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As a partner of the National Institute of Dance Medicine and Science (NIDMS), Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance is the London based centre for the Performance Optimisation Package (POP) health and fitness screening sessions for professional dancers/performers. POP is a One Dance UK membership add-on, and the package has been designed to complement the existing specialist healthcare available at the NIDMS NHS Dance Injury clinics, and is invaluable for dance artists working independently, teachers, choreographers or schools and companies without comprehensive in-house health provision.

Performance Optimisation Package (POP)

Any individual dancer, teacher or choreographer can take out the package; companies and schools may also wish to add it to their existing offering for dancers. The services provided in the Performance Optimisation Package are offered through the National Institute of Dance Medicine and Science and help dancers maintain health, fitness and optimum performance and is now available at three different tiers.

 

The Three Tiers

There are three different tiers now available for purchase depending on your current requirements and budget. One Dance UK members purchasing the POP add-on can book once a year for a health and fitness screening session on set dates available throughout the year . On the day you will be personally guided through your screening by a dance scientist and dance physiotherapist. Prior to your screening date you will be asked to complete a health, injury and training questionnaire.

Standard – £80 

This is the most basic package, offering you a health cash plan through BHSF. This cash plan allows you to reclaim the cost of therapies including physiotherapy, osteopathy, chiropractic treatment, homeopathy and reflexology up to a value of £250.  You will also be able to reclaim up to £75 of chiropody and £250 for a diagnostic consultation.  The plan also gives you access to a 24 hour help line including counselling services, GP and legal advice.

This package is ideal if you need quick, affordable access to treatment and also to maintain your health through treatment, rather than waiting until an injury occurs.  A perfect way to begin taking responsibility for your health if your budget can’t quite stretch to the next tier yet.

Intermediate – £285

The intermediate package offers you the BHSF cash plan as outlined above, as well as a 1:1 musculoskeletal and fitness screening resulting in an exercise training programme to supplement your dance training.

You will travel to one of our Dance Medicine and Science screening centres (London, Birmingham or Edinburgh) where an exercise physiologist and physiotherapist will take you through a 1:1 musculoskeletal and fitness screen.  Your screening results will be analysed by the team and you will be provided with an individual printed report and exercise programme.

This package is ideal for those wishing to understand more about their own body including potential strengths, weaknesses and misalignments that may lead to injury, as well as areas that will help to optimise performance. If returning the following year for another screen you will also be able to compare results, showing if there has been a change since the previous screen.

Elite – £420

This package is designed for those who are looking for a more in depth screening in relation to your current dance practice.  You will receive the BHSF cash plan as outlined in the standard package and a needs-analysis musculoskeletal and fitness screening.

For your screening you will travel to one of our Dance Medicine and Science screening centres where a dance specialist exercise physiologist and physiotherapist will take you through an enhanced musculoskeletal and fitness screen, including injury analysis and discussion of your current training needs.  Your screening results will be analysed in relation to your current work, whether in a dance company, an independent artist or a dancer in training, including VO2Max analysis and 2D motion capture.

You will then return to the screening centre for a second 1:1 session, putting your bespoke exercise programme into practice with an opportunity to ask any questions.  This will be accompanied with a printed report of your screening results and prescribed programme.

 

If you further guidance on which package to choose please email manager@nidms.co.uk or call 0207 940 9804 and we would be happy to assist.

 

What To Expect At A Screening:

  • Functional physiotherapy assessment: A physiotherapist will investigate previous injury history and evaluate potential risk for future injury. Assessments are designed to uncover weaknesses, tightness, range of motion restrictions and muscular imbalances that may impact your performance and potential for injury. The aim is to provide invaluable information about the body so that steps can be taken to reduce injury risks through specific training.

  • Body composition and anthropometric measurements: This assessment helps performers maintain a healthy BMI in order to optimise performance.

  • Range of motion/ flexibility measurements: Range of motion and muscle flexibility are important aspects of dance performance. This series of tests focuses on hip range of motion and surrounding muscle flexibility in various planes of movement.

  • Muscular strength, endurance and power measurements: These tests measure core muscular endurance, upper body strength and endurance, lower limb power and lower limb endurance. These are important in many dance movements, particularly performing lifts and weight-bearing actions and to be able to propel the body through space, such as in jumps or travel sequences.

  • Aerobic capacity (VO2 Max): An incremental treadmill test (a standardised measure of aerobic fitness) whilst wearing a metamax gas analyser will measure your aerobic capacity, providing information on your ability to delay the onset of fatigue which has been linked to injury.

  • Feedback: Once the screening has been completed, a one-to-one feedback session will be provided.  This will allow time to discuss the screening results in the context of your work and give personalised recommendations for optimising training and performance.  Dependent on your chosen POP tier you will either receive an independent exercise prescription shortly after your screening, or you will return to the screening centre to go through your bespoke exercise plan based on your current choreographic demands.

 

Needs Analysis:

If you have opted for the Elite package the above screening will be carried out and analysed in relation to your current dance practice.  The screening team will watch videos of your current choreography to ascertain your current training requirements and put together a training programme to help you meet these demands.

Those purchasing the elite package will also experience an enhanced version of the screening including 2D motion capture for flexibility which will be presented in a photograph with the angle of flexion shown in degrees.

How To Book:

To sign up to POP click here for further information call the healthier dancer team on 0207 713 0730 or email manager@nidms.co.uk

Testimonials

Testimonials from recent attendees of POP screening can be viewed here.

National Institute of Dance Medicine and Science

 

Contact Dance Science

Please contact us at dancescience@trinitylaban.ac.uk