Analysing injuries to dancers working in the commercial dance industry

Commercial dancers work in live shows, films and other venues. They perform many dance genres and undergo substantial physical demands. This occupational community sustains many injuries but may not seek or have access to specialized medical services.

To determine, in a sample of dancers in the commercial dance industry, the prevalence of musculoskeletal dance-related injuries, the dancers' accessibility to medical consultation and the dancers' healthcare-seeking tendencies over 5 years.

An electronic questionnaire was distributed to commercial dancers via a commercial dance advocacy organization. One hundred twenty dancers (91 females, 29 males) in the commercial dance industry completed this retrospective study. Data were analysed via descriptive statistics. We hypothesized that the 5-year prevalence of injury would exceed 70%, and that healthcare resources are not widely available to the commercial dance community in relation to injury occurrence, body region of injuries and time loss due to injury.

Ninety-one per cent of the participants reported at least one time-loss injury over the 5-year period. The knee, lower back, ankle and hip were injured most often. Ninety-three per cent of the respondents reported dancing with injury-related pain, and 73% visited a physiotherapist/physical therapist or occupational therapist for at least one injury. Forty-three per cent reported their primary reason for not seeking care was they 'could not afford the care'.

This study suggests that commercial dancers exhibit a high prevalence of injuries, often dance in pain and may be dissuaded from seeking care for their time-loss injuries by a lack of financial and medical resources.