Essentials of Performing Arts Medicine

Dan Benardot

Dan Benardot, PhD, DHC, RD, FACSM
Brief Biographical Sketch

Dan Benardot received his PhD from Cornell University in Human Service Studies and Nutrition Science, is a Registered Dietitian, Professor Emeritus of Nutrition at Georgia State University, and Teaching Professor at Emory University in the Center for the Study of Human Health and the Laney Graduate School in Nutrition and Health Sciences. His research focus is nutrition for physical activity, and he has published numerous scientific papers and books on this topic while also serving as nutritionist for several USA Olympic teams. His most recent book is the 2nd edition of “ACSM’s Nutrition for Exercise Science” © 2025. He developed and teaches a unique course on ‘Nutrition for the Performing Arts’ at Emory University. In this course, world class performing artists (string quartet, singer, dancer, violinist, actor, pianist, etc.) talk to the class about their nutrition behaviors, and the class researches the positive and negative aspects of these nutrition behaviors, with the goal of finding science-based solutions that could help to improve nutrient/energy intakes in their unique environments. The ultimate goal is to find nutrition solutions for enhancing health, reducing injury risk, and positively influencing performance lives of performing artists.

Lara St. John

I never set out to become a filmmaker. I set out to tell the truth.

For most of my life, I kept quiet about the sexual assault I endured at the Curtis Institute in 1986. When I finally went public decades later, in 2019, I thought I might find closure. Instead, I was flooded with messages from other survivors – students, colleagues, musicians from around the world – all sharing similar stories. The scale of silence and institutional complicity was staggering. I realized I couldn’t walk away from this.

Dear Lara began as a DIY act of defiance. I picked up a camera and started filming, talking, and listening – not knowing where it would lead. While I’d spent many years working and collaborating as a musician, I had no formal training as a filmmaker. What I did have was a sense of urgency, and the trust of people who had waited far too long to be heard. Over time, an extraordinary team helped shape this film into something more forceful than any single voice.

Classical music has been my world since infancy. I understand its appeal, but I also know its darkness – the power imbalances, the myths of genius, the reverence for institutions that so often protect abusers. With this film, I wanted to break the silence from within. I wanted survivors – and there are so many of us – to feel seen, believed, and connected to me and to each other. I’m asking questions. What would justice look like if we truly prioritized people over reputations? How might classical music thrive if its creative voices were supported instead of silenced?

Music was my voice even before I spoke. With Dear Lara, I’m now using that voice to help others reclaim theirs.

-Lara St. John

Jenna Bainbridge

Jenna Bainbridge is a New York city based actor, singer, and disability rights advocate that has been performing since she was 12 years old. She has been seen on Television, Broadway, and in Commercials, and has been heard on numerous AudioBooks and Podcasts. In 2024 she was the first wheelchair user to originate a role in a new musical on Broadway. She then went on to be the first authentically disabled person to play Nessarose in Wicked on Broadway. Some favorite roles include Belle in Beauty and the Beast, Richard III in Bring Down the House, and Mary Magdalene in Jesus Christ Superstar.

When Jenna was 16 months old, she suddenly became paralyzed and the cause of the paralysis has never been determined. Over time she regained mobility and strength, she now utilizes a wheelchair, cane, and crutches frequently, as well as walking unaided with a pronounced limp. Jenna hopes to normalize the experiences and existence of ambulatory wheelchair users through her acting. Jenna has become a passionate Disability Rights advocate and has spoken at numerous conferences, on podcasts, and at public performances about the importance of representation in the arts. While the disabled population in the US is just under 25%, they are represented in fewer than 1% of roles on the stage and screen. Because of this, Jenna has worked tirelessly to break down barriers and perform in theatres around the world. She says that, “We can only accept and embrace our differences if we can publicly see and talk about them, and what is more public than the arts?”.

Theatre Awards
Jenna has been nominated for the True West Award three times and has won the People’s Choice Award Twice. Additionally, she won the Best of Westward award for Best Actress in a Musical in 2010, and has been nominated for 5 Colorado Theatre Guild “Henry” Awards for her roles in Urinetown, Sideshow, Beauty and the Beast, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Jesus Christ Superstar.

Academic and Personal Awards
Jenna graduated from The University of Denver’s Lamont School of Music, Magna Cum Laude and with Distinction in her degree; Bachelor of Music with an emphasis in Musical Theatre. While there, she pledged the Sigma Alpha Iota music fraternity, through which she won the Scholastic Achievement Award upon graduating. She has been a Provost Scholarship recipient, a McCloraine Scholarship recipient, and a SAI Musical Theatre Scholarship Recipient. In high school she was the Valedictorian, and was honored with scholarships from the Kiwanis Club and the Rotary Club. Additionally she won the 2010 “Woman of Spirit Award” from the Center for Spirituality at Work in Denver (now called Restoring Connections) for her work being an advocate and example for disabled actors everywhere.

