The International Association for Dance Medicine and Science (IADMS)
Event Date: Posted on: November 19th, 2008
IADMS is an organization for dancers, dance educators/administrators and dance medicine professionals. It was formed in 1990 to promote education and research in the field of dance medicine. IADMS has numerous resources for both members and non-members. Membership is open to dance schools and companies, doctors, physical therapists and allied health professionals, dance educators and dancers themselves. There is a discounted rate for dance and medical students.
IADMS holds an annual conference that is open to members and non-members. The conference promotes networking and collaboration between all types of professionals involved in dance and treatment of dancers. As well as practical labs and presentations of interest to all, there are now special interest days for teachers, dance movement researchers, medical practitioners and physical therapists.
The official journal of IADMS is the Journal of Dance Medicine and Science. This is a peer-reviewed publication with articles encompassing new research, case studies and literature reviews. It incorporates the fields of kinesiology, dance education, dance psychology, nutrition, anatomy and physiology, biomechanics, surgery and rehabilitation for dancers. A subscription to the Journal is included in membership costs. IADMS also publishes a comprehensive bibliography of dance medicine literature and annual meeting proceedings.
Additional resources for members include discussion forums online, and the quarterly newsletter. For non-members the website provides free information sheets on aspects of dancer wellness such as working with adolescent dancers and when to start pointe work. It also lists performing arts medicine conferences worldwide.
IADMS is an excellent resource for anyone involved in dancer health, dance education, or performance and for those interested in having a career in dance medicine. Further information is available online at www.iadms.org.
