Fascia is a broad term referring to the connective tissue of the body. Fascia has multiple functions: it maintains the shape of different anatomical components, allows cells to convert external mechanical signals into internal biochemical reactions, and distributes the stress of movement and gravity across multiple muscles and joints. The purpose of this study was to gain an in-depth understanding of the physiology of fascia, explore therapeutic practices involving fascial manipulation, apply this knowledge to dance movement and injury prevention, and educate dancers and teachers about the “why” behind these common therapy practices. More specifically, I wanted to understand the mechanistic science behind foam rolling and massage therapy in order to support the hypothesis that these therapies are fascial manipulation and enhance athletic ability by remodeling the fascia on a physiological level. To support this hypothesis, I reviewed literature and scientific studies relating to fascia and athletic ability, participated in an untreated cadaver dissection course that focused on connective tissue, and interviewed professionals in the field of therapeutics. My preliminary results indicate that foam rolling and massage temporarily enhance athletic ability and prevent injury; however, the mechanism behind these results is still unclear. There is some evidence to support that these therapeutic techniques involve fascia, but other mechanistic theories unrelated to fascia may also explain these results. More research on fascia and the “why” behind these therapies is needed to fully uncover the applications of fascia for dance movement and injury prevention. However, it can be concluded that the implementation of these therapies should be considered for dance warmup and cool down practices to help dancers reach their fullest movement potential, maintain their bodies, prevent injuries, and achieve longevity throughout their dancing careers.

Disordered eating, poor body image, and eating disorders are common and ongoing issues in the world of dance. These issues are caused by a complex web of factors, including dance training, perfectionistic tendencies, comments made by friends and family, and social media. This study looks specifically at how the dance classroom environment contributes to the dancer’s relationship with food, eating, and diet. I collected data from three different sources: a survey sent to dance majors and minors at the University of Washington, a survey sent out to one randomly selected dance studio from each U.S. state, and case study interviews. Anticipated results may suggest that the environment created by dance studios and teachers can have long term effects on a dancer’s relationship with nutrition. Dance instruction that places emphasis on dancers’ bodies, as opposed to their movement, can contribute to a more turbulent relationship with nutrition. These findings shed light on the need to analyze and reconsider dance pedagogy, teacher training, and dance studio policies (whether implicit or explicit) surrounding nutrition.

Color guard is a youth performing arts activity usually associated with marching band or drill team. Although the specific context of color guard performances may vary, the central components require performers to manipulate equipment such as flags, wooden rifles, and dull metal sabres, while maintaining a performative, dance-based foundation in relationship to musical accompaniment. The purpose of this study is to determine the role of dance in the world of color guard, and to investigate ways of implementing dance training to enhance color guard educational programs. Interviews were conducted with four seasoned color guard instructors from various geographic locations. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed to identify how these veteran teachers view the role of dance in color guard, how they determine success in their programs, and how they have been able to utilize dance to their program’s benefit. Preliminary results indicate that focusing on dance training and body awareness significantly contributes to performers’ success in competition, as well as assists with the social/emotional challenges facing this population. These findings suggest a need for further investigation into teaching practices utilized by instructors in order to illuminate how pedagogical training impacts students.

Specifically addressing proprioception’s relationship to balance control, recent studies have noted how ankle proprioception may be one of the most important components to balance control because of its direct contact relationship with the ground. Dance training has been shown to improve a dancer’s proprioceptive abilities and is one of the fundamental reasons why dancers are able to flawlessly execute complex balance movements on a very small base of support with lights shining in their eyes and while under constant pressure from a judgmental audience. In this research, I aim to explore how proprioception may be improved through dance. My methods are grounded in a literature review from around the world and anecdotal evidence through interviews and video footage of three individuals focusing on improving their static balance. Results from the literature review indicate that dance can be used to improve one's proprioception and balance control in both the youth and elderly population. Video footage analysis and interviews partially support my initial claim that balance can be improved in all individuals. Understanding the kinesiology of balance may contribute to future alternative movement therapies that use targeted dance movements to alleviate symptoms of specific conditions, such as ankle proprioception movements for individuals with Alzheimer's Disease or neck proprioception movements for individuals with chronic neck pain.

As dam removals become more frequent across the United States and globally, understanding kelp forest response to coastal dam removals, in particular, is critical for managing nearshore habitat. Dam removals impact flow and sediment regimes of rivers, both of which can influence coastal kelp forests. The removal of the Elwha River, WA dams released ~19 Mt of sediment into marine ecosystems. This sediment flux dramatically influenced the turbidity of the nearshore water column and permanently increased the amount of sediment released from the river. The objectives of this study were two-fold. First, I developed methods to remotely sense and quantify the abundance of canopy forming kelps from aerial images. Next, I determined how changes in suspended sediment concentration and light attenuation during and following a major dam removal event in the Elwha River impacted the growth of nearshore bull kelp, Nereocystis luetkeana. By incorporating remote sensing to quantify the relative abundance of bull kelp in the area, my study observed that following dam removal, bull kelp abundance declined in the study area. This was an unexpected finding because I calculated that suspended sediment concentration decreased following dam removal, thus improving conditions for kelp growth. Although suspended sediment concentration decreased after the dam removals, other factors, such as an increase in herbivorous predation, could have played a large role in suppressing bull kelp abundance. The supervised classification scheme that I developed for remotely monitoring kelp abundance will make analyzing larger areas feasible in future studies, which may help to better identify regional trends in kelp abundance. Marine aerial monitoring remains an important avenue to better predict and manage future kelp forest response to dramatic changes in the ecosystem.