Most of the world's best dance companies have a comprehensive health care team of physios, podiatrists, massage therapists, dietitians, and more. Even those companies without the full team will still have a massage therapist. Why is massage so important for professional dancers? I'm going to tell you why professional dancers need massage. Why I've been hired to treat The Australian Ballet, Bangarra Dance Theatre, and other productions and performers. Professional dancers live in a constant...

I often hear people say they want a massage that “does something” — which usually means deep pressure or lots of focus on problem areas. But here’s the truth: a relaxing massage  is  therapeutic. When your body relaxes, your nervous system shifts out of “fight or flight” mode and into “rest and digest.” This is when healing, recovery, and repair actually happen. Gentle, rhythmic massage lowers stress hormones, improves circulation, eases muscle tone, and helps regulate breathing and heart...

Someone asked me to discuss a really interesting topic... Human/hands delivery of massage versus machine massage! Being massaged by hands , by a person, means that there is a two way communication, response, and adaptation. Delivering massage with hands, the practitioner is able to be  responsive, relational, and adaptive by responding to feedback and communication. The deliverer and the recipient can communicate about what feels good, what feels bad, what can be repeated or changed. This...