Podiatrists and physiatrists and pulmonologists, oh, my! There are a lot of medical subspecialists out there—and many of these professionals can make a real difference to a dancer’s health and career. With the help of Virginia Wilmerding, PhD (dance science researcher and research professor for the exercise science and dance programs at the University of […]
Podiatrist Thomas Novella remembers one of his first interactions with dancer feet. Fresh out of podiatry school, he saw a patient from The Joffrey Ballet and assumed he knew the clear way to help her out. “I thought I was doing her a favor by trimming her calluses off, just like I’d been trained to […]
We’ve all felt nagging pains in our lower backs, necks and shins—and we’ve all ignored them. It’s easy for dancers to chalk these seemingly minor afflictions up to nothing more than #dancerprobz. But there comes a point when it’s time to stop pretending everything’s fine. “Most bigger dance injuries occur because of overuse, so dancers […]