Dr Sarah Needham-Beck
Associate Lecturer in Dance Science and Physiology
About
Sarah is Programme Coordinator for the MSc Dance Science, teaches on the BSc Dance Science, and supervises student research at Undergraduate and Postgraduate level.
She joined the University of Chichester in 2017 as a Research Fellow in Exercise Physiology in the Occupational Performance Research Group (OPRG), where she was responsible for the delivery of research projects for the British Army, investigating topics such as the development of physical employment standards and the use of wearable technology to monitor training.
Sarah has previous experience working in vocational and professional dance, including roles as a researcher, guest lecturer, and manager of the Healthier Dancer Programme at One Dance UK.
Her PhD research focused on the cardiorespiratory demands of contemporary dance training and performance and examined appropriate methods for documenting this.
Sarah continues to undertake research and consultancy work in dance, with a current focus on monitoring and managing load in training and performance settings.
She is a longstanding member and Fellow of the International Association of Dance Medicine & Science (IADMS), where she currently serves on the Board of Directors.
Professional
- 2017, PhD Dance Science, Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance
- 2010, MSc Dance Science, Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance
- 2009, BSc (Hons) Exercise and Sport Sciences, University of Exeter
- International Association for Dance Medicine & Science (IADMS), professional member and serving on the 2023-25 and 2025-27 Board of Directors
Key Publications
Needham-Beck, S.C., Smith, M.S, West, A.T, Quin, E. (2024). A descriptive exploration of heart rate response to live professional Irish dance performance. Journal of Dance Medicine & Science, 29(1), 13-21. doi.org/10.1177/1089313X241264689
Walker, F., Needham-Beck, S., Vine, C., Blacker, S., Greenlees, I., Sharpe, B.T, Siddall, A., Maroni, T., Ashdown, K., Hinde, K., Elliott, E., Rayson, M., Knight, E., and Myers, S. (2024). External workload and cognitive performance of a tactical military scenario-based field exercise. BMJ Military Health, online doi.org/10.1136/military-2024-002672
Maroni, T.D., Siddall, A.G., Rue, C.A., Needham-Beck, S.C., Walker, F.S., Myers, S.D., Greeves, J., Wardle, S.L., Fieldhouse, A., Knapik, J.J., Gebhardt, D.L., Rayson, M.P., Blacker, S.D. (2024). Beyond change scores: Employing an improved statistical approach to analyze the impact of entry fitness on physical performance during British Army basic training in men and women. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports, 34(4), e14610. doi.org/10.1111/sms.14610
Needham-Beck, S.C., & Aujla, I.J. (2020). Development of a Performance Evaluation Tool to Track Progress in an Inclusive Dance Syllabus. Research in Dance Education, 22 (2), 150-158. doi.org/10.1080/14647893.2020.1746256
Siddall, A.G., Thompson, J.E.S., Powell, S.D., Edwards, V.C., Needham-Beck, S.C., Kefyalew, S.S., Singh, P.A., Orford, A.R., Venables, M.C., Jackson, S., Greeves, J.P., Blacker, S.D., & Myers, S.D. (2019). Validity of energy expenditure estimation methods during 10 days of military training. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports, 29, 1313-1321.
Needham-Beck, S.C., Wyon, M.A., & Redding, E. (2019). The Relationship Between Performance Competence and Cardiorespiratory Fitness in Contemporary Dance. Medical Problems of Performing Artists, 34(2), 79-84.
Beck, S., Redding, E., & Wyon, M.A. (2015). Methodological considerations for documenting the energy demand of dance activity: a review. Front. Psychol. 6:568. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00568
Research
Research Interests:
- Training load monitoring
- Field measurement of cardiorespiratory demand
- Fitness test/physical employment standard development
- Quantitative data collection, processing and analysis
- Quantitative data visualisation and reporting.