Theresa Wolters

During her time at MusiCares, she has been at the forefront of addressing the unique health, mental health, addiction recovery, and human service needs of music professionals. She is recognized for her ability to connect the lived experiences of music professionals with data that highlights both the urgency of these challenges and the impact of MusiCares’ response.

Wolters brings more than two decades of global health and humanitarian leadership to the role. Before joining MusiCares, Wolters built a remarkable career tackling health crises around the world. At the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, she helped shape global strategies that delivered lifesaving services to tens of millions of people affected by HIV and other infectious diseases. As a founding employee of Millennium Promise, she was integral to launching the Millennium Villages Project, one of the most ambitious demonstrations of the UN’s development goals in action.

Later, with the International Medical Corps, she directed health and refugee programs across five African countries, bringing care and stability to some of the most vulnerable populations on the planet. Her ability to bridge large-scale global health challenges with deeply personal impact is what now defines her work at MusiCares, where she champions music professionals as an at-risk population uniquely vulnerable to financial setbacks and health challenges.

Wolters holds a bachelor’s degree from George Washington University, a Master of Business Administration from Heriot-Watt University and studied African Affairs at the University of Cape Town.

Jane Liu

2026 Winner of the Alice G. Brandfonbrener Young Investigator Award

Jane Liu is a classically trained pianist, hand physiotherapist, and current PhD candidate. Her experience as a performing pianist led her to pursue an interest in musicians’ health and performance sustainability. She holds a Master of Research from Macquarie University and completed her physiotherapy training at the University of Sydney. Prior to this, she earned a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance and a Master of Music in Collaborative Piano and Piano Performance from the Cleveland Institute of Music. Her clinical and research interests centre on musicians’ health and performance sustainability. She is a recipient of the 2025 Australian Society of Performing Arts Healthcare Career Development Award.

Pamela Hymel

Bio from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

Pamela Hymel, M.D., MPH, FACOEM is chief medical officer for Disney Parks, Experiences and Products (DPEP) where she is responsible for integrating a segment-wide health and well-being strategy. She currently works with the worldwide safety and health team on the development of protocols for COVID-19 mitigation, in addition to leading the day-to-day operations of the onsite occupational health services centers, guest first aid locations at WDW, global occupational health issues and well-being strategy and programs for DPEP. She is focused on improving the overall health for cast, crew, and Imagineers at DPEP.

Prior to joining Disney in 2010, Dr. Hymel worked for 5 years as the corporate medical director for Cisco Systems, where she planned the strategy and design of Cisco’s HealthConnections program and wellness center. She also held multiple leadership positions over 16 years at Hughes Electronics, last serving as vice president of Human Resources, Benefits & Health.

She served as president of the American College of Occupational Medicine (ACOEM) from 2009-2010 and was on their board of directors for over 10 years. She also was on the board of directors of the National Business Group of Health (NBGH) from 2005-2014 and the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA). She continues to serve as co-chair for the Wellbeing and Workforce Strategy Institute of NBGH. She is the recipient of numerous awards, including the NBGH Global Leadership in Corporate Health award, the Rutherford T. Johnstone Award for outstanding service in occupational medicine and the HERO Bill Whitmer Leadership Award in 2020. She also led Cisco and Hughes Electronics to receive the C. Everett Kopp Award Honorable Mention and helped Hughes win an ACOEM Corporate Health Achievement award.

Dr. Hymel has spoken extensively globally on health, productivity, and well-being and has contributed to numerous articles. Her expertise and benchmark programs have been cited in numerous publications on integrated health management. She has a Masters of Public Health degree from Tulane University and an M.D. degree from the Louisiana State University Medical School and is board certified in internal medicine and occupational medicine.

Philip Selway

Philip Selway has played drums in Radiohead since the band started at school, almost forty years ago. He’s also a singer-songwriter and has released four solo albums. He has written music for film, dance and radio drama.

Mark Edwards

Mark Edwards (MBBS, BSc (Hons), PhD, FRCP) is Professor of Neurology and Interface Disorders at Kings College London and Honorary Consultant Neurologist at The Maudsley and Kings College Hospitals.

He has a specialist clinical and research interest in Movement Disorders and Functional Neurological Disorder (FND). He did his PhD with Professor John Rothwell and Professor Kailash Bhatia at the UCL Institute of Neurology, studying the pathophysiology of genetic dystonia. During this period he was involved with the development of a novel and now widely used technique for transcranial magnetic stimulation: theta burst stimulation. Following completion of neurology training he became a Senior Lecturer and Honorary Consultant Neurologist at UCL and the National Hospital for Neurology. Here he developed an NIHR funded research program and specialist diagnostic and treatment service for patients with FND. After moving to St George’s in 2015 he expanded this work to develop one of the first integrated diagnostic and treatment services for FND alongside continued research work into the pathophysiology of the disorder and development and testing of novel treatments, including the first randomised trial of specialist physiotherapy for functional movement disorders. He also helped to establish a new specialist movement disorders and deep brain stimulation team at the Atkinson Morley Regional Neuroscience Centre. He recently led the development of a national exemplar pathway for Functional Neurological Disorder for the National Neurology Advisory Group on behalf of NHS England. He was recently appointed as Professor of Neurology and Interface Disorders at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience at King’s College London and Consultant Neurologist at the Maudsley and King’s College Hospital from September 2022.

