YOUR BODY YOUR RISK -  DANCE UK'S NEWEST BOOK 
Contact: Helen Laws, Dance UK; Ph: 020 7228 4994;  
e-mail: helen@danceuk.org 
 

September 2001

Your Body Your Risk.  Dance UK's newest book is a must-have for all dancers.Dancers have an incredibly demanding and vigorous training regime.  They need to be fitter, stronger and quicker than ever before in order to meet the demands of choreographers whose styles can be fast, eclectic and physically strenuous.  Audiences also expect dancers to be highly trained, to be athletes as well as artists.  
  
If they are to achieve performance excellence, dancers need to take responsibility for their own health and well-being.  They need to work smarter not just harder.  They need to know how to look after themselves, to minimise risk of injury and maximise their potential.Your Body Your Risk is aimed at young dancers.  It provides the know-how they need to become the best dancer they can, and to keep dancing for longer. 
  
Wayne McGregor, artistic director of Random Dance Company said: "Maintaining a healthy body and mind is critical to exceptional performance - on stage, in rehearsal, whilst teaching, even in discussion, giving value to your body means giving the time to understand it and demands intelligent, informed and regular care". 
  
Your Body Your Risk provides information about healthy eating, promoting a positive body image, warning signs of eating disorders requiring specialist advice, and workplace health and safety regulations that are relevant to dancers. 
  
Sue Smith, Council for Dance Education and Training said: "The book has good practical advice not just on identifying problems but what to do next.  The section on legal advice and procedure is particularly useful as it can be easy to forget that there are structures in place to help."  
  
Janet Archer, Director of Dance City, Newcastle said:  "Your Body Your Risk is an important encouragement to self belief and self worth." 
  
Dance UK is an industry lead body for dance. It works to promote a robust, dynamic and vital future for dance professionals and the art form of dance. In addition to the Healthier Dancer Programme it promotes the professional development of choreographers and dance managers, provokes debate and lobbies for change. 
  
Dance UK's Healthier Dancer Programme is a world leader in promoting the health and well-being of dancers. It works in collaboration with leading experts in health sports and dance science. In October 2000, a major conference, Moving Matters, was held at the Royal Opera House, London. 
  
Your Body Your Risk is available from Dance UK at £4.50 (£3.50 for members and students) plus £1.00 postage and handling.