Biomedical and psychological research has shown that dance injury rates are extremely high (ranging from around 81 per cent to 97 per cent) and that dancers tend to ignore the warning signs of injury. As with elite athletes, pain becomes a normalised feature of dancers' experience. The majority of studies on dance injuries, and these are small in number in comparison with for example, sports injuries, have been conducted from bio-medical or psychological perspectives. But the extent of the problem indicates that dance injury is not simply an individual matter and that other socio-cultural factors may also be at work, such as dance training, peer group and / or work related pressures. With this in mind, our project examines the socio-cultural context of dance injuries, addressing the ways that dancers distinguish between pain and injury and the consequences of this distinction for their careers and performance.

The research also explores the use of visual representation through 3 dimensional body scanning and pain and injury mapping and its benefits for injury identification and warning. It considers the effect of alternative body techniques (e.g. Pilates, Alexander technique) and style of dance technique on dancers' bodies and injuries. Because much of the research to date has focused on ballet dancers, this project targets dancers whose training or work primarily involves modern or contemporary dance. However, we recognise that most dancers will have encountered a number of dance techniques, including ballet, during their training.  

The research explores the cultural issues around modern dance injuries through three central research questions: