Assessing & Treating Dancers and Artistic Athletes - Level 2

Overview

Assessing & Treating Dancers and Artistic Athletes, Level 2 is an advanced, 8‑week live virtual course designed for clinicians who want to deepen their expertise in working with dancers and artistic athletes across styles, genders, and life stages.

Building on the foundations introduced in Level 1, this course integrates current research, real‑world case examples, live assessments, and expert guest speakers to address complex and often under‑represented clinical presentations in artistic athletes. Topics include scoliosis, foot fractures, pelvic health and menopause, mental performance, male dancer considerations, nutrition and recovery, and objective performance testing.

Participants will leave with practical, immediately applicable strategies to enhance assessment, guide rehabilitation, interpret performance data, and support safe, confident return to performance across a wide range of artistic disciplines.

Why This Matters

Dancers and artistic athletes place exceptional physical, psychological, and aesthetic demands on their bodies. Traditional sports medicine models often fail to fully address the unique technical, artistic, and cultural factors that influence injury risk, recovery, and performance in these populations.

This course bridges the gap between research and practice, equipping clinicians with the specialized knowledge and clinical reasoning required to:

• Manage complex and recurrent injuries

• Support longevity and career sustainability

• Address sensitive but critical topics such as pelvic health, menopause, nutrition, and mental performance

• Communicate effectively with dancers, artistic directors, coaches, and interdisciplinary teams
  
  

Learning Objectives

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

1. Apply advanced assessment and treatment strategies specific to dancers and artistic athletes

2. Interpret current research and emerging trends in dance medicine and performance science

3. Manage complex conditions including scoliosis, foot fractures, pelvic floor dysfunction, and menopause‑related performance changes

4. Understand the basics of pointe shoe fitting and how to integrate pointe work into rehabilitation

5. Integrate mental performance principles into rehabilitation and return‑to‑stage planning

6. Identify the unique training, performance, and injury considerations of male dancers

7. Utilize objective performance testing tools (VALD ForceDecks and DynaMo) to inform clinical decision‑making

8. Adapt treatment approaches for diverse artistic populations including ballet, commercial dance, circus arts, gymnastics, and more
   
   

Who Should Attend

This course is designed for clinicians and performance professionals working with dancers and artistic athletes, including:

• Physiotherapists

• Athletic Therapists

• Chiropractors

• Sports Medicine Physicians

• Strength & Conditioning Coaches

• Rehabilitation and performance professionals supporting artistic populations

Prerequisite: Completion of Assessing & Treating Dancers and Artistic Athletes – Level 1 or equivalent clinical experience working with dancers or artistic athletes.

An Incredible Lineup of Experts and Performers

Over the course of this 8-part series, you'll learn alongside an exceptional group of contributors, including:

• 9 professional dancers

• 1 world champion

• 2 Olympians

• 3 Team Canada athletes

• A sport psychologist

• A pelvic floor physiotherapist

• A circus physiotherapist

• 3 orthopedic physiotherapists

• A registered dietitian

• A professional pointe shoe fitter

…and of course Dinah Hampson guiding the journey.

This stellar roster brings together clinicians, performers, and performance specialists to give you a unique, interdisciplinary perspective on treating dancers and artistic athletes.

If you work with dancers and artistic athletes and want to confidently manage complex presentations while supporting performance, longevity, and career sustainability, this course will provide the depth, tools, and clinical insight you need.