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More than 50 Trinity Laban staff, students and alumni attended the International Association for Dance Medicine and Science conference in Helsinki, Finland, this year to present and learn from new research.

Trinity Laban’s Dance Science team along with MSc, MFA, PhD students and alumni spent four days at the event with dance science enthusiasts from across the world, covering topics that included sleep, training load, injury, psychology, hypermobility, creativity and much more.

Faculty, alumni and current students all contributed to the conference through podium and poster presentations, or by facilitating workshops and movement sessions.

The conference’s presenting speakers were of varying professional backgrounds including doctors, physiotherapists, psychologists, educators, scientists and dancers.

Trinity Laban made 19 presentations overall, including new research into performance anxiety, mental health, disordered eating attitudes, dancers’ memories, and dance science in the digital age.

Those who attended and presented from Trinity Laban included Professor Emma Redding (Head of Dance Science), Dr Liliana Araújo (Dance Science Programme Leader), Dr Lucie Clements (Lecturer in Dance Science), Elsa Urmston (Lecturer in Dance Science), Anna Williams (Health Clinic Administrator) and Leanne Steel (Dance Science Graduate Intern).

Professor Emma Redding also represented Trinity Laban by introducing the AJG Howse Memorial Lecture on Management of the dancer’s hip.

For several Trinity Laban students and alumni it was their first time attending the IADMS annual conference, while others are long-term attendees of the annual event.

Lauren Copping, Year 2 MFA student, said –

“I had an incredible experience in Helsinki attending my fifth IADMS conference. It was not only wonderful to see how many Trinity Laban students, alumni, and staff were in attendance, but it was also great to meet or reconnect with researchers from other institutions. During the conference, I also had the opportunity to present my MFA research for the first time post-submission. It was really exciting to share my project and to receive such encouraging feedback and questions from the other attendees.”

Hannah Jussli, MSc student 2017-18 was impressed with sessions catering to students which allow you to connect with peers around the globe.

“IADMS is a great opportunity to follow the latest research findings and be surrounded by other researchers, scientists, and teachers, who share the same interest and passion for dance and science,” she said.

“[It was] a great event offering a compact source of inspiration, great for gaining insights into unpublished research and scientific findings and a significant opportunity to network,” added Farah Md Fadzali, MSc student 2017-18.

Julie Ferrell, a current MSc student explained that as a new postgraduate student she loved having the opportunity to meet dance scientists at all stages of their career and seeing what the trends in current research are: “It was very eye- opening to where the field is heading, what it is still lacking, and the opportunities that await.”

Freya Simmons, MSC student 2018-19, described herself as “100% inspired by the work and great people in field”, adding: “My brain was stimulated, overwhelmed, thought flooded and I loved it! Can’t wait for next year.”

“I am really grateful I had the opportunity to attend IADMS as a current MSc Dance Science student at Trinity Laban. I learned a lot about the current research being done in the field, which gave me numerous ideas for my own research project. I also met so many different people who are all really passionate about dance medicine and science, both peers and professionals that I hope to stay connected with as I prepare to start my career in dance medicine,” concluded Stephanie Pittman, MSc student 18-19.

Trinity Laban was the first UK provider of an MSc in Dance Science, and from September 2019 will also offer a BSc in Dance Science.

Find out more about Dance Science at Trinity Laban here.