He has published over 300 peer reviewed publications and is author of the Oxford Specialist Handbook of Parkinson’s Disease and Other Movement Disorders. He is President of the Association of British Neurology Movement Disorders Group, International Executive Committee member of the International Parkinson’s and Movement Disorders Society, Board and Founding Member of the Functional Neurological Disorder Society, Associate Editor of the European Journal of Neurology, and medical advisor for FNDHope, the UK Dystonia Society and the British Association of Performing Arts Medicine. He is the winner of the Jon Stolk Award for Movement Disorders research from the American Academy of Neurology, the David Marsden Award for Dystonia research, the Queen Square Prize and the Uschi Tschabitscher prize for research from the European Academy of Neurology.

Laurel Daniels Abbruzzese

Dr. Laurel Daniels Abbruzzese (she/her) currently serves as the Director of the Performing Arts Fellowship Program, Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and is an Associate Professor of Rehabilitation and Regenerative Medicine in the Programs in Physical Therapy at the Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons (VP&S), Columbia University Irving Medical Center. Dr. Abbruzzese has over twenty-five years of clinical experience in physical therapy and over 15 years as an educator. She was accepted into the Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons (VP&S) Virginia Apgar Academy of Medical Educators. In 2022, Dr. Abbruzzese was selected as a Columbia University Provost Senior Faculty Teaching Scholar.

Dr. Abbruzzese is a fellow in the APTA Fellowship in Higher Education Leadership and recently joined the Board of the Physical Therapy Learning Institute (PTLI). She serves as the President of the Performing Arts Special Interest Group (PASIG) of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) Academy of Orthopedics and serves on the faculty for the APTA Geriatrics Certified Exercise Experts in Aging Adults course series. Dr. Abbruzzese serves on the Systemic Discrimination and Racism Mitigation Task Force, an American Council of Academic Physical Therapy (ACAPT) National Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Commission (NEDIC) post-summit initiative.

Dr. Abbruzzese is a fierce advocate for social justice and interprofessional education and collaborative practice. At Columbia, Dr. Abbruzzese serves on the Columbia Commons Interprofessional Education Steering Committee, Rehabilitation & Regenerative medicine DEI committee, and the Executive committee for Antiracist Transformation in Medical Education (ART in MedEd). She co-leads the VP&S Anti-Racism Coalition Alliance for Enhancing Antiracist Curriculum. Dr. Abbruzzese is recognized nationally as a Distinguished Scholar and Fellow in the National Academies of Practice (NAP), which advocates for Interprofessional Education and Collaborative Practice. She chaired the Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Taskforce, and will serve NAP as the Vice President of Membership. In 2022, Dr. Abbruzzese was awarded the Emerging Interprofessional National Academies of Practice Member of the Year.

Michael G Stewart, MD
Guest Speaker

Michael G. Stewart, MD, MPH is Professor and Chairman of the Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery at Weill Cornell Medical College. He also serves as Senior Associate Dean for International Affairs and Affiliations of the Medical College, and as Otolaryngologist-in-Chief at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center. He is also the founder and Medical Director of the Center for the Performing Artist at Weill Cornell/NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital. He received a B.E. degree summa cum laude from Vanderbilt University, and an M.D. from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He completed residency training at Baylor College of Medicine in the Texas Medical Center in Houston, Texas, and received his M.P.H. degree from the University of Texas School of Public Health, Houston.

He is the author of 2 textbooks, and more than 30 book chapters and 130 peer-reviewed publications. He is the former Editor-in-Chief of The Laryngoscope journal. He is a Past-President of the American Board of Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery and is also a Past-President of both the Association of Academic Departments of Oto-HNS and the Society of University Otolaryngologists, and he was an elected member of the Board of Directors of the American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery (AAOHNS) from 2011-15. He currently serves as the Executive Vice President of the American Rhinologic Society.

Dr. Stewart’s research interest is in outcomes and quality of life research, and he has received research funding from the NIH and AHRQ among others. Dr. Stewart has received many awards and honors, including two Distinguished Service Awards from the AAO-HNS and Presidential and Vice Presidential Citations from three different national societies. He has been a visiting professor at more than 40 institutions, and has given more than 500 invited lectures, both nationally and internationally.

