Dance Anatomy

Chapter 1. The Dancer in Motion
Chapter 2. Brain Health
Chapter 3. Injury Awareness
Chapter 4. Spine
Chapter 5. Ribs and Breath
Chapter 6. Core
Chapter 7. Shoulders and Arms
Chapter 8. Pelvis and Hips
Chapter 9. Legs
Chapter 10. Ankles and Feet
Chapter 11. Whole-Body Training for Dancers

This spiral-bound version of Dance Anatomy, Third Edition, lays flat to make it easy for instructors and practitioners to refer to during their practice.

Discover the pure power and aesthetic beauty of dance as you perfect your technique with Dance Anatomy, Third Edition. With more than 100 anatomical illustrations in a vibrant new color palette, you will see how specific dance, movement, and performance exercises will help you maintain posture, find more flexibility, breathe appropriately, and reduce the risk of injury that is inherent in executing repetitive movements.

Dance Anatomy is a must-have for every dancer. Exercises and movements are depicted in stunning detail, highlighting the engaged muscles, joints, and tendons so you can clearly see the connection between training and performance.

Thoroughly updated, this third edition features the following:

• 21 new exercises to improve strength, mobility, and flexibility
• 42 new illustrations, including new Dance Focus images that explain how the exercises benefit the dancer in different positions and highlight modern expressions in dance
• New tables in each exercise chapter that describe the location and action of the muscles highlighted so you can see how the muscles contribute to each movement
• A more robust chapter on brain health that addresses chronic stress and anxiety to provide you with tools for overcoming stage fright or performance anxiety
• Eight popular dance movements featured in large format, with explanations of how the anatomy works through the movement

Each chapter addresses a key principle of movement, beginning with the center of the body, where dance begins. You will find exercises to target specific areas—such as shoulders and arms, pelvis, and lower legs—to enhance flexibility and ensure safety. You will also discover more efficient ways of improving your lines and technique by implementing a supplementary conditioning program that considers your changing cycles of classes, practices, and rest times.

Dance Anatomy will help you master the impeccable balance, intense muscular control, and grace to prepare you for your next leading role!

Jacqui Greene Haas recently retired as performing arts medicine program manager for Mercy Health and Cincinnati Ballet, serving as the company’s athletic trainer for almost 30 years. She is a former professional ballet dancer who danced with Cincinnati Ballet, New Orleans City Ballet, Cleveland Ballet, and Southern Ballet Theatre and was an apprentice with Boston Ballet. Haas has a BA in dance from the University of South Florida, an athletic training certificate through the University of Cincinnati, and a MA in integrative studies from Northern Kentucky University.

Haas has certifications in Pilates instruction from St. Francis Memorial Hospital in San Francisco and in Pilates for rehabilitation from Polestar Education in Miami. She is also the director of Dance Medicine Academic Seminars, speaking to dancers throughout the United States on performing arts medicine, injury risks, and screenings for dancers. She enjoys sharing her workshops at Planet Dance Cincinnati, McGing Irish Dancers, University of Cincinnati College–Conservatory of Music, Bluegrass Youth Ballet, and Dancer’s Pointe, to name a few. She has been a performing arts athletic training resource for the greater Cincinnati area since 1989 and is a member of the International Association for Dance Medicine and Science, the National Athletic Trainers’ Association, and The Bridge Dance Project. Haas also teaches dance physiology, Pilates, and ballet at Northern Kentucky University’s School of the Arts.