Don’t Dance Till You Break: Injury Prevention for Performers

Fit As A Fiddle

Here’s a bold statement. Dancers, while extremely great at moving their bodies, sometimes don’t actually know how to do it optimally. Getting injured on and off the stage is not uncommon for dancers. Oftentimes these aches, pains and sometimes broken or torn tissues are directly a result of improper, overused movements.

Our passionate and incredible guest today is Jesse Barnett, a New York City-based dancer, Pilates instructor, and Personal Trainer. He talks about how to prevent injuries in the first place and how cross training is crucial for every performing artist. Jesse busts some myths by highlighting how stretching is not the only important part of training and how repeating the same asymmetrical movements can lead to overuse injuries.

Jesse grew up studying dance in his hometown of Yorktown, Virginia, and moved to NYC to attend Marymount Manhattan College where he graduated with a BFA in Dance. After graduating, he completed his Pilates certification through The Kane School, a contemporary Pilates program including movement anatomy, biomechanics, touch techniques, and special populations training. He then completed his personal training certification through the NSCA as a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS). Jesse has also completed training programs in pre/post natal fitness and TRX Suspension Training and has experience working alongside physical therapists in a post-rehab facility.

Connect with him:

@jessetbarnett