Artifacts

Artifact 1, KIN 603 Jacqui G. Haas

In my determination to design a performing arts medicine program at the university level, one important component of such a program is to offer screenings or testing to gather subjective and valuable objective physical information of the performing arts students. The findings are used to educate the performer on injury risks and provide beneficial information on their strengths and/or weaknesses. Upon completion of individual screenings/testing, a strength training or conditioning program is designed for the performer correlating with the findings to improve health, fitness, and well-being. Inadequate physical training is one of the contributing factors in dancers’ injuries (Russell, 2013). Screening data is used to educate the performer on injury risks, benefits of strength training, and the benefits of aerobic conditioning. As the student continues their collegiate career the strength and conditioning program can be adjusted depending on the physical demands of their classes, rehearsals, and performance schedules.

The College of Health and Human Services offered KIN 603, Strength and Conditioning Programming which was a course devised to implement strength training programs to meet athlete’s performance goals based on medical evidence and human performance research. KIN 603 aligned with my concentration in performing arts medicine and the commitment to create a screening and conditioning protocol for university performers. The required text for the course was Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning, written by G.G. Haff and N.T. Triplett, a Human Kinetics publication. The text is an in-depth look at strength and conditioning guidelines created by the National Strength and Conditioning Association.

The final assignment requirements for KIN 603 incorporated the construction of a program for an athlete using current methods in strength training and conditioning programming. The protocol included the athlete’s profile, choice of testing, testing procedure rationale, and the details of the program. I chose to create testing procedures for an incoming female freshman dancer and design a conditioning program that included strength training, plyometric exercises, and balance training along with warm-up and cool-down exercises. The various exercises, repetitions, sets, and recovery times are included in the four-week protocol which aims to increase strength, improve core stability, and improve balance skills for motor control and proprioception. Decreased core stability is a risk factor for lower extremity injuries (Rickman, 2012). Poor core strength has been associated with injuries in the lumbar spine and lower extremities, addressing core strength as an incoming freshman can help reduce injury risks. A similar program can be designed for any performing artist, not just dancers, to address their specific needs. Screenings or physical testing procedures are also designed to identify weaknesses that can be corrected to improve function and dance technique (Potter, 2011). Faulty technique is another precursor to injuries, the screening data allows for technique and dance function education to improve alignment and skill.

KIN 603 provided the opportunity to establish an outline of a screening and fitness protocol that can be used for any performing artist and is included in my capstone research work. The creation of the entire project was an in-depth learning experience for me that was challenging and demanding due to the details of the exercises and the need to utilize both phosphocreatine and glycolytic systems since dance requirements are a combination of low and high-intensity movements. Dance might be an artistic discipline utilizing a specific skill set but it is also an athletic endeavor met with injury risks. Screenings have an educational component as well as a fitness component to address and minimize the likelihood of injury.

Under the KIN 603 heading within my portfolio, I have included a copy of the screening and the strength training protocol.

References

Potter, K., & Galbraith, G. (2011). Screening for Improved Dance Function. International Association of Dance Medicine and Science Bulletin, 3(1).

Rickman, A., Ambegaonkar, J., & Cortes, N. (2012). Core Stability: Implications for dance injuries. Medical Problems of Performing Artists, 27(3). 159-164.

Russell, J. A. (2013). Preventing dance injuries: current perspectives. Open Access Journal of Sports Medicine, 4, 199-210.

Artifact 2, ENG 546 Jacqui G. Haas

ENG 546, Grant Proposal Writing was a course offered with the objective of identifying and researching funding opportunities for grant writing. Students were expected to write a grant addressing real situations, directed at real audiences. The course focused on the processes of grant seeking and writing, to have a positive impact on the community in need. The required text was, Grant Seeking in an Electronic Age by Victoria Mikelonis, Signe Betsinger, and Constance Kampf.

As a licensed athletic trainer, having worked with the Cincinnati Ballet for almost 30 years, I knew the benefits of providing backstage care during dress rehearsals and performances. Athletic trainers have been providing sideline care for college and professional athletes for many years (Arnheim, 1989). College dance departments that have designed successful performing arts medicine programs for their students also provide backstage care during dress rehearsals and performances (Ambegaonkar, 2011).

After personally working backstage for several performances, I was surprised at the lack of fundamental first aid necessities available for the students at Northern Kentucky University. One student suffered from floor burns during a performance, causing her knee began to bleed, there was blood transfer on the floor, her costume, and other dancers, which can become an infection control issue. There was no disinfectant or antiseptic solution available. Unlike college or professional football games, there is no ‘time-out’ during a live dance performance to address injuries. The department desperately needed a first aid medical kit to be available backstage.

The requirements for the grant writing project consisted of writing a need statement, goals, objectives, and the short-term and long-term impact relating to return on investment. I chose to apply for $2000 with The Strategic Investment Proposal of 2018. The one-time funds were appropriated through the Arts and Sciences Strategic Plan, Fuel the Flame and the Enrollment and Student Success Implementation Plan.

The overall goal was to provide health, safety, and wellness opportunities for the students. Performing artists need to feel supported by their professors and administrators and should be able to perform in an atmosphere where safety is a priority. The objective was to secure a $2000 gift to purchase a medical kit with ample supplies to provide care for minor scrapes, burns, cuts, or blisters. Performers also suffer from sprains and strains while rehearsing or performing, ace wraps and various taping supplies were also included in the grant proposal. A detailed list of the first aid items and anticipated expenses were included in the proposal.

The goals written in the proposal had to align with student success, talent development, academic innovation, community engagement and institutional excellence and were included in the proposal. The short-term impact of the proposal would provide first aid for two to four main stage musicals annually, emerging choreographers showcase, and the mainstage dance concert. By supporting this proposal, the long-term impact would make the statement that The School of The Arts believes in the health and wellness of their students and students to come, once again aligning with the strategic plan of a student-centered environment. Incoming students and their parents will be re-assured that safety is a priority, which could be one factor in the decision-making process of which college to attend.

Under the ENG 546 heading within my portfolio, I have included the grant proposal and the items needed for the medical kit.

References

Ambegaonkar, J. P., Caswell, S. V. (2011). Development and implementation of an in-house health care program for university-level performing artists. IOS Press Work 40. 261-268.

Arnheim, D. (1989). Modern Principles of Athletic Training. Times/Mirror Mosby College Publishing.