We created Doctors For Dancers because, quite simply, we couldn’t find a doctor who specialized in dancers’ needs.

Here’s a bit about us: We’re a family deeply embedded in the dance community for over 40 years. Our aim? To make the dance world a little better by providing this invaluable resource.

My own dance journey started as soon as I could walk. In Scottsdale, Arizona, I immersed myself in the competitive studio life and later became a dance teacher. Injuries were part of my narrative, with sprained ankles from a trampoline mishap and during a dance in character shoes. Over time, a more significant issue emerged – severe back pain, so intense it often kept me from school. I resorted to keeping Advil and Aleve in my dance bag, dancing through the pain. I was in the studio 4-5 days a week, five hours each night – the norm, if not more, for a dedicated dancer.

The pain escalated to the point where seeing a doctor became necessary. It was frustrating and disheartening to explain the physical demands I placed on my body to doctors who just didn’t get it. The dance community wasn’t as recognized or respected as it is now. I felt like they saw me as ‘just a dancer’ – not taking my pain or my art seriously.

Physical therapy was no different. When I struggled to stretch – unable to get my leg to touch my head – I was met with, “Well, you got it to your shoulder, that’s good enough.” But it wasn’t good enough for me. My body wasn’t right, and nobody seemed to understand that.

I lost count of how many doctors I saw. None could pinpoint the source of my pain, and some even suggested I was fabricating it. I was prescribed medications that made me too loopy to dance. So, I danced on, pushing through the pain, relying on Advil, ice, and Epsom salt baths, sometimes unable to get out of bed for school. Doctors suggested I just sit out for a few weeks, but that wasn’t an option for me. I needed more than just a break and pain pills.

Then came the most challenging moment – my back gave out during my last recital. I watched from the audience as another dancer performed in my costumes. My dream of moving to Los Angeles to become a professional dancer crumbled that night. Overwhelmed with pain and without answers, I made the toughest decision of my life: I quit dancing.

Fast forward five years, my back pain resurfaced. I found a new internal medicine doctor who suggested an MRI alongside the usual X-ray. I was familiar with X-rays, having undergone over 30, but an MRI was new to me. The X-ray showed nothing unusual, but the MRI revealed a surprising diagnosis – a horseshoe kidney and several other complications. My doctor’s blunt words were a mix of shock and validation. I thought, “Finally, someone understands!”

Years of misdiagnosis and misunderstanding stemmed from a lack of awareness about dancers’ unique physical needs. My experiences – being young, a dancer, not taken seriously – drove me to create Doctors For Dancers. Our mission is to ensure dancers find healthcare professionals who truly understand and prioritize their specific health needs. It’s about bridging the gap between the dance community and specialized healthcare, making dancers’ health a recognized and well-managed priority.