Aimee focuses on Injury risk reduction, and rehabilitation from injury through strengthening and technique. Her goal is always to return the dancer to the studio stronger and safer than they were before they were injured. While her passion lies in treating dancers, she do enjoy working with active, motivated people in general.
In addition to extensive continuing education coursework in her 13+ years of practice, to enhance her dance medicine specialty, she became a certified Progressing Ballet Technique (PBT) Instructor in 2017. Teaching this program to students is a highlight of my week, and has been a wonderful supplement to my practice.
Aimee Martel
Physical Therapist
Allie is a Certified GYROTONIC® Instructor, receiving her training from ex-professional dancer, and Master Trainer, Debra Rose. Allie stumbled upon The GYROTONIC® Method when she was 15, after having some “clicking hip” problems. Within 4 sessions, she never had that problem again! Allie was able to continue training with Ballet West Academy in Utah and receive a spot later on in the LINES Ballet Ensemble in San Francisco. In 2013, she started Align Fitness and now calls Huntington Beach home. She is privileged to have Align Fitness inside of a Sports Medicine Clinic, and continue my learning process. Allie works extensively with dancers from all over Orange County and have become a destination spot for dancers to travel to receive training. Her current mission is to bring movement and knowledge to the dancers she can’t reach locally.
Allie Christensen
Athletic Movement Coach
Dr. Amy Werner has over a decade of experience treating dancers of all levels. She is the Director of Dance Medicine at New Heights Physical Therapy in Portland, Oregon, having built relationships with 40+ dance studios. Dr. Werner provides backstage care for most of the professional dance productions in Portland, including traveling Broadway and White Bird shows, BodyVox and The Oregon Ballet Theatre (OBT). Previously, she served four years as Care Coordinator for OBT and in this role, she administered pre-season injury assessments and oversaw an on-site health and wellness program. Dr. Werner provides dancer health screens and injury risk reduction workshops to studios throughout the city. A consultant with The Ellové Technique®, she is also a member of International Association of Dance Medicine and Science, Performing Arts Medicine Association and DanceUSA Task Force. In November 2019, Dr. Werner proudly hosted the first DanseMedica wellness event at her clinic.
Amy Werner
Physical Therapist
Barbra received her initial dance training in her native country, South Africa. She performed professionally in a modern dance company, toured the country as a freelance dancer, and taught for numerous dance organizations after achieving her Associate Teaching Certification through the SADTA.
Upon immigrating to the United States and graduating from University of California, Irvine with a BA in dance, she completed the Teacher Training program at Studio du Corps in 1996 where she became studio manager and Pilates training instructor for the Teacher Training program. She trained extensively with Ron Fletcher, widely known as one of the Pilates Elders (a direct lineage of study from Joseph Pilates.) Her love for dance and passion for injury prevention and dance conditioning, led her to become certified in Progressing Ballet technique.
Barbra has taught dance and Pilates extensively in Orange County, CA as well as in South Africa and Vancouver, British Columbia. Her extensive knowledge in dance conditioning stems from many years of teaching and continually attending workshops and classes staying current with new research and methods.
Barbra Abell
Pilates Trainer
Dinah completed her BA in Health Studies at Queen’s University and BSc in Physical Therapy at the University of Toronto. HShe is an active member of Sport Physio Canada, completion of her Sport Physio Diploma, and is a Registered International Sports Physiotherapist. Dinah has completed her Diploma of Manual & Manipulative therapy, Pelvic Health IMS and kinesiotape certifications and is an examiner for new Sport Physio candidates. Dinah founded Pivot Sport Medicine in 2003 and 15 years later co-founded Pivot Dancer. Years of classical ballet training brings a technical eye to her treatment of dancers and artistic athletes. Dinah has completed her certification in Progressing Ballet Technique and, with Pivot Dancer, consults with clinicians and dancers around the world. Dinah is committed to education; she holds a status faculty position at the University of Toronto faculty of Medicine Department of Physical Therapy and regularly supervises clinical internships.
Dinah Hampson
Physical Therapist
Born and raised in the suburbs of Detroit, Michigan, Brianne found her love of dance and performing at a young age and knew early on her life would be built around her passion for dance.