Paula Thomson, PsyD
Invited Panel Presenter

Paula Thomson, PsyD, is Professor in the Department of Kinesiology, California State University, Northridge (CSUN). She is a licensed Clinical Psychologist and works in private practice in California. She is Co-Director of the Performance Psychophysiology Laboratory at CSUN, and Professor Emeritus and Senior Scholar at York University’s Departments of Theatre and Graduate Studies (Canada). She is a reliable Adult Attachment Interview coder and actively conducts research investigating attachment, early trauma, and creativity. She is the co-author of two books, Creativity and the Performing Artist: Behind the Mask and Creativity, Trauma, and Resilience and author of multiple chapters and peer-reviewed articles. She is a Fellow with the International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation and a member of the Mental Health Working Group with the International Association of Dance Medicine and Science. She was a professional dancer and continues work as choreographer and movement coach in dance, theatre, and opera. Past professional choreographic company work includes Canadian Opera Company, Canadian Stage Company, Stratford Shakespearean Festival, Northern Lights Dance Theatre, Ballet Jorgen, UCLA On the Edge of Chaos., and LACPA Theater of the Mind. In 2013, she was named one of the top 20 female professors in California.

Tamsin Embleton, MA
Invited Panel Presenter

Tamsin Embleton is an attachment-based psychoanalytic psychotherapist based in London, UK. She specialises in working with musicians and music industry professionals at all stages of their careers – from emerging professionals to household names. Over the past three years, Tamsin has compiled and edited Touring and Mental Health – The Music Industry Manual, a landmark publication for the music business. The book provides robust clinical advice, cutting edge research, practical strategies and resources to help performers and those working in the entertainment industry to identify, process and manage the various physical and psychological difficulties that can occur on the road or as a result of touring. Touring and Mental Health – The Music Industry Manual covers topics including: emotional intelligence, depression, trauma, crisis management, anger, conflict, stress, addiction, eating disorders, anxiety, group dynamics, mindset, exercise, physical health, optimal performance, diversity and inclusion, romantic relationships, nutrition, sleep science, breathwork, meditation, mental capacity, psychological safety and post-tour recovery. Each chapter has been written by performing arts clinicians and is underpinned with personal recollections from artists and touring professionals including Nile Rodgers, Justin Hawkins, Philip Selway, Charles Thompson, Katie Melua, Kieran Hebden, Jake Berry, Tina Farris, Taylor Hanson, Trevor Williams, Lauren Mayberry, Pharoahe Monch, Jim Digby, Neil Barnes, Stephanie Phillips, Will Young, Erol Alkan, Angie Warner, Suzi Green, Debbie Taylor and Dale ‘Opie’ Skjerseth, among others.

Embleton is the founder of the Music Industry Therapist Collective (MITC), a global group of specialist health clinicians who combine their unique experience of working in the music business prior to retraining as health professionals. MITC have delivered workshops to Warner Music Group, Atlantic Records, Music Norway and Kobalt among others. Previously Embleton worked as a booker for the Mean Fiddler Group, Killer B Music, Standon Calling Festival and Metropolis Studios. She has also worked in artist and tour management and for the PRS Foundation as a grants advisor.

www.touringmanual.com

@tamsinembleton

Gregory Youdan Jr.
Invited Speaker

After a professional dancer career, Gregory Youdan Jr. transitioned in movement science. He holds degrees in motor learning and applied statistics from Teachers College, Columbia University. He completed a research scholar position at Brown University focusing on evidence synthesis to address scientific research quality. Greg has co-authored articles in journals such as International Biomechanics, Human Movement Science and Clinical Biomechanics and is currently adjunct faculty at Lehman College and Hollins University.

Andrew Schaeffer, BA, CSCS, USAW
Invited Speaker

Andrew Schaeffer has been a fitness professional and certified strength and conditioning specialist for twelve years. As a coach, he specializes in strength training, olympic weightlifting, and the roots of behavior change. He works with the general population and with performing artists from professional dancers to broadway performers. He is currently pursuing a master’s degree in mental health counseling and has a particular interest in the role that systems such as culture and society play in health, wellness, and performance.

Antoine Simmons, MA, CSCS
Invited Speaker

My name is Antoine Simmons, and I have been a fitness professional for 13 years. I have my Master’s degree from Columbia University in Motor Learning and Control, in addition to having certifications in strength and conditioning, nutrition, corrective exercise, wave vibration training, and kettlebells. I’ve worked with collegiate, professional, and Olympic athletes; as well Navy SEALS, television personalities, professional dancers, Broadway performers, and laypeople. My philosophy centers on the notion that peak performance is relative. It isn’t “one size fits all,” rather each person requires an approach that will meet their unique demands. Therefore, any peak performance regimen should reflect and cater to those individual demands.

