DanceWell Podcast

Eating well doesn’t have to be about expensive smoothies and supplements. This episode highlights how our dancers who are living on a budget or perhaps in a dorm room without blenders or extensive kitchen equipment can still eat healthfully. Take a listen as dietician Dafna Tsadok-Hai talks about staples dancers should keep in their pantries and simple, quick recipes dancers can use to meal prep w...

What happens after your OB clears you to return to activity after approximately 6 weeks postpartum? Is it wise to take your first ballet class the day after clearance? As it turns out, things like prolapse, incontinence, pelvic floor dysfunction and pain are more common than we realize postpartum and require some attention in order to return to activity in full. In this episode, we are joined by D...

In Episode 75: Specificity in Dance Training, Nico Kolokythas, ASSC, PhD explains the training principle of “specificity” and how it applies to dance, from many angles. We discuss general fitness parameters, why they matter and whether dancers typically meet standard benchmarks. Then, Nico explains a bit about early specialization and also diversification of movement. Finally we debate performance...

There is no doubt about it, we need sleep! But just how much do we need and why is it so important? Join us as Dr. Sheyi Ojofeitimi, DPT, OCS, CFMT educates on oh why sleep matters! Connect with Dr. Sheyi on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drsheyipt/?hl=en Support DanceWell Podcast by donating - https://gf.me/u/yxv25p Host: Marissa Schaeffer Co-Hosts: Ellie Kusner and Marissa Schaeffer Websit...

The human body is host to an inconceivable number of microbes, and while some can cause us problems, we enjoy a symbiotic relationship with most of them. In fact, as our community of bodily microbes eat, reproduce, "breathe" and digest, it affects everything from bone health to immune function. In Episode 73: A Dancer's Microbiome, Drs Hoaglin and Agnello provide an introduction to what the human...

As the world shut down in the wake of COVD-19, the performing arts world changed. Shows were cancelled, rehearsals suspended and training took on a different form. Many began dancing - and even rehearsing - indoors. Hallways became dance floors, mantle pieces became ballet barres, and somehow we kept going. Due to space constraints, hard floors and a multitude of other factors, many were unable to...

In 2020, dancers all around the world experienced a new phenomenon, virtual class. In Episode 71, Caitlin Trainor, MFA and Danelle Dickson, DPT discuss the potential risks and limitations to this educational structure, as well as the potential benefits and advantages. Ultimately, we all conclude that while virtual dance class is no replacement for live instruction, it's also not going away anytime...

Perhaps while quarantined, you or a dancer you know, was anxious about maintaining jump skills, then came across people hopping on and off boxes on Instagram and thought, “Should I do that?” Enter, plyometrics. In this episode, I speak to Rob Tsai, DPT, about plyometrics and he explains the relevance and value of this form of resistance training for dancers. Learn more about Rob Tsai at: www.dance...

Does the sacrum move and get stuck? Why might I feel pain at my sacroiliac joint (SIJ)? These are questions we’ve asked ourselves before, but maybe never gotten the answer to. Join us on this episode as Dr. Liz Henry PT, DSc, OCS, COMT, FAAOMPT, CCTT brings her wisdom and four decades of clinical practice to help us understand this complex joint. Get in touch with Dr. Henry by visiting her practic...

Imagery is a free and accessible form of mental practice that can be used to enhance performance, confidence, skills and more. In Episode 68: Motor Imagery, Betsy Coker EdD, explains what motor imagery is and how it works, as well as why, when, and how dancers use imagery. She talks about applying her research on imagery to her teaching practice, and suggests that perhaps some day, imagery could c...

Joint hypermobility, whether it affects few or many joints, falls under the umbrella of hypermobility disorders. On episode 67: More on Hypermobiltiy - Common Presentations of EDS, we invite Dr. Linda Bluestein, the hypermobility MD, to discuss Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (EDS), a particular type of hypermobility disorder with some unique characteristics. Dr. Bluestein explains some of the common medic...

Trauma is a complex experience that varies from individual to individual. Research suggests that dancers experience PTSD at higher rates than athletes or the general population. In this episode, dance-movement therapist, Erica Hornthal, explains a bit about her field, and we discuss ways in which the body houses trauma as well as how dance can be both problematic and curative to people who are liv...