Research Output
Articles
Rue, C. A., Needham-Beck, S., Maroni, T. D., Siddall, A. G., Ashdown, K., Lee, B. J., Walker, F. S., Osofa, J. I., Doherty, J., Vine, C., Wardle, S. L., Greeves, J. P., Saunders, P., Fieldhouse, A., Blacker, S. D. and Myers, S. D. (2024) A comparison of role-related physical fitness between British Army trainees and trained soldiers. European Journal of Sport Science, 25 (1). pp. 1-8. ISSN 1536-7290 10.1002/ejsc.12227
Walker, F. S., Needham-Beck, S., Vine, C., Blacker, S. D., Greenlees, I. A., Sharpe, B. T., Siddall, A. G., Maroni, T. D., Ashdown, K., Hinde, K., Elliott, E., Rayson, M. P., Knight, E. and Myers, S. D. (2024) External workload and cognitive performance of a tactical military scenario-based field exercise. BMJ Military Health. pp. 1-23. ISSN 2633-3767 10.1136/military-2024-002672
Needham-Beck, S., Maroni, T. D., Walker, F. S., Vine, C., Moore, D., Draper, J., Alexander, B., Myers, S. D. and Blacker, S. D. (2024) Development of an evidence-based swimming representative military task to assess swimming competency in the British Army. Work: A Journal of Prevention, Assessment and Rehabilitation. pp. 1-12. ISSN 1051-9815 10.3233/wor-230256
Maroni, T. D., Siddall, A. G., Rue, C. A., Needham-Beck, S., Walker, F. S., Greeves, J. P., Wardle, S. L., Fieldhouse, A., Myers, S. D. and Blacker, S. D. (2024) Beyond change scores: Employing an improved statistical approach to analyze the impact of entry fitness on physical performance during British Army basic training in men and women. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, 34 (4). pp. 1-17. ISSN 1600-0838 10.1111/sms.14610
Chopra, S., Needham-Beck, S. and Ambegaonkar, J. P. (2023) Blood lactate and heart rate responses between active and passive recovery modes over a 15-minute recovery period in female dancers after Kathak dance. Journal of Dance Medicine & Science, 28 (2). pp. 75-82. ISSN 2374-8060 10.1177/1089313x231213119
Powell, S. D., Siddall, A. G., Needham-Beck, S., Edwards, V., Light, N., Jackson, S., Greeve, J. P., Blacker, S. D. and Myers, S. D. (2023) Association between external training loads and injury incidence during 44 weeks of military training. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports. ISSN 1600-0838 10.1111/sms.14340
Rue, C. A., Myers, S. D., Coakley, S. L., Ashdown, K., Lee, B. J., Hale, B. J., Siddall, A. G., Needham-Beck, S., Hinde, K., Osofa, J. I., Walker, F. S., Fieldhouse, A., Vine, C., Doherty, J., Flood, T. R., Walker, E. F., Wardle, S. L., Greeves, J. P. and Blacker, S. D. (2023) Changes in Physical Performance during British Army Junior Entry, British Army Standard Entry, and Royal Air Force Basic Training. Changes in Physical Performance during British Army Junior Entry, British Army Standard Entry, and Royal Air Force Basic Training. ISSN 2633-3775 10.1136/military-2022-002285
Edwards, V., Myers, S. D., Wardle, S. L., Siddall, A. G., Powell, S. D., Needham-Beck, S., Kefyalew, S. S., Singh, P. A., Orford, E. R., Venables, M. C., Jackson, S., Greeves, J. P. and Blacker, S. D. (2022) Nutrition and Physical Activity during British Army Officer Cadet Training: Part 1 - Energy Balance and Energy Availability. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, 32 (3). pp. 195-203. ISSN 1526-484X 10.1123/ijsnem.2021-0190
Edwards, V., Myers, S. D., Wardle, S. L., Siddall, A. G., Powell, S. D., Needham-Beck, S., Jackson, S., Greeves, J. P. and Blacker, S. D. (2022) Nutrition and Physical Activity in British Army Officer Cadet Training Part 2 - Daily Distribution of Energy and Macronutrient Intake. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, 32 (3). pp. 204-213. ISSN 1526-484X doi.org/10.1123/ijsnem.2021-0191
Needham-Beck, S. and Aujla, I. (2020) Development of a Performance Evaluation Tool to Track Progress in an Inclusive Dance Syllabus. Research in Dance Education, 22 (2). pp. 150-158. ISSN 1464-7893 10.1080/14647893.2020.1746256
Siddall, A. G., Powell, S. D., Needham-Beck, S., Edwards, V., Thompson, J. E. S., Kefyalew, S. S., Singh, P. A., Orford, E. R., Venables, M. C., Jackson, S., Greeves, J. P., Blacker, S. D. and Myers, S. D. (2019) Validity of energy expenditure estimation methods during 10 days of military training. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, 29 (9). pp. 1313-1321. ISSN 0905-7188 10.1111/sms.13488
Needham-Beck, S., Wyon, M. A. and Redding, E. (2019) The Relationship Between Performance Competence and Cardiorespiratory Fitness in Contemporary Dance. Medical Problems of Performing Artists, 34 (2). pp. 79-84. ISSN 0885-1158 10.21091/mppa.2019.2014
Aujla, I. and Needham-Beck, S. (2019) Subjective well-being among young dancers with disabilities. International Journal of Disability, Development and Education, 67 (5). pp. 563-570. ISSN 1034-912X 10.1080/1034912x.2019.1615607
Chassé, E., Tingelstad, H. C., Needham-Beck, S. and Reilly, T. (2019) Factors Affecting Performance on an Army Urban Operation Casualty Evacuation for Male and Female Soldiers. Military Medicine, 184 (11-12). e856-e862. ISSN 0026-4075 10.1093/milmed/usz075
Needham-Beck, S., Wyon, M. A. and Redding, E. (2018) Changes in Energy Demand of Dance Activity and Cardiorespiratory Fitness During One Year of Vocational Contemporary Dance Training. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 32 (3). pp. 841-848. ISSN 1064-8011 10.1519/JSC.0000000000002357
Book Sections
Redding, E. and Needham-Beck, S. (2025) Physiology of dance training and performance. In: Dance Injuries: Reducing Risk and Maximizing Performance. Human Kinetics, USA, pp. 59-80. ISBN 9781718211865 9781718211865
Conference or Workshop Items
Needham-Beck, S., McKee, J. and Harman, G. (2018) Training load and injury occurrence in undergraduate dance students. In: International Association of Dance Medicine and Science 28th Annual Conference, October 25-28, 2018, Helsinki, Finland. (Unpublished)
Other department members
Adrian Penrose
Coach Development Officer (Women & Girl's)