Thursday, July 6, 2023

Schedule subject to change (Last updated March 27, 2023)

		Worksheet
TIME	Moderator	Speaker	TOPIC/TITLE
7:00	MS/AW		REGISTRATION
8:00		Marissa Schaeffer, Aviva Wolff, Symposium Co-Chairs, and Jason Hu, PAMA President	Welcome and Introduction – Performance Transformed: Exploring emerging themes in a changed world
8:20		Michael G Stewart, MD	Weill Cornell Medicine Welcome
8:30		Randy Dick	AATA Welcome
8:45		Tina Wang, MD	Richard J Lederman Lecture : Hypermobility Syndromes in Performing Artists
9:45		Laurel Abbruzzese, EdD, PT	Diversity, Equity, Inclusion in Performing Arts Medicine
10:15		Coffee, Break, Exhibits
	TBD	ALL	PLENARY 1 MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES
10:45		Grieshofer	Is acting a risky business? What does the Creative work of acting entail and is resilience a central factor in the actor’s ability to perform
11:00		Yang	Healthy Queens: Beauty Pagents and Drag Performance
11:15		Glasheen-Dentino	Polyvagal Theory and the Alba Method: Enhancing Mental Wellness through acting technique
11:30		Roos	Experiences of Beta-blockers for Music Performance Anxiety
11:45		Honrado	To feel or not to feel: Why do metropolitan dancers use marijuana?
12:00		ALL	Q and A
12:15		LUNCH & Comm Mtgs		SPEAKER	TITLE
	TBD	DANCE	PLENARY 2 CONCURRENT MUSIC/DANCE	MUSIC	PLENARY 2 CONCURRENT MUSIC/DANCE
1:15	Katherine Yao, MD (DANCE)	Laurie Glasser	Return to Dance protocol	Levenderis	The prevalence of MSK symptoms in double bass players ?
1:30		Hulsebosch-Kiezer	Health monitoring in elite vocational dancers	Azar	Barriers and facilitators to including injury prevention education within drum kit curricula: perceptions of independent instructors giving private lessons
1:45		Mcneal-Ison	When the shoe fits: the role of health related education in injury prevention in professional ballet	Macdonald	A qualitative analysis of injury prevention education among oboe educators
2:00		Houck	NYS Worker’s Compensation and the associated challenges in PT for broadway performing artists	Cruder	Risk factors of playing related disorders among European music students
2:15		Schaeffer	Group strength training for dancers	Durward	Hand-arm vibration exposure in drummers
2:30		ALL	Q and A	Wijsman	Training sound performers: an international needs-based music teacher survey
2:45		ALL/COFFEE BREAK – EXHIBITS	POSTER PRESENTATIONS WITH AUTHORS – SESSION 1 MUSIC	All	Q and A
3:15	TBD	Hope Boykin	KEYNOTE: Hopeful Moments
4:00		Local 802, ACMA, Alton Barron/MTFSA	Resources for Performing Artists
5:00		Adjourn
5:15		TRIO OF OZ – Omar Hakim/Rachel Z	WELCOME RECEPTION – Cocktails and jazz

7:00 am	Registration
8:00 am	Welcome and Introduction – Performance Transformed: Exploring emerging themes in a changed world – Marissa Schaeffer; Aviva Wolff; Symposium Co-Chairs. With Jason Hu, MD, PAMA President
8:20 am
8:30 am
8:45 am
9:45 am

Tina Wang, MD
Lederman Lecturer

Dr. Tina J Wang is a board certified Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation medical doctor with a special focus in the emerging field of Fascia. Dr. Wang is an Assistant Professor of Medicine for University of California Riverside and Loma Linda School of Medicine and is core faculty for the musculoskeletal curriculum including the use of ultrasound based diagnosis and interventions. Her published research focuses on ultrasound characteristics of fascial dysfunction to improve clinical understanding, diagnostics, and treatments of myofascial pain syndromes, Ehlers Danlos Syndromes and Hypermobility Spectrum Disorders.

Melisa Bonetti
Guest Artist/Speaker

Dominican-American Mezzo-Soprano, Melisa Bonetti, is a versatile singer whose experience encompasses a vast amount of new works and premieres, as well as large traditional operas and concert works. Exciting highlights this season include mezzo-soprano soloist at Carnegie Hall for the Bach Magnificat and Christmas Oratorio with the Cecilia Chorus of NY, and four opera premieres (or premiere workshops); A Marvelous Order by Judd Greenstein and Tracy K. Smith, On the Road to Arivaca by Rosino Serrano and Susan Galbraith, Southern Crossings by Zaid Jabri, Yvette Christiansë & Rosalind Morris, and La Alcaldesa by Laura Jobin-Acosta and Sandra Flores-Strand. Having had the opportunity to create in new works has lead Melisa to sing in many genre-fusion productions- jazz-operas, rock-operas, latin-operas, pop-operas, hip-hop/classical fusion pieces, and more. Her passion lies in the diversity of mixing different musical influences and expanding whose stories are being told. Melisa has been hailed by Opera today as “a warm, supple mezzo that struck all the right impressions” and as “commanding a wonderful presence in the lower middle voice but also easily soaring heavenward with a well-schooled top.” Melisa is committed to the importance of equality and diversity within the artistic world, which she feels can strongly be served through connecting with the youth. She has dived into work as an educator in various musical outreach and community programs throughout the NYC area.

