What Dance Teachers Need to Know About Air Quality 

Dance Teacher spoke with three experts about air quality, how it affects dancers, and what dance teachers can do about it.

Air Quality in the Studio

According to Tony Abate, chief technology officer of AtmosAir, which specializes in indoor air monitoring and purification systems, a variety of air pollutants can impact dance studios. Pollutants can come from outdoors, like during wildfire season, or they can originate from inside the building. 

Air pollutants typically fall into one of three main categories: gaseous contaminants, particulates, and microorganisms, Abate explains. Gaseous contaminants or volatile organic compounds (VOCs) come from chemicals, like those in the products that dance studios might use for everyday cleaning or routine pest control. 

Particulates are microscopic particles like dust, mold spores, and other allergens, and are particularly relevant for studios or theaters located in older buildings or buildings that have experienced water damage. According to Dr. Sheyi Ojofeitimi, DPT, OCS, CFMT, CIDN, who serves as the director of therapy services and as the health and safety advisor for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, costumes can also harbor particulates (including dust, pollen, fabric fibers, and makeup residue) that can trigger allergies or respiratory irritation as dancers move.  

Microorganisms are bacteria or viruses that can spread through the air. Dance teachers and studio owners should be aware of the risks of airborne illnesses in particular, Abate explains. “It’s well known that in an educational environment, illnesses tend to spread in an airborne fashion,” he says.

Effects on Dancers

Dancers and other athletes can be particularly sensitive to poor air quality and airborne contaminants, says Abate, whose company has installed air-purification systems at performing arts facilities including Lincoln Center and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s Joan Weill Center for Dance. “Athletes respire more than the average person,” he notes, adding that “better lung capacity helps them in their training, but it can make them more prone to allergens [and other pollutants].”

Exposure to air pollutants can cause shortness of breath, chest tightness, and coughing, says Dr. David Weir, MD, a pulmonologist at Weill Cornell Medicine and New York-Presbyterian Hospital. Excess production of mucus can also occur, which often exacerbates the other symptoms. Ojofeitimi adds that dizziness, difficulty concentrating, and—in severe cases—fainting, can also result.

Poor air quality can also interfere with concentration and stamina, a particular concern for dancers. “When you’re exercising, your body utilizes oxygen. Once you’ve used the maximum amount of oxygen you can, you start to make energy without oxygen,” Weir explains, adding that this process increases both carbon dioxide (CO₂) levels in the body and acid levels in the bloodstream. “When CO₂ levels are high, it can interfere with your concentration, and it also stimulates the body to start breathing more, affecting stamina.”

As Ojofeitimi points out, dance teachers might have limited control over things like air filtration and purification, especially if they don’t own the studios where they are teaching. Luckily, no matter if you own your studio or not, there are many practical measures that can be taken to protect your students—and yourself—from airborne pollutants. 

What Teachers Can Do

First, if a dance teacher is in the position to do so, they can modify and adapt the space itself. Weir recommends an air-filtration system that utilizes a HEPA filter. These usually come as standalone units that plug into a standard outlet—they come in a variety of sizes based on the size of the room that needs filtration. Companies like AtmosAir, which uses a process called bi-polar ionization to purify air, can provide custom-designed air services for buildings including studios and theaters. Weir also advises dance teachers and studio owners to keep an eye out for any areas that might be harboring moisture or mold, and address those areas promptly. 

Abate also suggests monitoring air quality, either through a specialized system in the studio or through AirNow.gov, the official EPA website that provides up-to-date data on outdoor air quality based on location. On days when the air-quality index is veering towards unhealthy, he urges dance teachers to prioritize indoor activity and avoid opening windows. 

In addition to monitoring air quality online or via an app, teachers can adapt curriculum as the air quality changes. “If you know there’s going to be high pollution, reduce the intensity of the repetitions. You can shorten combinations, or you can offer extra hydration breaks or recovery time,” Ojofeitimi says. Students with known respiratory sensitivities, like asthma, might need to make use of these accommodations more than others, but she says it’s important not to single them out for needing more rest time. “Present it in a way that says, ‘Because of the environment, and because of the challenges of this piece, we’re going to do it this way today to make sure everyone can be healthy.’ ”

Ojofeitimi also recommends working breathing exercises into your classes so students can learn to breathe deeply and fully. “Most dancers don’t even know how to breathe, because we’re all upper-chest breathers,” she says. “Doing regular deep breathing on a daily basis—where you teach your diaphragm to expand through your rib cage to the front, to the back, to the side, to the bottom, all the way to the pelvic floor—increases your lung capacity so you can take in more oxygen.” 

And, always, dance teachers should take note of when students seem to be in distress and address the issue promptly. “We’re not asking dance teachers to diagnose, but if you see something, say something to that dancer,” Ojofeitimi says. “It might give them the opportunity to say, ‘Yes, I am actually having an issue breathing,’ and then you can provide them with the care and support they need.”