Article
New Directions in Dance Medicine: Dancers with Disabilities, Blindness/Low Vision, and/or Deafness/Hard of Hearing
Phys Med Rehabil Clin N Am
(2020)
Abstract
Although dance medicine is a growing field, filled with up-to-date information on waysto promote healthy dance participation among recreational to elite dancers, to date,there has been little focus on dancers with disabilities, blindness/low vision, or deafness/hard of hearing (DWDBD). For the purposes of this article, DWDBD refers todancers with physical disabilities (affecting physical functioning, such as spinal cordinjury or amputation), intellectual/developmental disabilities (IDDs; affecting intellectualfunctioning and adaptive behavior or developmental/social skills, such as Downsyndrome, fragile X syndrome, or autism spectrum disorders), blindness/low vision,or deafness/hard of hearing. Other than anecdotal information, little is known aboutinjury patterns, injury prevention, or wellness strategies for DWDBD. However, thereare increasing numbers of dance programs and companies involving DWDBD at preprofessionaland professional levels. Dance teachers and choreographers may nowencounter a more diverse terrain when training dancing bodies, and this requires a significantreexamination of traditional practices. This article reviews the history and experience of DWDBD and explores dance medicine considerations relevant to workingwith DWDBD.
Keywords
- Integrated dance,
- Inclusive dance,
- Dancers with disabilities,
- Adaptive dance,
- Dance and Disability,
- Dance Medicine
Disciplines
Publication Date
2020
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmr.2020.09.010
Citation Information
Mary Dubon, Rebecca Siegel, Merry L. Morris, Mark Tomasic, et al.. "New Directions in Dance Medicine: Dancers with Disabilities, Blindness/Low Vision, and/or Deafness/Hard of Hearing" Phys Med Rehabil Clin N Am Vol. 32 (2020) p. 185 - 205 Available at: http://works.bepress.com/merry-morris/45/