Brianne received her B.S. in Business Management from Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan while teaching dance and working for the family business. Shortly after graduation,
Brianne is the co-founder of three competitive programs (Michigan, LA, and Texas) that are all thriving and growing today and has seen great success in leading dance studio programs from small to medium-sized businesses.
She is the Co-Founder & CEO of Apolla Performance Wear which fuses her lifelong love business and dance. Brianne is proud to be part of this all-female owned company revolutionizing compression socks & dance footwear and creating a global brand focused on health, wellness and community so people can do what they love longer and stronger!
Brianne Zborowski
Dance Retailer
Dr. Skony has been practicing physical rehabilitation, chiropractic, and sports medicine since 2005. Her patients range from the occasional weekend warrior to the pre-professional athlete. Dr. Skony emphasizes the importance of exercise and proper rehabilitation in the treatment of injuries, aiming to restore optimized functions of joints and muscles. Because she is passionate about prevention, she also teaches corrective measures to prevent the recurrence of injuries in her patients.
Dr. Skony has interest in the emerging field of Functional Medicine. Functional Medicine addresses the underlying
causes of disease, using a systems-oriented approach and engaging both patient and practitioner in a therapeutic partnership. It is an evolution in the practice of medicine, across all disciplines, that shifts from the traditional disease-centered focus of medical practice, to patient-centered approach. Functional Medicine addresses the whole person, not just an isolated set of symptoms.
Carrie Skony
Physical Therapist
Gg (Gianna) Muir-Robinson, MFT, G.C.F.P. is a graduate of Elizabeth Beringer’s San DiegoProfessional Training Program, where she trained with many of the most experienced Feldenkrais Practitioners in the world. She continues to receive additional training and mentoring from master practitioners Donna Ray and Bonnie Humiston. Gg is a licensed psychotherapist and works with people in a way that connects mind and body to change habitual patterns. She is in continuous study of ballet and movement education with Kathryn Irey at Stage 7 School of Dance, where she first experienced the power of helpful movement.
Gg is also a Certified Fitter with ThePointeShop, and fits out of Dancer's Choice in the DanseMedica San Diego co-working space.
Gg Muir
Feldenkrais Practicioner
Grace Lee has owned and successfully operated her dance retail store, Dancers Choice, for over 17 years. Her first location was in Aliso Viejo, where she carries shoes and apparel for all styles of dance. Her background in entrepreneurship and ballet catapulted her business and her passion for helping others allowed her to become a beloved figure in the dance community. Her favorite thing is helping dancers find their perfect pair of pointe shoes. In 2016, she opened a second location in San Diego.
Grace moved to the United States in 1981 from South Korea with her husband. They have 3 children together and live in Laguna Woods, CA.
Grace Lee
Retail Partner
Jennifer is a Pilates trainer and ballet coach who specializes in dancers, post-injury recovery, and working with hypermobility. A former ballet and musical theatre dancer, Jennifer mentored under dance medicine pioneer Marika Molnar and has trained Olympic medalists and dancers from New York City Ballet, Kirov Ballet, Royal Ballet, and more. Jennifer has presented multiple times at the International Association of Dance Medicine and Science world conferences and written for Dance Magazine, and is the co-founder of Bendy Bodies. Jennifer’s ability to move between ballet studios and cross-training venues, addressing biomechanical imbalances and technique dysfunctions in a practical strength-training way, has made her a sought-after guest speaker for dance schools and companies, and her many years of training dancers across the hypermobility spectrum have made her passionate about educating dancers and teachers on how to train hypermobility in a healthy and efficient way.
Jennifer Milner
Pilates & Ballet Coach
Josephine Lee is an industry leading entrepreneur and an international award winning speaker.