Laurie Anderson
Guest Artist/Speaker

Laurie Anderson is one of America’s most reknowned – and daring – creative pioneers. Known primarily for her multimedia presentations, she has cast herself in roles as varied as visual artist, composer, poet, photographer, filmmaker, electronics whiz, vocalist, and instrumentalist.

O Superman launched Anderson’s recording career in 1980, rising to number two on the British pop charts and subsequently appearing on Big Science, the first of her seven albums on the Warner Brothers label. Other record releases include Mister Heartbreak, United States Live, Strange Angels, Bright Red, and the soundtrack to her feature film Home of the Brave. A deluxe box set of her Warner Brothers output, Talk Normal, was released in the fall of 2000 on Rhino/Warner Archives. In 2001, Anderson released her first record for Nonesuch Records, entitled Life on a String, which was followed by Live in New York, recorded at Town Hall in New York City in September 2001, and released in May 2002.

Anderson has toured the United States and internationally numerous times with shows ranging from simple spoken word performances to elaborate multimedia events. Major works include United States I-V (1983), Empty Places (1990), The Nerve Bible (1995), and Songs and Stories for Moby Dick, a multimedia stage performance based on the novel by Herman Melville. Songs and Stories for Moby Dick toured internationally throughout 1999 and 2000. In the fall of 2001, Anderson toured the United States and Europe with a band, performing music from Life on a String. She has also presented many solo works, including Happiness, which premiered in 2001 and toured internationally through Spring 2003.

Anderson has published six books. Text from Anderson’s solo performances appears in the book Extreme Exposure, edited by Jo Bonney. Anderson has also written the entry for New York for the Encyclopedia Brittanica and in 2006, Edition 7L published Anderson’s book of dream drawings entitled “Night Life”.

Laurie Anderson’s visual work has been presented in major museums throughout the United States and Europe. In 2003, The Musée Art Contemporain of Lyon in France produced a touring retrospective of her work, entitled The Record of the Time: Sound in the Work of Laurie Anderson. This retrospective included installation, audio, instruments, video and art objects and spans Anderson’s career from the 1970’s to her most current works. It continued to tour internationally from 2003 to 2005. As a visual artist, Anderson is represented by the Sean Kelly Gallery in New York where her exhibition, The Waters Reglitterized, opened in September 2005. In 2008, the Museum of Modern Art acquired her “Self-Playing Violin” which was featured in the “Making Music” exhibition in Fall 2008.

As a composer, Anderson has contributed music to films by Wim Wenders and Jonathan Demme; dance pieces by Bill T. Jones, Trisha Brown, Molissa Fenley, and a score for Robert LePage’s theater production, Far Side of the Moon. She has created pieces for National Public Radio, The BBC, and Expo ‘92 in Seville. In 1997 she curated the two-week Meltdown Festival at Royal Festival Hall in London. Her most recent orchestra work Songs for Amelia Earhart. premiered at Carnegie Hall in February 2000 performed by the American Composers Orchestra and later toured Europe with the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra conducted by Dennis Russell Davies. The piece was performed as part of the Groningen Festival honoring Laurie Anderson in Fall 2008 with the Noord Nederlands Orkest.

Recognized worldwide as a groundbreaking leader in the use of technology in the arts, Anderson collaborated with Interval Research Corporation, a research and development laboratory founded by Paul Allen and David Liddle, in the exploration of new creative tools, including the Talking Stick. She created the introduction sequence for the first segment of the PBS special Art 21, a series about Art in the 21st century. Her awards include the 2001 Tenco Prize for Songwriting in San Remo, Italy and the 2001 Deutsche Schallplatten prize for Life On A String as well as grants from the Guggenheim Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts. She recently collaborated with Bran Ferren of Applied Minds, Inc to create an artwork that was displayed in “The Third Mind” exhibition at the Guggenheim Museum in New York in Winter 2009.

In 2002, Anderson was appointed the first artist-in-residence of NASA which culminated in her 2004 touring solo performance “The End of the Moon”. Recent projects include a series of audio-visual installations and a high definition film, “Hidden Inside Mountains”, created for World Expo 2005 in Aichi, Japan. In 2007 she received the prestigious Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize for her outstanding contribution to the arts. In 2008 she completed a two-year worldwide tour of her performance piece, “Homeland”, which was released as an album on Nonesuch Records in June, 2010. Anderson’s solo performance “Delusion” debuted at the Vancouver Cultural Olympiad in February, 2010 and toured internationally throughout 2011. In 2010 a retrospective of her visual and installation work opened in Sao Paulo, Brazil and later traveled to Rio de Janeiro.

