Members of the Task Force on Dancer Health at the January 2006 meeting

The Task Force on Dancer Health is sponsored by Dance/USA and is composed of the medical personnel from many of Dance/USA’s member companies. The mission of the Task Force is simply is to bring better health to dancers, especially in the setting of active professional companies. At the request of the Managers Council of Dance/USA, the Task Force created a Preventive Health Screen in 2005, designed specifically for the unique needs of professional companies. The Screen focuses on the “whole” dancer, looking at physical, emotional, nutritional, and general medical issues. After a successful “Pilot Year” by four eminent companies, the Task Force Screen has been adopted by an increasing number of companies as the benefits of a preventive approach to dancer health become apparent. In the current season, there are 22 companies using the Screen.

Notably, the Task Force Screening Project is an historic effort. It is the first time in which companies from across the continent, in cooperation with the dancers’ union, have worked together to bring better health to those who dance for a living. It is a project where all parties (the companies, the dancers, the medical personnel and the union) are working side-by-side for the benefit of all.

The Task Force on Dancer Health meets periodically to assess the Screen and search for expanded ways in which this preventive approach can benefit professional dancers and the professional companies.

For further information on the Dance/USA Task Force on Dancer Health, please visit the Task Force website and contact the Task Force Chair:
Nancy Kadel, MD
Chair, Dance/USA Task Force on Dancer Health