Several years ago I had an interaction with an injured dancer which caused me to question how much healthcare providers really understood artistic athletes. After doing some research I found that dancers and other performing athletes can struggle with recurrent and overuse injuries over the course of their performance career, some of which can be prevented with a more nuanced approach. In short, their care can’t be addressed the same as other athletes; they need a specialized approach for their specialized skill set. I also realized that for most athletes there are an abundance of options for preventative wellness and performance enhancement, but none (at least locally) for performers.

As a dance mom who spends a lot of time around competitive dancers I’ve learned that dance is much more than “just dance” to these athletes. It is their passion, their identity and in most cases a large piece of their social structure. Dance friends quickly become family. The same can be said for other performing athletes.

I knew right away that I wanted to fill this void in our local community. As a Physical Therapist with 20 years of experience in outpatient orthopedic practice I have the skills to provide high quality care and services to the performing athletes in the area, and wish to dedicate the rest of my career to being here as a resource for the dance, cheer and gymnastics community.

I have been working with dancers in the clinic for the past several years and find so much joy in watching them achieve their goals and return to their passion. My goal as a provider of rehab and wellness services for artistic athletes is to teach them at an early age about their bodies, give them the tools they need to succeed and help them maximize their potential so they can perform at their best for years to come. I believe that a performers career should be limited only by their passion, not the breakdown of their body.