LESSON 6

STRESS AND INJURY

Dance athletes battle with environmental demands and personal expectation. The
inability to cope with these demands and expectations subjects the dance athlete to a stressful
situation. The common sources of stress among dance athletes include the following:
1. The body image. A dancer uses his body to visually create lines that an audience can
appreciate from distance. The dancer’s physique has the ability to enhance these line however,
a dancer tend to worry about whether his physique enhances or detracts the audience from
seeing those lines.
2. Technique. Dance is an art form that requires years of practice to perfect. Many dance
athletes worry about whether their technique is good enough to please choreographers and
the audience. They tend to compare themselves to other dancers which aggravates their feeling
of incompetency.
3. Performance. An upcoming audition or concert is going to increase feeling of anxiety
and nervousness among dancers. The dance athletes need to remember all the movements of
the choreography, formations, partner interactions and other details that the choreographer
would like to emphasize.
4. Injury. A recent survey showed an upward trend in injuries among dance athletes. While
many dancers recover from the injury, some suffer from injuries that force them to retire early.
The idea of getting injured and not being able to recover or completely stop from dancing
increases the anxiety level of dance athletes.
Some tips minimize stress :
1. Accept that you are unique. It is not healthy to want to have the arms or body of
another dancer. Be happy with what you posses and work on your weakness.
2. Invest on training and enhancing your technique. The best solution around feelings of
insecurity is by becoming more competent. Learning the correct technique also lessens the risk
of injury.
3. Prepare your mind and body for a performance. While it is necessary to memorize the
choreography or practice the execution of a technique.
4. Perform breathing exercise. Many psychologist recommend breathing exercises because
it increases mindfulness of one’s thought and feelings. More importantly, breathing exercise
activates the parasympathetic nervous system and stimulates relaxation.
5. Experience the joy when you dance.
SUBJECT: P.E AND HEALTH 12
QUARTER : 2 MODULE : 3 SUBJECT-TEACHER:_________________________
NAME OF STUDENT:___________________________________________ SCORE: _______________
GRADE/ LEVEL/SECTION ___________________________ DATE SUBMITTED:________________

Direction: Answer the question below.

Give 4 solutions on common sources of stress among dance athletes.

1.

2.

3.

4.
Drive On

CRITERIA 10 15 20

ADHERE TO POORLY LOGICALLY DISCUSSED EXCELLENTLY DISCUSSED

THE TOPIC DISCUSSED THE THE IDEAS WITH THE IDEAS CLEARLY AND
IDEAS CLARITY CONCISE.
What do you think of the life of a dance athlete who got seriously injured and cannot dance for
a lifetime?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________

Parent’s Signature: _________________________________