In 2011 her exhibition of all new work titled “Forty-Nine Days In the Bardo” opened at the Fabric Workshop and Museum in Philadelphia. That same year she was awarded with the Pratt Institute’s Honorary Legends Award. In January of 2012 Anderson was the artist-in-residence at the High Performance Rodeo in Calgary, Alberta where she developed her latest solo performance titled “Dirtday!” Her exhibition “Boat” curated by Vito Schnabel opened in May of 2012. She has recently finished residencies at both CAP in UCLA in Los Angeles and EMPAC in Troy New York. Her film Heart of a Dog was chosen as an official selection of the 2015 Venice and Toronto Film Festivals. In the same year, her exhibition Habeas Corpus opened at the Park Avenue Armory to wide critical acclaim and in 2016 she was the recipient of Yoko Ono’s Courage Award for the Arts for that project. Anderson lives in New York City.

Ryan Dusick
Panel Guest Artist

Ryan Dusick is an Associate Marriage & Family Therapist with an MA in Clinical Psychology and the founding drummer of the world’s most popular band, Maroon 5.

As a boy, he dreamt of pitching for the Dodgers and writing adventure novels. Arm injuries sidelined his burgeoning baseball career, just as rock music became his new passion and purpose. Founding the band Kara’s Flowers in 1994 with fellow Brentwood High School students Jesse Carmichael, Mickey Madden, and Adam Levine, Ryan worked tirelessly through his college years at UCLA before the band changed its name to Maroon 5 and finally had its first hit record, Songs About Jane. Multiple hit songs, two Grammy Awards, and 20 million albums sold later, Ryan found himself suffering and without direction as his career as a performer came to an end, just as it was taking off.

Struggling with physical and mental health challenges, Ryan finally overcame his struggles in 2016, when he began his journey of recovery, culminating in a new life path full of meaning, purpose, and fulfillment. Now working as a mental health professional at The Missing Peace Center for Anxiety in Agoura Hills, CA, Ryan is spreading the message that recovery is possible, and some astounding things can come with it.

Learn more about Ryan’s book, Harder to Breathe

Irem Eliassen, BS
Alice G Brandfonbrener Young Investigator Award Winner

Irem Eliassen is a physiotherapist who graduated from Hacettepe University Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Department in 2009. Since 2015, she has been running Norway’s first performing Arts medicine clinic called Scenekunstklinikken in Bergen. Besides being a therapist, she is an Argentinian tango dancer who represents Norway in the world championship of Argentinian Tango. Through Scenekunstklinikken, she has been working with Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Bergen Philharmonic Youth Philharmonic Orchestra, The Royal Norwegian Navy Band, Carte Blanche and Mer Film. Furthermore, she is physiotherapist for elite springboard divers in Bergen Stupeklubb. She has also given talks about basic shoulder anatomy for musicians, breathing and pelvic floor exercises for brass instrumentalists and stage fright. Once a week she teachs technique classes concerning the ergonomic use of high heels, and exercises to prevent injuries to feet and ankles for dancers. She had been studying Performing Arts Medicine at University College London in 2020-2022.

Britney Brinkman, PhD
Invited Speaker

Dr. Britney Brinkman is an Associate Professor in the Psychology Department and serves as the Director of Clinical Training and Placement Coordinator for the PsyD program in Clinical Psychology at Point Park University. She is a licensed psychologist in the state of Pennsylvania and has worked extensively with children, adolescents and young adults. She has provided individual therapy and clinical supervision for therapy for pre-professional and professional dancers. Dr. Brinkman has collaborated with Minding the Gap, an organization seeking to support the mental health of dancers and transform dance culture.

Dr. Brinkman leads the Social Justice Psychology research team and specializes in community-engaged research. She has published numerous articles and book chapters related to community-based research, youth activism, social justice, and program development and evaluation. Her recent book Girls’ Identities and Experiences of Oppression in Schools: Resilience, Resistance, and Transformation was published in 2022. Dr. Brinkman provides community and organizational workshops and trainings related to diversity, equity, and inclusion, supporting mental health in schools and workplaces, mindfulness interventions, and culturally responsive mental health first aid.

Juilliard Medical Staff
Invited Panel Presenters

Physical Therapy

The physical therapy service at Juilliard is unique in that students from all of the performing-arts disciplines —music, dance, drama, and voice—are treated in one setting. Free physical therapy is available to all students and appointments are scheduled every 30 minutes. Students in all disciplines are encouraged to seek guidance and take preventative measures by scheduling a physical therapy appointment before an injury becomes debilitating. The large physical therapy suite (located on the 22nd floor of the Meredith Willson Residence Hall Room 2204B) is equipped with modalities such as ultrasound, electro-stimulation and paraffin, Pilates machine, and an array of exercise apparatus.

