From dance to dance medicine – insights from Prof Dr Dr med Eileen M. Wanke

Im Rahmen des Seminars "Tanz-Exkursionen in die Innenwelt des Tanzes" von Dr. Monika Thiele, Seniorenstudium, Akademie für Weiterbildung, Universität Bremen

As part of the event ‘Dance – Excursions into the inner world of dance’, we welcome Prof. Dr Dr Eileen Wanke from the Institute for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine at Goethe University Frankfurt as a special guest.

Prof. Wanke is leading a research project to analyse movement patterns in professional stage dance. State-of-the-art kinematic methods are used to scientifically analyse stresses and risks for dancers – work that opens up new perspectives on prevention and health promotion in dance.

Where does art end, where does medicine begin? In her lecture ‘From dance to dance medicine’, Prof. Dr Dr Eileen M. Wanke sheds light on the development of dance from an elementary human form of movement to a profession with special physical requirements – and the emergence of dance medicine as an independent interdisciplinary field.

Using historical examples, Prof Wanke shows how dance has always been used to maintain health. At the same time, she outlines the specific stresses and risks that professional dancers are exposed to as part of their training and profession.

The focus is on the question: How can medical knowledge help to prevent injuries, maintain performance and ensure the long-term health of dancers?

A lecture with film contribution between dance art and science – understandable, practical and with a view to current research results.