130: Dance Research and Injury Prevention — Nico Kolokythas

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This week on 5.6.7.EIGHT, Aleksandra interviews Nico Kolokythas, Founder of</span> <a href= "https://www.strengthmotionmind.com/"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">strengthmotionmind</span></a> <span style= "font-weight: 400;">and Strength and Conditioning Coach at the Birmingham Royal Ballet.</span> <span style= "font-weight: 400;">Nico has an extensive two-decades-long background in elite sports, focusing predominately on judo, netball, basketball, football, taekwondo, and tennis. Nico eventually completed a PhD in injuries and the adolescent ballet dancer through the Elmhurst Ballet School in the UK. He now leads strengthmotionmind — a group focused on educating dancers and dance instructors on strength training and injury prevention.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nico carries a unique perspective, having pivoted his research career from athletics to dance. Upon entering the arts, Nico was shocked by the lack of injury prevention research in dance — something that receives heavy investment in the sports world. Nico has since made curbing that trend his North Star. On the podcast, Nico discusses the work he’s doing to forward the conversation about injury prevention in dance and gives some practical advice on makimg that goal a reality.</span></p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Moving Quotes:</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"In sports, injury prevention was at the top of the list. Whereas, in dance, it felt like it was injury management."</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"There's not enough evidence that the common workouts used on top of dance training has any effect on injury prevention. We need to move the intensity of the training a little bit higher to have an injury prevention effect. Low intensity training will give minimal change to the body."</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"We know physical strength training can actually improve confidence. So, in a way, when we educate young dancers, we are improving their self-confiden