Health and Safety in the Dance Classroom

General Health and Safety

All students have access to the Student Wellness Center on campus for holistic health support. In case of a crisis or emergency, a list of services are also available. If you have a life-threatening situation, call 911 immediately or go to the nearest emergency room.

Reporting Illness & Injury to Faculty

Participation is key to success in our Dance program. If you have an illness or injury that causes you to miss more than one week of class, you should contact your faculty as soon as possible to discuss a participation plan. This may involve arranging a substitute project, make-up exam, or in some cases the need to drop the class if the illness or injury is ongoing and severe. Students may be asked to provide a doctor’s note when they miss class due to illness or injury.  

If you are minimally injured and able to attend class, please consult with your faculty about how to modify and adapt your practice so that you can still participate. Strategies for modification and adaptation include but are not limited to the following, which may be done in combination, as appropriate:

1. Adapting movement to a prone or seated position (e.g., floor barre or chair work, or a combination)
2. Translation of movement (e.g., creative alternatives in body movement)
3. Reduction of range of motion
4. Elimination of injured areas and augmentation no other aspects of movement
5. Movement visualization
6. Active peer-critique
7. Class observation writing responsive
8. Acting as an assistant in class

You should always seek medical care from the Wellness Center for any injuries or illness. For serious in-class emergencies, 911 should be contacted by the faculty member. For less serious injuries that occur in class, the student may be escorted to the Wellness Center.