How Dancers Can Take Care of Themselves on Tour

Being part of a touring show can be exciting—performers get to travel to all kinds of new places—but it can also bring specific challenges. “You have eight shows per week, and your one day off is a travel day, so you’re sitting on a plane or a bus,” says Jesse Jones, the dance captain on the North American tour of The Wiz. “You just have to take care of your body.”

Traveling can exacerbate the fatigue and physical strain performers already experience, and frequent schedule changes can impact nutrition and rest. However, with a balanced and knowledgeable approach, dancers can cultivate healthy routines and thrive on tour.

Mind Your Body

Dancers often sit in the same position while traveling. “Sitting for long periods is going to make your body tighter, in general,” says Giovanna Salerno, a physical therapist at NYU Langone’s Harkness Center for Dance Injuries. For long travel days, stimulate blood flow and keep muscles warm through self-massage with an easy-to-pack tool, like a tennis ball, and wear warm clothing or compression garments. Practicing simple in-seat exercises, like pelvic tilts or seated marches, can help alleviate muscle tightness and soreness.

Giovanna Salerno. Courtesy NYU Langone Health.

It can also be challenging to maintain a cross-training regimen on tour. Finding classes and gym facilities might take extra work; companies and dance studios in larger cities may offer open classes, but for stops in more remote areas, dancers can build a personalized on-the-go workout that accommodates the time and space available—whether that’s a few minutes in the morning in a hotel room or gym, or before the show at the theater. Salerno recommends simple strength exercises with TheraBands and a quick cardio circuit with movements like mountain climbers, squat jumps, and jumping jacks. When local classes aren’t readily available, Jones and his fellow castmates often take turns teaching workouts to one another.

Though cross-training is important, Salerno encourages dancers to maintain a level that feels supportive—and not to push themselves too hard. “If you’re having really intense days at the theater, then you don’t also want to be driving super hard in a home workout,” she explains.

Nourish and Hydrate

Maria Tanielian. Photo by Jennifer Sevan, Courtesy Tanielian.

Touring can disrupt meal routines. Sometimes, late shows limit access to healthy food options, or hotels won’t have mini fridges or microwaves to prepare simple meals. “Just traveling can lead to irregular appetites, as well as the stress, jet lag, nerves from performing, and fatigue,” says Maria Tanielian, a registered dietitian and dancer.

For touring performers, Tanielian recommends keeping a variety of shelf-stable, nutrient-packed foods on hand. Snacks like trail mix, roasted chickpeas or edamame, protein bars, instant oatmeal cups, and canned tuna or salmon are all good options. Tanielian also encourages performers to familiarize themselves with the roles different nutrients play in a healthy diet so they can adjust in real time. In general, balanced meals should contain carbs for quick energy, protein for muscle recovery and repair, and healthy fats, as well as fruits and vegetables. Instead of aiming for perfect meals, she says, adopt a mix-and-match approach to getting all the key nutrients.

It’s also vital to stay hydrated. “Exercise can blunt appetite or thirst cues, so having a structure can help with hydration,” Tanielian says. The simplest way to do this is to use a refillable water bottle, which acts as a visual cue to hydrate. Adding an electrolyte packet—or even a salt packet from a restaurant on the road—can add a quick hydration boost.

Rest Up

When navigating the hectic tour schedule, rest can become more difficult to prioritize. Plus, different beds and pillows can disrupt sleep, or dancers may share accommodations with a colleague who has opposite habits. Jones says that some performers use sound machines or even bring their own pillows on tour for added comfort.

Getting rest on a plane or a bus can also be challenging. “Change your position up from time to time, so that you don’t give yourself the chance to get into a significantly painful situation,” Salerno says, adding that a neck pillow, a rolled-up sweatshirt used as lumbar support, or an ergonomic seat cushion (which keeps your pelvis in a neutral position) can all make a big difference.

For Jones, sticking to a sleep schedule is key. He does his best to get to bed before midnight, turning down invitations to go out after performances if he feels it will negatively impact his rest. “I have got to go to bed, especially as the dance captain. I don’t just get to the theater at call at 7 pm. I’m there from 1–5 pm, and then we have the show,” he says.

Dancers’ routines will change on the road, as will their self-care practices. While there’s no one-size-fits-all approach, by working new wellness strategies into their regimens, artists can set themselves up for success—no matter where a tour takes them.

Jesse Jones in Beetlejuice. Photo by Leslie Kritzer, Courtesy Jones.