Brian Friedman

How It Happened

I had recently taken out a plant in my front yard so there was a hole in the ground. I was rushing out of the house and after I went down the stairs, I walked straight into the hole and rolled my ankle badly. I heard a snap and my ankle started burning, followed by my entire body temperature raising. I knew immediately that I had done something terrible. My assistant immediately rushed me to the Emergency room.

What Happened Next

My assistant immediately rushed me to the Emergency room. We did X-Rays and I was told nothing was broken, but I had torn ligaments. The injury didn’t happen on a job so I wasn’t able to receive Workman’s compensation. I was on crutches for 6 weeks. I wasn’t allowed to dance for 2 months. I had to completely stop working till I was cleared from physical therapy. I had no income coming in at that time.

It was very difficult. My ER visit was covered on insurance, but not physical therapy. It was very difficult to come to terms with the fact that if I get hurt, I have no back up plan. Insurance is a necessity for dancers. I was scared for a very long time. I didn’t want it to get worse. It became more psychology than anything. I was able to do physical therapy and also tried cupping to get better.

About Brian Friedman

Brian Friedman is a choreographer, creative director and teacher whose work spans pop tours, music videos and television. He has created choreography for artists including Britney Spears, Beyoncé and Justin Bieber, and for So You Think You Can Dance and the MTV VMAs. He is on the 2026–27 faculty of Velocity Dance Convention.

Who treats this injury: orthopedic foot and ankle specialists and physical therapists who understand the demands of dance. Find a dance specialist near you →