We open this episode with a question: You’re injured. You know that performing certain steps or dancing full-out will make your injury worse and will prolong healing. Do you feel comfortable advocating for yourself in the studio and speaking up for your injury? In episode 65, we chat candidly with three groups -two pre-professional dancers, two seasoned professional dancers and two teachers/choreo...

Everyone around the world is thinking about the pandemic, covid-19, and dancers have been affected by this crisis in unique and specific ways. Exploring how this complex situation is manifesting in the dance community, Episode 64: Dancing through covid-19, includes interviews with five different practitioners: Dr. Selina Shah (physician), Amanda Donahue (certified athletic trainer), Jennifer Milne...

Finding the right pointe shoe is a dynamic process that depends on a number of factors. Fitters look at the shape of your foot, your technique, your strength and consider your personal preferences and feedback from your dance teachers and medical providers. All of these elements can evolve with time and affect your shoe choice. Pointe shoe fitter, Josephine Lee, joins us on episode 63 of DanceWell...

Even in a largely taciturn art form, language is everywhere and it influences how we see and experience the world. In this episode, Monika Saigal, MS, RD, CEDRD-S, CDN, enlightens us on how the words we choose can influence eating behaviors and mindsets. She explains how some conversations that may seem commonplace in a dance setting, are in fact problematic and she offers suggestions for how to c...

Flexibility can feel like a constant struggle. Sometimes we feel like it's because we don't stretch enough, or because our bone structure is off, or because we've been dealt a bad genetic hand. But what if there are other factors that we didn't even know to consider? Join us on this episode of DanceWell Podcast as Dr. Alexis Sams, PT, DPT helps to broaden our perspective and challenge our views in...

From bulging discs, to os trigonum, to labral tears, research is showing that surgery isn't always the best answer. However, there are still times when the miracle of modern medicine is necessary, or at minimum, advantageous. How do we know if we need surgery? What are the risks, and who should we see if we're hoping to avoid an invasive procedure? And what's the root of our cultural fixation on s...

On this episode of DanceWell Podcast, we are joined by Elizabeth Barchi, MD. Dr. Barchi shares her wealth of knowledge about imaging like x-rays, MRIs, CT scans and more. Have you ever wondered what different types of imaging can tell us or why your doctor may or may not order imaging for your injury or condition? If so, join us! This episode is for you. Get in touch with Dr. Barchi by calling NYU...

Many dancers worry about money, no news there. However, despite living with this powerful stressor, it seems like a lot dancers are unaware of how to improve their financial outlook, or feel that a life of debt and poverty is just inevitable. In this episode, Rebecca Selkowe, a financial counselor at The Actors Fund, explains that these mindsets and feelings about money affect your financial wellb...

It’s been shown in a smattering of conditions that healthy individuals have access to a greater variety of movement patterns and have superior control of their bodies. As conditioning specialists and health care professionals it should therefore be our duty to coach movement variety. Yet when it comes down to it, we often find ourselves looking for movement that is just so. Is it possible that in...

In Episode 56: Shame, Dr. Paula Thomson shares research that she and Dr. Victoria Jacque have conducted on shame, a complex emotion that dancers appear to experience more than the average population. Dr. Thomson explains why dancers might be particularly vulnerable to shame as well as how to leverage shame into functional outcomes and avoid downward spirals into rumination and emotional (or physic...

In the 1970s, Dr. Kenzo Kase invented Kinesio Tape as a way to facilitate the body’s natural healing process and prolong the benefits of his treatment. On this episode, Kinesio tape certified practitioner Dr. Dionne Vernon illustrates some of this modalities incredible uses from facilitating muscle function, to decreasing swelling, and inhibiting that which is overused. Get in touch with Dionne by...

Marissa and I went to Montreal for the annual meeting of the International Association of Dance Medicine and Science (IADMS). We presented our recent research on dancers' perceptions of their own well-being and connected with tons of friends and colleagues. We also got to meet some of our past guests face-to-face for the first time, as well as several fans of DanceWell! For Episode 54: Reflecting...

Janine Cappello-Bryant's PhD has focused on the aging process and how it affects dancers' spinal range of motion. While professional dance is often considered the domaine of the young and fit, the truth is that many people dance in a variety of capacities at all stages of life. However, very little research has been done on the topic of how dancers age, which is ironic given the absolute inevitabi...