Hi everyone. This is Jill Marlow Krutzkamp from dancehealthier. I’m also a Company Dancer with Kansas City Ballet. I’m super psyched to be guest posting for Kansas City Ballet’s blog this week! I hope you enjoy my shares, tips and helpful facts pertaining to a topic that’s gaining momentum in the awesome world of dance – Dancer wellness! I mean it even sounds pretty trendy, huh?
Did you know that a dancer typically puts in 40 hours per week training in the studio? That’s 2080 hours per year, and as the years continue to add up, that’s a lot of hours! Due to this phenomenon (I mean let’s be real, making it as a dancer is impressive), a non-dancer looking at a dancer will say that dancers are healthy because we are physically fit. That is, without hesitation, absolutely true. But, what about the other portions? Can we as dancers become more balanced?
That is dancehealthier’s mission. To advocate for a more balanced health system that dancers can follow. So let’s get to it! Here are a few tips on three major dancehealthier topics including Love Eats, Exercise Show and Tell and Stress Check.
Love Eats - Be sure to treat food as fuel for your body. Food is there not only to taste good, but it’s also there to sustain energy and encourage strength building. For a great spring/summer inspired recipe be sure to click here. Want to add animal protein to the recipe? No problem.
Why did dancehealthier pick this recipe? It’s important to choose recipes that include all the major macronutrient groups (proteins, carbohydrates and healthy fats) to get the most out of the food that you put into your body.
Exercise Show and Tell - Unfortunately, studio time is not the only thing needed for a dancer to reach their peak level of physical health. Pilates, whether it be on the reformer or on the mat, is a great way for dancers to warm up, by slowly waking up the muscles in various ranges of motion (smaller to larger). Pilates is also a super important way to help prevent injuries from occurring, as well as increasing both flexibility and strength. Be sure to find an instructor that knows dance so they can tailor exercises specifically to your individual needs.
If you have any questions in regards to more information pertaining to Pilates, I am more than happy to answer them either on here or via email at, dancehealthier@gmail.com.
Stress Check - A key to decreasing performance anxiety is to learn and apply stress management techniques that apply to your unique personality. Check out this dancehealthier post titled, Stress Management with a focus on Biofeedback and Visual Imagery, to learn more about these specific techniques.
That’s all for now folks! I want to thank you for reading and please feel free to follow along with me at dancehealthier, where I post each and every Wednesday. You can also follow me on my Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest pages.
And don’t miss the last weekend of our Winter Show, featuring these three ballets! March 22-24 at the Kauffman Center – tickets available on our 
