Dance has always been a big part of my life, but I always knew it would never be a career for me. Several family members are nurses and I have always had an interest in healthcare, I just needed a way to combine dance and medicine. When I was a senior in high school I was a dancer with the local ballet company; one of our dancers was injured and one night during rehearsal she told us all about her experience with a PT (who happened to specialize in dancers). At that moment a light bulb went of in my head and I knew what I wanted to do — be a physical therapist for dancers.
I chose Rider because of its unique dance program. I was able to double major in dance and biology and finish in 4 years (unlike other schools that told me it would take 5 due to dance classes and science labs overlapping). I learned so about dance during my time at Rider, more than I ever thought there was to know about dance and movement. I graduated in '09 excited to start the next phase of my education. I was accepted into NYU's physical therapy program and graduated in '12 with a Doctorate in Physical Therapy. During my three years in NYC, I adjusted to not dancing daily, which was a hard transition, and focused more on learning about dance and watching both ballets and Broadway musicals. I had previously never had any interest in jazz or musicals, but the more I watched, the more I was hooked. One of my final internships for PT school was at a clinic in NYC that specializes in Broadway dancers; I loved the atmosphere and working with such a unique clientele and I knew it was an area that I would like to continue working.
I knew that some physical therapists worked with touring musicals, but I didn't think I was ready to do that right out of school. When the opportunity to tour withWicked presented itself however, I jumped at the chance and started touring in March 2013. I was initially hesitant to be on the road and away from New York for a year, but it was an amazing time.
In this show and in my new show, I treat performers, musicians, and crew and focus mainly on maintenance and prevention. I see people both before and during each show. It the best of both worlds - I get to be in the theater and backstage but I also get to focus on the healthcare and medical side of things. It's great to have such a close working relationship with so many unique and talented people.
Though I am moving on to a new show with Dirty Dancing, this experience has shaped my life in many positive ways.