DanceWell Podcast

Dance is an artistic art form, but of course, it's also highly athletic. And yet, dancers typically receive little training in how to prepare themselves for the cardiorespiratory demands of their craft. In Episode 28: Fit to Dance, Sarah Needham-Beck, PhD, explains the basics of exercise physiology, why "running the piece" isn't necessarily the best approach to dance fitness, and what strategies m...

Acupuncture can help speed healing, improve sleep, ameliorate anxiety, reduce inflammation and so much more. Learn how this ancient, eastern form of medicine can help dancers enhance their wellbeing and performance in Episode 27: What is Acupuncture. Megan Richardson, MS, Dip Ac, LAc, ATC has been treating dancers for almost two decades and currently works at Harkness Center for Dance Injury at NY...

Welcome to our first ever bonus episode! On this episode, Dr. Carrie Skony returns to discusses self-manipulation. Tune in to learn about the dangers of repetitively cracking your own joints and to learn about what your body might actually be needing if you feel the urge to continually crack. Visit DanceWelll Podcast’s GoFundMe campaign by following this link: www.gofundme.com/dancewell-podcast-fu...

On episode 26, we talk do Dr. Carrie Skony DC, CCSP on chiropractics for dancers. We discuss high-velocity, low-amplitude thrusts - or joint manipulations - common injuries seen in younger dancers, the importance of a collaborative effort between health-care practitioner and dance teacher, and what sets chiropractors apart from other health-care professionals. Get in touch with Dr. Carrie Skony by...

What do we mean when we say someone is gifted, and how does it feel be to identified as gifted? Ellie speaks about these concerns and more with Dr. William Buse, head of counseling services at The Juilliard School, an institution long associated with the gifted. From his anthropological background and over 20 years of experience at Juilliard, Bill offers insight on the cultural histories of this t...

We’ve all used fitness trackers like Fitbits, iPhone step counters, and Nike Fuel bands to count our steps and to get a general idea of our overall activity for the day. Maybe we’ve even used this type of wearable to track our sleep cycles so we can gleam whether or not we are well-rested. But at the end of the day, how are these tidbits of information really impacting our health and wellness? And...

Aerial techniques, from trapeze to silks, were once relegated to circus acts but are becoming more mainstream in dance. As Emily Scherb, DPT, explains in this episode, a ballet dancer might be asked to take flight to fulfill a piece in the company's repertoire, or a freelancer might train in aerial arts to expand and diversify their skill set. However, moving off the ground involves unique mechani...

We all know we should warm up, but do we really know how? Join us as Jenni Green PT, MS, CFMT walks us through what a warm up and cool down should (and should not) look like. She’ll discuss topics like why we should warm up and cool down, what type of stretching and exercises to include, and how much one should exert oneself pre and post show. Get in touch with Jenni by visiting the PhysioArts web...

One of our most universal first aid treatments for injury is ice, but Rebecca Dietzel M.S. suggests that we avoid using ice to treat inflammation. Along with her colleague, Jennifer Denys, she has created an alternative to the traditional (P)RICE protocol, it's called BE CALM, and it's yielded positive results at Canada's National Ballet School. Find out why in Episode 21_Part 1: Think Twice Befor...

After explaining why ice is a dubios treatment for injury in part one of this episode, Rebecca Dietzel now discusses alternative ways that dancers can reduce their stress and quiet inflammation. Episode 21_Part 2: Self-Care Alternatives to Ice, explores lifestyle and dietary choices as well as NSAIDS.

Pre-season screens for dancers provide an opportunity to establish rapport with new students, collect baseline data, potentially prevent injury, identify red flags, educate dancers and more.  Listen in as co-host Marissa Schaeffer talks to veteran screener, physical therapist and researcher Shaw Bronner PhD, PT, OCS about the tools she uses in her screens, her injury surveillance system and the tr...

Pain is disruptive and sometimes debilitating to a dancer's career and meanwhile, our broader culture's dependency on pharmaceutical therapies for managing pain has led to an opioid crisis. Pain is problematic to say the least, and though we've all experienced pain, few of us understand it. However, there's research suggesting that if we knew a little more about pain, we'd actually feel less of it...

