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Written by Dr. Meagan K. Robichaud, PT, DPT
So, you’ve rehearsed for months in preparation for the performance and your dancers are ready to take the stage. You’ve thought of everything and made it this far without an injury that would change the whole trajectory of the performance. But, have you ever thought about what would happen or what you would do if one of your dancers gets hurt on stage during the performance? Take this worry out of your mind and put it in the hands of a professional physical therapist who can be on-site for the performance and provide PT and medical advice in real time.
Our Dance Medicine Therapists are certified to treat dancers backstage and manage injuries immediately, such as providing medical care, like taping, allowing the dancer to continue to perform and addressing the injury later on. We can also diagnose injuries immediately after they happen and make decisions about the safest and best next steps for the dancer, taking the stress of these tough questions off of the dancer and parents. Having a physical therapist on-site at a performance can really make all the difference in the recovery of a dancer who is injured on stage.
On the other hand, as physical therapists we love to advocate for injury prevention! When you hire us for performance coverage, we are not only there for the “just in case injuries” but we arrive before the performance in order to provide preventive treatments to avoid injuries on stage and prepare the dancers muscles for what they are about to endure. For example, we bring massage guns, rubber cupping, foam rollers, foot rollers, kinesiotape, and exercise therabands along with us to treat beforehand. We check in with the dancers prior to the performance to ensure they are getting their muscles properly warmed up and reduce any tightness they may be feeling in order to ensure optimal performance quality.
As the world starts to open back up and many dancers begin to perform for a real audience again, whether that be outside or inside, consider bringing on a licensed dance medicine physical therapist for your performance and we promise, you won’t regret it. For questions on performance and rehearsal coverage or to find out about our pricing, please visit our website at magnapt.com or email our Director of Dance Medicine, Dr. Meagan Robichaud at meagan@magnapt.com.