Started out with a flip how did it end up like this? - Action News
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Calgary

Started out with a flip how did it end up like this?

Marg Peiterse was told by her doctor she might be concussed after falling out of a dip at a Calgary country bar. Dance instructors in the city say many are unaware of some of the risks that come with more acrobatic moves in western partner dancing.

Partner dancing mishaps can result in concussions and other injuries

Stampede parties are in full swing and that means a little dancing and drinking, but some are urging partner dancers to beware of missteps

11 months ago
Duration 1:46
Dancers warn about the perils of trying out country dance tricks without proper training.

Marg Peiterse was swinging into a backward dip, expecting to feel her dance partner's hand on her back, when she hit the dance hall floor.

"I fell straight on my head and I immediately kind of felt dizzy," she said.

Peitersesays the fall two months ago swiftly ended her night.

The next day, her doctor told her she was likely concussed. It took a week before the nausea and sensitivity to light stopped bothering her.

A women in a denim shirt being swung backward by a dance partner in a plaid shirt and jeans on a wooden dance floor.
Marg Peiterse enjoys going to country western bars in Calgary, sometimes performing moves like the one shown above. But recently she was dropped by a dance partner and hit her head. (Koji Shimano)

Peiterse says falls like hers aren't uncommon on a night out at a country bar as people try to impress their partners with daring moves.

"I've seen a few people, like, lay on the ground. There's maybe one or two every night."

Thosein the local country dance industry saythe risk of injuries in partner dancing always exists. But mix in alcohol, crowded venues andinexperienced dancers attempting big lifts or dips that danger increases.

And during the 10 days of Calgary Stampede, when huge crowds descend on the many venues blasting country music and promising turns with a new partner, they say self-awareness can help avoid getting hurt.

'Heel to the ankle or elbow the face'

Victor Moranteis a dance coach with Outlaw Country who specializesin lifts technical moves that often require one partner to bear the weight of the other when they're hoisted into the air for a turn, flip or stand.

The company teaches western swing, line dancing and other partnered dances.

When he dances socially at a country western bar, he's seen all kinds of injuries, like being kicked or kneed by someone doing a backflip or spinning too hard.

"I'll get a heel to the ankle or elbow to the face," Morante said, joking he should wear a helmet when he goes out.

Morante says injuries often happen when dancersaren't aware of their surroundings, are attempting a move they haven't practised or aren't on the same page as their partner. He says adding alcohol into that equation only increases the risk for injury.

A man stands on the Stampede Grounds with one arm raise as his dance partner is balanced on his hand about him in an arch with one leg kicking up in the air.
Victor Morante and Dannica Robertson showcase an aerial move they perform and teach with Outlaw Country, a Calgary western dance company. (Derek Genge)

That's why he recommends lessons before people attempt flashy moves they may have seen online.

Melissa Knightley remembers being dropped during a dip by a dance partner while attending a folk music festival in central Alberta a decade ago.

She says her dance partner didn't check in before attempting the move and she was left seriously concussed.

The first three months after the injury, she had to remain in a dark room with no stimulation of any kind, even a phone or a book, lest it aggravate her symptoms.

"I switched jobs because at the time where I was working, it was a really loud space and I just couldn't handle it," she said.

Lynda Mainwaring is an associate professor in the faculty of kinesiology at the University of Toronto, and a psychologist who researches dance and sport concussions.

She says theprevalence of injuries like concussions in dance is hard to track, butthe greatestrisk for head injuries in dance comes fromfalls.

"You don't even have to hit your head to have a severe concussion," she said. "In dance, a lot of head gyrations, a lot of moving, if there's any banging heads and fast movements."

'If your feet leave the floor, then you're out the door'

Matt Abalos, who also dances with Outlaw, is a frequent fixture onthe country dance scene.

He says he's never been seriously injured while dancingbut has seen drops, sprains and even rare broken bones happen on the dance floor.

Abalos says that when dance partners are pairing up for the first time, chatting through what you're comfortable with, and what you're not, goes a long way.

A man dances with a woman at a country dance bar, they have their hands joined and raised above their heads as they lean to one side.
Matt Abalos, right, dances professionaly but also socially in Calgary. He says communication with your partner no matter their skill level is important for safety. (Koji Shimano)

"If you're dancing with a stranger, have that conversation as to what you're comfortable with trying out," he said.

One of the most popular venues for country dancing isRanchman's Cookhouse and Dancehall, an iconic Calgary bar that draws two-steppers and line-dancers all year long.

Aspokesperson at the bar says flips and lifts are "allowed with caution."

But longtime Ranchman's dance instructor Steve D'Arnot says there's an unofficial rule they've been saying for years: If your feet leave the floor, then you're out the door.

He says staff and even the DJ will look out for potentially risky dancing situations.

"We'll ask you not to flip and explain why," he said.

"Generally when somebody does that and we explain why we don't like them to do that, they fully understand. A lot of times, they don't even think about [the risk]. They're not aware of how someone could get hurt."

For his part, D'Arnot enjoys the energy of a boisterous crowd, but he believes people shouldn't try moves out of their skill level when they're partying.

That said, the goal is to have a good time dancing, no matter your style or experience.

"Whether you're someone who waddles awkwardly. Or you're someone who's a professional dancer.Whether you know how to do the trained country dancing or you're a freestyle dancer," D'Arnot said, describing the different types.

"We want people to use the dance floor, and every style of dance is welcome."