She is the founder and CEO of The Pointe Shop - one of the most recognizable dance retailers in the country and one of Orange County’s fastest growing private companies according to the Orange County Business Journal. She has over 17 years of pointe shoe fitting experience and has developed one of the first pointe shoe fitting certifications that covers every major brand. She is a regular contributor for all Dance Media including Pointe Magazine, Dance Magazine, Dance Spirit Magazine and Dance Teacher Magazine. ThePointeShop is the first company solely dedicated to professional pointe shoe fitting. It was established in 2014 and their professional fitters travel to ballet schools and companies all over the country to offer their services. ThePointeShop is also the first to standardize a pointe shoe fitting curriculum and certification that covers across every major brand.
Josephine Lee
Master Pointe Shoe Fitter
Katherine Ewalt, MS, ATC, HHP, BCTMB, Founder of Performing Arts & Athletic Restorative Training Specialists, is an international speaker on performing artists’ injuries and care. A clinical Health Practitioner, Ms. Ewalt serves on Dance/USA Taskforce for Dancer Health and is an active member of IADMS, PAMA, and NATA having served as a subject matter expert for the same. She has been highlighted in Dance Magazine and research periodicals. For 24 years she has worked with top companies and professionals from Paris Opera, Boston Ballet, Broadway stars and professional athletes including elite surfers and ironman competitors. Using best practice techniques, Ms. Ewalt incorporates 20+ disciplines into her unique protocols which have changed the way professional dancers recover from injury, achieve optimum performance, and remain injury free.
Katherine Ewalt
Dance Manual Therapy & Rehab Specialist
Robyn Segel Shifren trained in Cecchetti, and R.A.D. methods, achieving her Solo Seal. Robyn attended The Royal Ballet School in London. Asked to join the Sadlers Wells Royal Ballet (Birmingham Royal Ballet), Robyn spent several years travelling with the company. Robyn’s professional career ended abruptly following severe injuries sustained in a car accident. Robyn teaches and coaches ballet and Progressing Ballet Technique. As a master teacher she has taught throughout the USA, including the Vienna International Ballet Competition, The American Academy of Ballet, New York, Chapman University and at California Dance Classics.
Passionate about the PBT program, Robyn became a teacher tutor in 2016 and has taught workshops in South Africa, Canada, Mexico and Israel.
Robyn Shifren
PBT Director & Coach
Former ballet dancer and integrative pain medicine physician, Linda Bluestein, M.D., specializes in treating dancers with hypermobility disorders and other conditions involving persistent pain.
In addition to her private practice, Hypermobility MD, Dr. Bluestein is co-host of the podcast, “Bendy Bodies with the Hypermobility MD,” and former co-host of “Hypermobility Happy Hour.” Bluestein is the Director of Education for the nonprofit, EDS Wellness, Inc. and founder and executive director of Bendy-Bodies.org.
Dr. Bluestein is a member of the Board of Directors, Bridge Dance Project; International Consortium on EDS and HSD, Allergy and Immunology Working Group; IADMS, Promotion Committee; and the Resources Committee for the Dance Healthy Alliance of Canada.
Linda Bluestein
Physician & Hypermobility Specialist
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Kristin Koskinen, RDN, LDN, LD,CD is a registered dietitian who grew up dancing. Her interest in nutrition began when she was in her teens and danced in a pre-professional ballet company. There was a lot of talk among the dancers about diets and weight loss, but not much understanding about nutrition to maximize performance or the disordered eating that too often results from dieting. Now, she is a resource for dancers and those who support them.
Kristin owns a private practice where she offers nutrition counseling with a focus on performance nutrition. She incorporates the functional aspects of food in her approach to help artistic athletes of all levels. Her integrative approach recognizes that nutrition isn’t just about the food you eat. It’s important to take many factors into consideration, including environment, cultural influences, social norms, and body image, especially when working with dancers.
Kristin Koskinen
Registered Dietician Nutritionist
Robyn is the Director of PBT in South Africa, Canada, Mexico and Israel and Director of IDM Ballet Conservatory in San Diego. She is trained in Cecchetti, and R.A.D. methods, achieving her Solo Seal. Robyn attended The Royal Ballet School in London. Asked to join the Sadlers Wells Royal Ballet (Birmingham Royal Ballet), Robyn spent several years travelling with the company. On returning to her native South Africa, Robyn danced with P.A.C.T. Ballet and N.A.P.A.C as principle dancer.