Originally called Yoga for Dancers, The Gyrotonic Expansion System® was started by Juliu Horvath in the late 1980s. Today, it is practiced by dancers across the world both on and off equipment. Join us on this episode of DanceWell Podcast as California-based Gyrotonic trainer Allie Christensen discusses how The Gyrotonic Expansion System® can help dancers improve alignment and neuromuscular contro...

In this episode, fitness expert, Lindsay Fisher Viatori discusses the importance of resistance training for dancers. She chats about how dancers can lift a lot more than they realize, the value of old fashioned moves like squats and deadlifts, plus how to avoid overtraining. Lindsay encourages listeners to explore strength training, an activity that was once considered off-limits for dancers, and...

We've all heard the adage 'you are what you eat,' but did you ever stop to think what that really means? In this information-dense episode, Emily C Harrison MS, RD, LD, discusses just how our body uses macronutrients to support our body's physiologic processes and perform at its best. She also delves into the importance of preparing food, timing meals, and what to eat to prepare your body for clas...

There are many tools that an individual can use to maintain mental health, several of which have been discussed on DanceWell Podcast already. However, in Episode 15, clinical psychologist, Lilian Araujo, PhD explains that institutions and organizations--schools, companies, and programs--also have a duty to design themselves in a way that is conducive to the psychological wellbeing of their members...

Your identity is a reflection of your core values, what you perceive to be important in life, and the traits that you feel define you. Identity is also influenced by the expectations of those around you, your community, and your culture. Various changes or challenges in life can result in a crisis of identity. In Episode 14, clinical psychologist, Dr. Elisabeth Morray, discusses how a dancer's ide...

Stress and anxiety can be both psychologically motivating and physically debilitating. Tune in as Catherine Drury, LCSW describes stress in its many forms and introduces ways in which dancers can manage both in and out of the studio. Visit the Dancers’ Resource at the Actors Fund home page: https://actorsfund.org/services-and-programs/dancers-resource. Get in touch with Catherine by emailing her a...

Do you ever find that you speak to yourself much more harshly than you would speak to anyone else? Self-talk describes the things you say to yourself, consciously or unconsciously which can be either positive of negative in nature. In Episode 12, success coach and wellness mentor Elizabeth Sullivan discusses how negative self-talk impedes achievement and how to turn it around. Positive self-talk i...

To begin DanceWell's celebration of Mental Health Awareness Month, we talk with Catherine Drury, the social worker for the Dancers’ Resource at the Actors Fund, about some of the important facets of mental health for dancers. Join us as we discuss when to reach out for support, the most opportune time for the deepest work, mental health and injury, and resources available to dancers through the Ac...

Zero Balancing is described as, “a mind-body therapy that uses skilled touch to address the relationship between energy and structure within the body.” (www.zerobalancing.com/about) Paula Macali, who has worked with dancers in various capacities throughout her career, explains more about the key principals of Zero Balancing and how she uses this form of bodywork to help dancers achieve greater fun...

What is osteopathic medicine? What can doctors of osteopathy offer dancers that other health care professionals cannot? Tune in to this episode to listen to Asad Siddiqi DO, FAAPMR, CAQSM answer these questions and discuss his research in dance medicine. Get in touch with Dr. Siddiqi by visiting: http://www.cumc.columbia.edu/rehab/profile/arsiddiqi Host: Marissa Schaeffer DanceWell Founders: Ellie...

Somatics describes an approach to learning and a wide range of techniques typically aimed at improving movement function and efficiency. While that’s an apt description, there’s also so much more to somatic work which makes it effective, but also nuanced and hard to explain! In this episode, Alexandra Beller vividly articulates how and why she integrates somatic practices into the dance classes sh...

There are many ways a dancer can cross-train! Have you heard of the ballet-based cross-training method for dancers Progressing Ballet Technique? Originally founded by Marie Walton-Mahon in Australia, PBT is now practiced world-wide. Join co-host Marissa as she talks to the USA Director of PBT, Megan Berlint-Nicko about how she uses PBT to help dancers enhance their technique, improve their conditi...

In many forms of dance, joints that move through a large range of motion are admired and adored by dancers, choreographers, teachers, and audiences alike. However, extreme mobility comes with challenges that are not always recognized or appreciated. In Episode 6, Jessica Lassiter, DPT, discusses hypermobility. She explains what it is, why it can lead to specific injuries and how to maintain hyperm...