Just like many people in helping professions, dance teachers put everything into their students and studios, often at the expense of their own health and wellness. In this podcast episode I discuss 5 things for dance teachers to prioritize when it comes to taking care of their own bodies, so they can continue to teach for years to come.

Learn more about Erika Mayall:

• Follow me on Instagram: @dancephysioerika
• Learn more about me on my website: https://www.allegroperformance.com
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• Send me an email: hello@allegroperformance.com

In this episode, I'm joined by Tamara Thompson Levi - the founder, director and CEO of Shine Dance Festival and The Dance Leadership Institute. We discuss Tamara's journey in the dance world: from growing up in Edmonton, AB her professional career that brought her out to Vancouver, BC and her vision to create the competition she felt was missing in the dance world at the time. Tamara is a passionate educator, presenter and event director who's success is grounded in vision, leadership and a values centred business approach.

Tamara Thompson Levi
A passionate educator, presenter, and event director, Tamara is the founder, director, and CEO of Shine Dance Festival and The Dance Leadership Institute.

Tamara found her second home in the dance studio where she started training in tap and jazz at age 3 in Edmonton, Alberta. By 15 she was performing in industrials, on camera, and on stage and, fresh out of high school, at 17, she took the leap and moved to Vancouver to launch her dance career. She has danced on stages around the world for companies including Alberta Ballet, Calvin Klein, MAC Cosmetics, New Balance, and Festival Cruise Line. She has appeared on screen in an assortment of TV movies, commercials, music videos, and the award-winning dance film Black Angels.

In the early 2000’s she began teaching dance on a regular basis and found a true sense of purpose as an educator teaching dance in studios, schools, and at events across Canada leading master classes, preparing students for exams and competitions, and teaching at the post-secondary level on faculty at Capilano University and TDI Professional Dance Training Program in Vancouver. She completed the Youth Protection Advocates in Dance certification in 2019 and is deeply committed to promoting a wellness-centered approach to dance culture.

In 2005, seeking to create a more holistic environment for the next generation of dancers, Tamara started Shine Dance Festival, a series of annual dance events for youth. Through her unique vantage point as a competition director, she has become a mentor and leader in Canada's dance community, especially notable during the pandemic where she facilitated virtual sessions for teachers and studio owners to navigate the continuous changes together in a supportive space. Also an active mentor with WeBC for women entrepreneurs, Tamara has been leading live and online programs and events that bridge communities and empower dancers, educators, and business owners across Canada and beyond.

You can connect with Tamara at:
Shine Dance Festival
The Dance Leadership Institute


Learn more about Erika Mayall:

• Follow me on Instagram: @dancephysioerika
• Learn more about me on my website: https://www.allegroperformance.com
• Sign up for my newsletter: Click here
• Send me an email: hello@allegroperformance.com

No one wants to get injured while away at a summer intensive, but the reality is injuries are an unfortunate part of dance. Some dancers will come into an intensive already dealing with an injury, while others may suffer an injury while away at the intensive. In this podcast episode I'll go over things to consider and ways to manage injuries while at a summer intensive.

Other episodes to check out:
Episode 16 - Dancer First Aid PEACE & LOVE
Episode 21 - Considerations for Summer Intensives


Learn more about Erika Mayall:

• Follow me on Instagram: @dancephysioerika
• Learn more about me on my website: https://www.allegroperformance.com
• Sign up for my newsletter: Click here
• Send me an email: hello@allegroperformance.com

In this episode, I'm joined by Lindsay Daniels from The Movement Project. We discuss her journey in the dance world, the injury that led her to a career in teaching, and how she ended up in a public high school setting. Lindsay is a strong advocate for the benefits of dance education as skills for life, and provides opportunities for dancers in both her high school program and community based dance program in the Durham, Ontario region.

Lindsay Daniels is an educator, adjudicator, curriculum writer, and speaker with over 25 years of experience in the dance education industry. She is currently on faculty with the Durham District School Board as a Dance Education Specialist in Oshawa, Ontario and is the founder of The Movement Project, an organization committed to best practices in Dance training, and pedagogy. Lindsay has a Bachelor of Kinesiology from McMaster University, is certified with the Ontario College of Teachers, she is a faculty member of the ADAPT Teacher Training School and a guest speaker at the Toronto Dance Teacher Conference. Lindsay is always eager to connect with other dance professionals, to create a safer and more inclusive dance community.

