Background

 

Tommi Sliiden

Performing Arts Medicine Osteopathy Massage Pilates

Background

 

Tommi originally trained at the Royal Swedish Ballet School and worked as a performer in dance and music theatre for over 20 years internationally and in London’s West End.

 

By the later half of his career, he developed a passion for the art of massage, in particular sports massage and its health benefits; and he also qualified as a Pilates instructor. It was this interest in integrating therapies which led him to later train as an Osteopath at the British School of Osteopathy, graduating in 2009.

 

In 2013, he officially graduated from University College London as one of the first students with the new M.Sc degree in Performing Arts Medicine, the first course of its kind in the world, focusing on the specific issues concerning actors, singers, dancers, instrumentalists and other performers.

 

Areas of special interest include breathing and voice. His M.Sc research project involved a previously untested and researched area: breathing whilst singing and dancing simultaneously, testing West End Musical theatre performers as they performed extracts from their shows.

Training

 

 

Formal training

 

  • M.Sc in Performing Arts Medicine, 2011-2012, University College London
  • B.Ost, Bachelor of Osteopathy, 2005-2009, British School of Osteopathy, London

 

  • The Royal Swedish Ballet School, 1984-1986, Stockholm
  • The Gothenburg City Ballet School, 1979-1984, Gothenburg

 

 

Diplomas & Certificates

 

Massage:

  • Swedish Massage, Sports Massage, Remedial Massage, Manual Lymphatic Drainage, Indian Head Massage, Chair Massage, Hot Stone Massage, Thai Traditional Massage, Thai Foot Massage, Cupping Massage, Reflexology

 

Other:

  • Teaching exercise & fitness, Pilates instructor training, Stress Management, Postural Alignment

 

 

Other courses / Continuous Professional Development:

 

  • Strain and Counter strain, Harmonics technique, Intraoral massage, Advanced massage using sport massage and Shiatsu techniques

 

  • Anatomy Trains, Myofascial Meridians, Introduction into Osteopathy via the Fasciae, Mechanisms of Breath in Osteopathy, Osteopathic integration 1: The diaphragm,

Head/Neck/Throat/Thoracics - Voice, TMJ, Respiratory integration (Caroline Stone)

 

  • Ultrasound therapy and electro muscle stimulation, Introduction to Sports Taping, Sports Rehabilitation, Dance medicine: The female athlete triad and hypermobility

 

  • Technical Voice Production, The Fundamentals of the Singing Voice, Integrated Voice and Pilates Training, Accent Breathing

 

 

 

 

Professional work

 

  • As Osteopath:
    • Independent since 2009. Affiliated with Fulham Osteopathic Care since 2015 and The Joshi Clinic, London, since 2009
  • As Masseur:
    • Independent since 2000, regular practitioner at The Joshi Clinic, London since 2005

 

  • As Performer, Dancer/Singer 1986-2007:

 

  • Sweden/Abroad: My Fair Lady, Grease, Fame, Jesus Christ Superstar, The Junglebook, Mass (Bernstein), JFK – The Musical
  • West End: Sarah Brightman world tours Eden and La Luna, Cats UK tour, Pickwick, The Snowman
  • Tours/Regional: Sarah Brightman world tours Eden and La Luna, Cats UK tour, Pickwick, The Snowman
  • Dance/Ballet: Dansteater Nord Company, Dansteater Thalia Company, Sylvia, Hermaphroditen, Nyköpings gästabud, Gycklarsagan, Eugen Onegin, Die Entführung aus dem Serail, War and Peace, Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg
  • Film/Video: Cats, Hey, Mr Producer!, Hajen som visste för mycket

 

 

 

Research

 

Sliiden, Beck, MacDonald; An evaluation of the breathing strategies and maximum phonation time in musical theatre performers during controlled performance tasks; Journal of Voice. March 2017Volume 31, Issue 2, Pages 253.e1–253.e11

Tommis M.Sc research project, subsequently published in a medical journal, have been presented at ASPAH (The Australian Society for Performing Arts Healthcare) 2015 symposium in Sydney; and at ISPS 2017-International Symposium on Performance Science, in Reykjavik, as well as training days for the British Voice Association, 2018; The British Association for Performing Arts Medicine, 2017 and for the M.Sc students at UCL in 2017.

 

The project involved a previously untested and researched area: breathing whilst singing and dancing simultaneously, testing West End Musical theatre performers as they performed extracts from their shows.

 

Full paper can be retrieved from Journal of Voce web site jvoice.org.

 

 

 

Abstract:

 

 

An evaluation of the breathing strategies and maximum phonation time in musical theatre performers during controlled performance tasks.

Tommi Sliiden, MSc; Sara Beck, MSc; Ian MacDonald, MSc

 

 

Background

Breathing during exercise or dancing, and singing involves much contrasting breathing patterns; tasks that musical theatre performers are expected to combine, with breath control for high phonation times, long notes or phrases, especially challenging.

Maximum Phonation Time (MPT), is a simple measure of respiratory and sound control, with a much reduced MPT often regarded indicating vocal dysfunction/laryngeal pathology.

This unique study measures how exertion from dancing affects MPT in healthy subjects and, uniquely, testing breathing during simultaneous singing and dancing.

 

 

Aim

Main aim was to find a method allowing investigation of the effects upon the respiratory system of various effortful tasks associated with musical theatre performance.

 

 

Methods

Using a telemetric heart rate monitor, mask and gas analyser; 20 professional West End musical performers were tested whilst performing a 3 min piece from their respective shows (Singin’ in the rain; Top Hat and Wicked), in which both singing and dancing were required continuously; repeated in three ways: singing (1) and dancing (2) separately, and combined singing and dancing (3). In addition, measurements were taken of MPT and Heart rate, standing still at rest (a), and directly after each performance task (b); and Vital Capacity, at the beginning and at the end of the session.

A short questionnaire retrieved additional information about subjects’ background, professional views and experiences within this specific field.

 

 

Results

  • The differences in the levels of physical challenges for the selected performance pieces were minor, non-significant.
  • Vital Capacity remained the same after dancing and singing as at rest.
  • MPT reduced by 65.2 %, from 20.4 seconds at rest, to 7.1 seconds directly after singing+dancing , at average Heart Rate of 151 bpm.
  • Our study showed a clear statistically significant negative relationship between highly elevated Heart Rates and much reduced Maximum Phonation Time (MPT); with large individual variations and no linear correlation between our group’s Heart Rates and MPTs.
  • Tidal Volumes remained the same for dancing as during singing; while Respiratory rates doubled.
  • Minute Volume reduced by 16 % but Relative Oxygen Uptake remained unchanged, despite increased Heart Rates; when singing+dancing, compared to dancing only.
  • Only 45 % of the performers felt they were able to combine singing and dancing to their full potential by opening night.

 

 

Conclusion

  • Our method proved useful for studying aspects of singing and breathing under performance-like conditions with little negative impact upon normal dancing or singing presentation.
  • Singing and dancing simultaneously will lead to compromises of both tasks, which may or may not be discernible to the observer.
  • Questionnaire indicated little training in breathing outside singing classes and often too short rehearsal periods to achieve full potential.
  • Further research is needed in how adaptations to teaching, training, preparations, rehearsals etc. could help performers improving their ability to combine these contrasting tasks.

 

 

Key words: Musical Theatre Performers; Respiration; Maximum Phonation Time; Relative Oxygen Uptake; Heart Rate.

 

Tommi@Sliiden.com

(+44) 07905795320