Dance Recital Safety Measures

While watching dancers on a stage, it’s easy to forget how difficult and how controlled every movement must be. Dancers are trained to make every movement look effortless, whether you’re in ballet, tap, jazz, or hip hop, but, as with every hobby that requires physical exertion, there are still safety risks that require mitigation.

Luckily, pomi is here to help teach you what to keep an eye out for and how, as the owner or manager of a dance studio, you could manage common risks. That way, you can watch your dancers shine on stage, with the knowledge they are covered in the event of an accident.

Hazards in a Dance Studio

Hazards can come from a variety of sources in a dance studio. A lack of care for facilities and equipment, a lack of supervision for dance students, and a lack of preparation and education for staff can all result in injuries. So, what are the specific details to pay attention to?

Facilities and Equipment

One of the most common accidents that occurs in a dance studio, or a recital, is when a student slips and falls. This can happen for a multitude of reasons, from food left on the ground, water spilled and not mopped up, to tripping hazards left in the dance space.

Dance studios also contain certain hazards that most athletics spaces don’t. To help perfect form and balance, many studio practice rooms contain mirrored walls with ballet barres anchored to the walls. Mirrors can crack and a barre can come loose, creating hazards that go unnoticed until an accident occurs.

Supervision of Activity

As children grow to reach higher and higher levels of skill, the technical difficulty grows with them. With greater technicality comes a greater risk of injury; this is why ballet dancers are only allowed to go en pointe after three years of dance experience and only once the bones in their feet have fully developed.

Skills such as lifts, or other aerial movements, can also pose a risk when the dancer either doesn’t know the correct technique or just hasn’t mastered the skill.

Accidents happen in every athletic activity, but without an experienced instructor there to supervise serious injuries can occur.

What are Some Dance Safety Protocols?

As with any hazard, employees and owners can take steps to mitigate the risk of injury. By establishing a set of safety protocols for your studio, you can help create a safer and more stable environment for everyone who enters the studio.

Facilities and Equipment

Measures should be taken to inspect the quality and condition of your facility and equipment; otherwise, you can become the responsible party in the case of any injuries or accidents. It is your responsibility to care for these students when they enter your studio, so you should have a plan in place for any situation that may arise.

• Keep the floor clean of food, debris, and tripping hazards and make sure the flood is clear prior to every class.

• Use recommended products to clean or wax the floor.

• Inspect mirrors and barres at the beginning of every day to ensure there are no cracks, broken glass, or loose barres that could endanger students.

• If you experience any leaks within the facility, determine the origin and mark the affected area until a repairman arrives.

Supervision of Activity

When working with youth, supervision is a critical component. To create a safe environment, you can:

• Put up warnings and follow through with disciplinary practices against anyone who breaks policy.

• Make sure there is an appropriate ratio of instructors to students, depending on the age group and skill level.

• Take precautions against falls during any aerial activities by using a spotter or a mat.

Customize Your Client’s Safety with pomi

Make your clients the star with pomi’s customizable accident insurance policies. With pomi, you can customize your policies and, with 24/7 access, you can work on your own schedule. Do you have more complex clients? pomi can connect you to one of our team members who can help you create the accident policy you’re looking for.

Send us a message, schedule a chat on our contact page, or email us at [email protected], to start your pomi collab today!