ResDance Series 10: Episode 2: Dancer Hormone Health: Why It Matters with Nicky Keay

ResDance Series 10: Episode 2: Dancer Hormone Health: Why It Matters with Nicky Keay In this episode, Nicky reflects on her experiences in sport and dance, and her passion for both hormone health and dancing. Framed primarily within a dance context, she shares how she applies her knowledge to support dancers in optimising both their health and performance. We explore the powerful role hormones play in maintaining stability, supporting overall wellbeing, and enhancing dance performance. Nicky offers insight into the challenges of artistic pursuits that strive for a particular aesthetic, and the delicate balancebetween these demands and the body’s natural capabilities and limitations. Nicky advocates for a personalised approach — listening carefully, considering the whole person, and recognising the risks of neglecting hormone health to ensure each dancer is supported in what is optimal for them.  Packed with valuable insights, this conversation calls for a greater awareness of the power of hormones and encourages students and performers to become more body-aware and informed abouttheir hormonal health. She stresses the importance of early education, open communication, collaboration among support teams, and creating environments where listening and honest conversation are prioritised. The key takeaway:recognise the power of your hormones, appreciate them, and learn how to work with them to become a stronger, healthier, and more empowered dancer. Biography Nicky is a medical doctor specialising in dancer hormone health. Nicky is medical advisor to Scottish Ballet and a keen ballet dancer. Nicky’s clinical endocrine work provides personalised approach for hormone health, offering health advisory appointments, with a focus for those experiencing relative energy deficiency in sport (REDs) and women experiencing perimenopause and menopause. Based on her research into REDs, Nicky developed the free online personal availability questionnaire (PEAQ) https://mypeaq.streamlit.app/ Nicky offers talks on a variety of hormone topics at international conferences for organisations and groups. Nicky is the author of “Hormones, Health and Human Potential” and editor of “Myths of Menopause”. Her research into the impacts of lifestyle, nutrition and exercise on hormone networks has been published in peer-reviewed journals. Nicky holds the position of Honorary Clinical Lecturer in the Division of Medicine, University College London. Nicky studied medicine at Cambridge University. After gaining Membership of the Royal College of Physicians, London UK, Nicky worked as a Research Fellow at St Thomas’ Hospital, London, where she was part of the international medical team that developed an anti-doping test for growth hormone. Nicky is a member of the British Menopause Society (BMS) and has completed the BMS Principles and Practice of Menopause Care training programme and Management of Menopause Certification Website www.nickykeayfitness.com Social media channels @drnickykeay Please share this episode with students, educators, practitioners, performers, and interdisciplinary researchers curious to learn more about dance research in action.