable guests Claudia Moore, Mary W Kamp, and Megha Nancy Buttenheim, three exceptional individuals who have devoted their lives to the beautiful and transformative art of dance. The topic of their roundtable was Aging Gracefully: The Healing Journey of Dance. You can access the podcast here. 

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).

Healthy Dancer Canada is pleased to announce three new workshops!

• Motor Development and Dance with Donna Krasnow & Virginia Wilmerding
• Motor Learning and Dance with Donna Krasnow & Virginia Wilmerding
• Self-Care for the Artistic Soul with Nicole Inica Hamilton

​See our full list of workshops and consider hosting an in-person or online Healthy Dancer Canada workshop for your dance or healthcare community.

We are also pleased to share our newest resource Nutrition Tips for Dancers by Marie Scioscia, currently available to members through early-access on the members-only page. We also now have available to the public Encouraging Continued Participation in Dance at Adolescence by Siobhan Mitchell on the open dance resources page.