Robyn teaches ballet and PBT full time-traveling to present Workshops, Coach and Judge.
Lucie is a Chartered Psychologist and has published in peer reviewed articles, spoken at international conferences and worked with leading dance schools and companies across the world.After tears to both of Lucie’s hips ended her dreams of a professional dance career, she redirected her curiosity and creativity towards a BSc Psychology from the University of Surrey. While there, Lucie quickly developed a new goal; to use her understanding of the science of behaviour to help dancers to navigate some of the challenges she herself had faced. After a year working in the neuroscience of dance, Lucie completed her Master’s and PhD in Dance Science at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance. Now a Chartered Psychologist (British Psychological Society) and Senior Lecturer in Psychology at the University of Chichester, Lucie continues to research the psychology of dance and leads the Wellbeing and Creativity in Performance Lab within the Institute of Education, Health and Social Sciences.
Kendall is a former professional dancer with over 20 years of ballet training. She has been a licensed physical therapist since 2001 and is the owner of SF Performing Arts Physical Therapy. She is also the director of the ODC Healthy Dancers' Clinic. She has presented at the International Association for Dance Medicine and Science (IADMS), Harvard University’s Spaulding Rehab Hospital, and at the Performing Arts Medicine Association (PAMA). he is the former Informational Papers chair for the Dance USA Taskforce on Dancers’ Health and an electives instructor in Dance Medicine for the UCSF PT Department. Kendall has had the honor and privilege of treating dancers from most of the major dance companies in San Francisco. Her practice welcomes students, professionals, and individuals of all ages (including non-dancers).
Kendall Alway
Physical Therapist
Nasira Burkholder-Cooley is a registered dietitian, fitness expert, and nutrition educator. Nasira is currently an adjunct faculty member at Chapman University and private practice registered dietitian. She was a classical ballet dancer and trained with Pacific Northwest Ballet in Seattle, WA and the University of Arizona School of Dance in Tucson, AZ. Upon graduating Summa Cum Laude from the University of Arizona with a B.S. in Nutrition and a B.F.A. in dance, Nasira continued her studies in pursuit of a career as a nutrition professional and obtained a Master’s in Public Health from UCLA and a Doctorate in Nutritional Sciences from Loma Linda University. Nasira has 10 years of experience as a personal trainer and is a NASM certified Corrective Exercise Specialist and Senior Fitness Specialist, as well as a certified yoga instructor.
Nasira Cooley
Registered Dietician Nutritionist
Leah is the founder of The Pilates Dancer. She is a former professional ballet dancer and has 20+ years’ experience working with dancers. Currently she holds the prestigious title of Instructor Trainer for STOTT Pilates, is a Wellness Writer for Dance Magazine, and is a Dance Post-Rehabilitation specialist.
In 2016 she decided to step away from her career as a Ballet Mistress to focus on dance wellness. Leah has had extensive training in Post-Rehab therapy, Fascial Movement, and body readings. She has worked with dancers from The Paris Opera Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, The Joffrey Ballet, Ballet Met, The Sacramento Ballet, Suzanne Farrell Ballet, and many pre-professional schools to get them back to doing what they love after chronic injuries or surgeries. In 2020 Leah developed a full course for Dance instructors/Professionals, The Dance Movement Analyst Certification, to help those working in the field of dance bring science to the studio and use body assessments to help dancers train healthier.
Leah Bueno
STOTT Pilates & Post Rehab Specialist
Rachel Fine, founder of To The Pointe Nutrition, is a licensed nutrition expert. As a former dancer turned Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, Rachel intertwines nutrition science with the body’s many capacities to offer a personal understanding into the physical and mental demands of dance. Dancers can rediscover the balance between food for enjoyment and food for performance.
With a Masters degree in Clinical Nutrition & Dietetics from New York University, Rachel completed her Dietetic Residency at NYU Langone Medical Center and at The Mount Sinai Hospital. After receiving licensure and certification, Rachel joined the staff at NYU Langone Medical Center as a Clinical Dietitian and worked as NYU's Clinical Adjunct Co-Instructor for Medical Nutrition Therapy.