The reliable, valid, and sensitive measure-ment of dancer capacities is essential to dance medicine and science research, clinical practice, and dancer training. The unique nature of dance and the unusual demands it places on dancers present spe-cial challenges for measuring dancer ca-pacities. The contributions in this and the next issue review measurement strategies for several capacities important to dancers. This article describes measurement characteristics common to the variety of disciplines encompassed by dance medicine and science. It concludes with a description of possible benefits for evolving standardized measures of important dancer capacities.
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