Contours of a Health-Risk Prevention Framework in Dance: Adaptive Technique, Individual Norms and Contextual Health

AbstractThis article applies Georges Canguilhem's (1991) concepts of normality and pathology in medical science to normative aspects in dance and dance education. The analysis capitalizes on three key aspects: Adaptive Technique, Individual Norms, and Contextual Health. The resulting framework challenges traditional notions of typicality in dance and offers new perspectives on dancer health, training, and performance. We explore how the dance world constructs and constrains definitions of the "normal" body, and how Canguilhem's concepts of biological non-normativity and individual adaptation can inform more inclusive practices, addressing racial and gender norms in dance. Our perspective paves the way for more inclusive, ethical, and effective dance practices. While acknowledging the Western-centric nature of this framework, we demonstrate its potential applicability across diverse cultural contexts. This approach emphasizes the need to develop practices that acknowledge the diversity of dancers' bodies and experiences across cultures, critically examining how new technologies and personalized approaches might reshape our understanding of "normal" or "healthy" dance bodies.