You can connect with Lindsay Daniels at:
The Movement Project Website
The Movement Project IG Account
Maxwell Heights SS Dance IG Account


Learn more about Erika Mayall:

• Follow me on Instagram: @dancephysioerika
• Learn more about me on my website: https://www.allegroperformance.com
• Sign up for my newsletter: Click here
• Send me an email: hello@allegroperformance.com

Hyperextension at the knee is an aesthetic that is often valued and sought after in the dance world. Those that don't have it want it, but those who have it know it be can a challenge to manage and isn't always a blessing.

There is ongoing debate about how to manage knee hyperextension in dancers - do we let dancers use this range in order to achieve the desired lines that it provides, or do we limit their range for the sake of joint health and longevity?

In this episode of the podcast, I break down what exactly knee hyperextension is, when we might allow a dancer to utilize this hyperextension and ways we can help dancers learn to control this mobility and keep their knees happy and healthy.

Episode 12: Flexibility for Dancers Part 2 - The Truth About Overstretching

TEACHERS! Check out the new FREE 3 Cues for Teachers to Ditch in Dance guide.

Learn more about Erika Mayall:

• Follow me on Instagram: @dancephysioerika
• Learn more about me on my website: https://www.allegroperformance.com
• Sign up for my newsletter: Click here
• Send me an email: hello@allegroperformance.com

Dance is one of the most physically demanding activities and dancers are continually pushing their body's to the limit. Some aches/pains/niggles are to be expected when pushing our physical boundaries, but how do you determine when something is just a niggle and when it's actually an injury? In today's episode I discuss things to consider to help you determine when you can just carry on as usual, and when it might be time to admit that an injury is an injury, and likely needs medical attention.

TEACHERS! Check out the new FREE 3 Cues for Teachers to Ditch in Dance guide.

Learn more about Erika Mayall:

• Follow me on Instagram: @dancephysioerika
• Learn more about me on my website: https://www.allegroperformance.com
• Sign up for my newsletter: Click here
• Send me an email: hello@allegroperformance.com

Ever wondered what the difference between a sprain and a strain is? And which one is a more severe injury? In this episode I discuss the difference between sprains, strains and all the -itis injuries in dance. Knowing how dance injuries are classified can help dancers understand the nature of their injury, as well as facilitate communication with teachers and healthcare teams.

TEACHERS! Check out the new FREE 3 Cues for Teachers to Ditch in Dance guide.

Episode 20: Ankle Sprains in Dancers

Learn more about Erika Mayall:

• Follow me on Instagram: @dancephysioerika
• Learn more about me on my website: https://www.allegroperformance.com
• Sign up for my newsletter: Click here
• Send me an email: hello@allegroperformance.com

In this episode, I'm joined by one of my long time teachers and mentors, Astrid Sherman. We discuss the pros and cons to implementing a syllabus system for dance training, as well as some of the commonalities and differences with different syllabus around the world.

Astrid Sherman is currently the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing (ISTD) International Representative for the Americas’ and guest teaching between Los Angeles, Vancouver, and Spain. After dancing professionally with the Natal Performing Arts Council in South Africa, she immigrated to Canada. There she was artistic director of a large ISTD-based professional training school in Vancouver for 16 years, with many graduates being accepted into companies and prestigious post-graduate programs internationally. She has a Fellowship teaching qualification from the ISTD in Imperial Classical Ballet. Her BSc focused in Kinesiology and Gerontology from SFU in Canada and her MA in Dance Pedagogy was from Middlesex University in the UK. She is on the International Association for Dance Medicine & Science (IADMS) Dance Educators’ Committee where she is very much involved in organizing Regional and Outreach Virtual Dance Science events. Astrid has presented dance research at many IADMS & Healthy Dancer Canada conferences and has published in the Journal Dance Medicine & Science. She also acts as the Dancer Wellness Advisor for Ballet Beyond Borders.

You can also connect with Astrid Sherman at:
Website: https://astridshermancatchingart.com/
Email: catchingart@gmail.com


Learn more about Erika Mayall:

• Follow me on Instagram: @dancephysioerika
• Learn more about me on my website: https://www.allegroperformance.com
• Sign up for my newsletter: Click here
• Send me an email: hello@allegroperformance.com