Workshops:
The Knee & The Hip
Dance is a full-on physical activity which requires an abundance of skills, strength, balance, flexibility, coordination and stamina. BUT it is also an art. In the pursuit of art, dancers give their utmost and are, therefore, vulnerable to injuries. Often these injuries are misunderstood by the dancer which leads to more injuries. The more educated a dancer is about their body, the less likely they are to injure it and the faster they will heal if they do get injured. Our workshops will teach the dancer about their body, common injuries, and what to do about them from prevention to rehabilitation with the goal being to keep dancers dancing. We offer custom workshops to students and teachers in addition to our ongoing schedule. This allows you to customize your own workshop to meet the needs of the dancers and teachers in your studio.
We have three workshops available, designed especially for the needs of dancers of all shapes, sizes, ages, and styles. These are taught by Dance Medicine Specialist and Pilates Instructor, Amy Anderson and dancer, teacher, choreographer, and Sports Fitness/Kinesiology major, and Anatomy In Clay® Instructor, Gregory Gonzales. The Anatomy In Clay Learning System® by Jon Zahourek is an amazing way to learn the anatomy of the body with hands on participation.
Learn more at anatomyinclaycenters.org. Each workshop can be catered to fit the specific needs of the dancers in your school or performing group. Students, teachers and performers, both amateur and professional, have all benefited. We also realize that the training and performing life of a dancer is extremely busy so we have developed very concise presentations that get the most for the dancer’s time and money. Examples of workshops are as follows:
Workshop #1: The Foot and Ankle
This workshop focuses on the anatomy and common injuries of the foot and ankle with a set of complimentary exercises for prevention and healing. Whether the dancer is barefoot, en pointe, in tap shoes, high heels or others, the same foot anatomy and exercises apply.
Workshop #2: The Knee
The knee has several complex structures which can cause trouble to the dancer. This workshop clarifies the anatomy of the knee and teaches several very specific exercises so that the dancer understands the knee.
Workshop #3: The Hip
This workshop also teaches the anatomy of the hip but with emphasis on the deep rotators and stabilizers. Dancing places a large amount of emphasis on flexibility in the hip without regarding stability. The exercises focus on stabilizing the hip without losing flexibility.
The Shoulder In Weight-Bearing
The shoulder is the most mobile joint in the body and yet, over and over again, it is asked to support the full weight of the body more than ever before as part of many fitness regimes. Whether it is yoga, Pilates, Crossfit, or any number of fitness activities, more and more demands are placed on the shoulder as a weight-bearing joint. The trouble occurs when the joint is repeatedly loaded with weight but not stabilized and the ligaments and tendons take the brunt of it. With the constant repetition without proper stabilization, the shoulder joint can easily become injured.
This course will address the anatomy of the Shoulder utilizing the Anatomy in Clay Learning System® by Jon Zahourek, taught by Gregory Gonzales, in order to become more familiar with the ligamentous structures and musculature that hold the shoulder together. Afterward Amy Anderson will teach a two hour session of stabilization movements and exercises to teach the student how to maintain alignment in the shoulder girdle so it is able to handle the increased loads safely.
Special Workshop - The Pelvic Floor and Deep Core
Pelvic Floor disfunction can cause more problems than incontinence. It can also affect the lower back,
sacroiliac joint, hip joint, prolapses, sexual disfunction, etc. Learning how to engage and control the muscles of the pelvic floor is vital to the improvement of these types of issues. To add to the control of the pelvic floor is the musculature of the Deep Core. The Deep Core includes the stabilizers of the vertebrae, psoas, iliacus, and quadratus lumborum which are all muscles that are often over looked in the study of the core. When functioning well together these muscles can do a lot to improve issues with pain in the lower back.
In these classes, learn about the anatomy of the pelvic floor and the deep core and relate it to exercise and movement in a special weekend workshop offered by Amy Anderson and Gregory Gonzales. The more you know your body and understand the physical reality of what you are doing, the more control you will have over any pain or problems.
This weekend Workshop will address two of the most commonly misunderstood areas of the the more general anatomy know as the Core of the body. This series will start day one with the anatomy of the pelvic floor then day two with the anatomy of the deep core each followed by a movement session.
Learning the anatomy is fun and interesting with the use of the Anatomy in Clay Learning System created by Jon Zahourek. It utilizes building the anatomy of the body with clay on a skeletal model which creates an understanding of scale, orientation, and function in three dimensions. Each day will include a two hour movement session where the student can apply the understanding of anatomy to actual movement and exercises. Learn about common injuries and how to avoid them, causes of pain and how to identify and correct the issue causing the pain.
Professional dancer, dance instructor and Kinesiology/Fitness major, Gregory Gonzales, will teach a three hour, hands-on Anatomy in Clay workshop followed by a two hour dance technique and movement workshop by Amy Anderson PMA-CPT, Dance Medicine Specialist and Pilates Rehabilitation Therapist with 25 years experience working with pain problems and injury rehabilitation.