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"Well-organized, to the point, easy to read and full of practical and earnest advice for athletes."---Karen Kain, artistic director, National Ballet of Canada

"This well-rounded book deals with important issues that all dance professionals should know about."--John White, author of Advanced Principles in Teaching Classical Ballet

Dancers must learn to negotiate a truly amazing range of physical demands to achieve peak performance and avoid injury. Through hours of rehearsal, technique classes, and performances, both full- and part-time professional dancers must be able to move their bodies with precision and grace through an extended range of motion. Moreover, they must weather the physical stresses of touring, teaching, and, in many cases, working a second job to supplement their income.

An accomplished dancer and gymnast himself, Tom Welsh wrote this book to empower conscientious dancer-athletes to take an active role in directing their own training and development. His clear, straightforward explanations of important concepts in conditioning hone in on the physical capabilities that are key to success not only for dancers but also for gymnasts, ice-skaters, and other athletes for whom strength and flexibility, precise alignment, and movement efficiency are high priorities. With an expert's eye, he distills complex insights into human kinetics into a format that is immediately useful.

The applicability and accessibility of Welsh's approach has been extensively tested in his many classes and seminars across the country. Precision athletes who are serious about avoiding injury, improving fitness, and increasing physical capability will find this comprehensive yet concise reference invaluable.