Dance Medicine Assessment

What is Dance Screening?

A dance assessment involves a dance-specific physiotherapy screening and biomechanical evaluation of your dancing technique and physical ability. These services aim to identify and correct any abnormal physical or technical factors that may be contributing to injury, to prevent injuries from occurring, and to improve your technique overall.

Your dance teacher may also recommend you be assessed by your physiotherapist prior to dancing en pointe for the first time. We will conduct a physical screening specific to dancing and develop a management plan and/or exercise program according to our assessment findings.

When is the best time for Dance Screening to be done?

Post injury: tailored management of dance-specific injuries with careful consideration of your forthcoming goals (e.g. performances and competitions that you may be working towards). This will include correction of contributing factors to injury and guided return to dance as determined in collaboration with your physiotherapist.
To correct specific technical faults: tailored exercise programs to improve your turnout, flexibility, core/pelvic stability, or to correct specific muscle imbalances that may be limiting your technical potential.
Prior to going en pointe: to ensure that you have the adequate strength and control to begin pointe work without increasing your risk of injury.
Tertiary dance school auditioning process: physiotherapy screening of your physical ability conducted according to tertiary dance school audition requirements.

What will your Dance Screening involve?

A one on one assessment will be performed to determine your physical and technical capacity. Real Time Ultrasound (RTUS) may be performed to assist in identification and/or correction of muscle imbalances and technical faults such as poor control of turnout and core stability.

From these sessions you will receive:

A comprehensive summary of the key findings from the assessment, including specific strength, control and flexibility recommendations.
A tailored exercise program designed to improve your joint range, muscle strength, control and flexibility, according to your assessment findings.
Your dance teacher and/or your treating practitioner will be sent a summary of the findings of your assessment and any recommendations for class including technical modifications.