All physical therapists have extensive experience and training in the treatment of performing artists. The therapist evaluates the student’s injury and technique to develop an individualized treatment program. Treatment focuses on manual therapy, alignment, and therapeutic exercise to improve muscle balance and movement strategies. The goal is to educate the student in self-care for healthful performance. The physical therapist will refer some students (depending on their injury) for consultation with the on-site consulting physiatrist who sees patients in the Health Services clinic on Wednesdays.

Occupational Therapy

The occupational therapist (O.T.) also cares for students from all disciplines and sees acute injuries or ongoing problems in upper extremities (shoulder, elbow, wrist and hand). Appointments for occupational therapy are scheduled every 30 minutes.

Upper extremity therapy is carried out primarily by the occupational therapist who treats the current injury, then works to regain previous conditioning, and to avoid recurrence. Each student receives individual care to meet the unique challenges of their schedule of practicing and performance. The occupational therapist will refer some students (depending on their injury) for consultation with the on-site physiatrist who sees patients in the Health Services clinic on Wednesdays.

The O.T. sees all types of hand, wrist, elbow and shoulder injuries. The first evaluation includes tests and measurements to determine a unique treatment plan with immediate and long term goals. Treatment may include modalities, joint and soft tissue mobilization, splinting, active exercises, strengthening and conditioning. To effect the most useful treatment the O.T. also works with the student in their performing medium. The primary goal for treatment is a full and successful return to performance.

Chiropractic Care

Chiropractic Care for the performing artist – music, dance, drama and voice – is an outgrowth of sports medicine, yet distinctive for the specialized needs of the performing artist. Specializing in conservative care of the neck and back, it incorporates spinal alignment, soft tissue imbalances, posture and decreasing stressors placed on the human frame.

Chiropractic performing arts care deals not only with the elimination of pain and stress on the muscular skeletal system but also creating the best conditions for optimal performance. Chiropractic care at Juilliard achieves this through close collaboration with physical therapy and a team approach to care.

Kathleen McGuire Gaines
Invited Speaker

Kathleen is a former dancer, a writer, and a fundraiser. She is also one of millions of people who have battled depression.

As a dancer Kathleen trained at the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School and the San Francisco Ballet School in their pre-professional divisions. She also spent summers at the School of American Ballet and the Chautauqua Festival program.

Over the last 10 years, Kathleen has written more than 100 articles on dance for Dance Magazine, Pointe, Dance Spirit, and Dance Teacher magazines. As a result she has had the opportunity to conduct nearly 1,000 interviews with dancers, teachers and dance medical professionals. In 2014 she was named a contributing writer to Dance Magazine.

Kathleen is also a dedicated nonprofit development professional and was the Director of Development at the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy where she worked for more than 7 years raising money to support public parks. She serves as a member of the development committee for the International Association of Dance Medicine and Science.

Minding the Gap was founded as a reaction to the outpouring of support Kathleen received after she posted the article Why are we still so bad at addressing dancers’ mental health on the Dance Magazine website in the summer of 2017. Her ambition is to enact a movement which results in mental health being regarded with the same seriousness as physical health in dance culture.

Laurie Glasser, MD
Invited Speaker

Laurie L. Glasser, M.D., is a renowned quadruple board-certified sports medicine physician with a passion for treating the injuries of dancers and performing artists. Her extensive training and experience as a former dancer have given her a comprehensive perspective on the physical demands and unique injuries of performing artists.

As a member of the International Association for Dance Medicine and Science (IADMS), the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine (AMSSM), and the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine (AIUM), Dr. Glasser remains at the forefront of sports medicine and dance medicine research.

Dr. Glasser’s practice at Orthopaedic Institute Brielle Orthopaedics in New Jersey is primarily focused non-surgical sports medicine and evidence-based treatment of athletes and dance and performing artists’ injuries. Her research interests are preventing and treating reinjury in athletes. In her daily sports medicine practice, she incorporates the use of musculoskeletal ultrasound technology which allows her to instantly assess and diagnose many injuries right in the office. Her compassionate and personalized care and rehabilitation approach is available to dancers at every level from novice to professional.

Lucinda Halstead, MD
Invited Speaker

Lucinda Halstead, MD is an Associate Professor in the Departments of Otolaryngology- Head & Neck Surgery and the Department of Pediatrics at the Medical University of South Carolina. Dr. Halsteadâ€™s interests in laryngology, voice, performing arts medicine, swallowing and pediatric otolaryngology led her to found the MUSC Voice Center in 1987. In 2000, the Voice Center expanded and she became the Medical Director of the MUSC Evelyn Trammell Institute for Voice and Swallowing. She is Past President of the Performing Arts Medicine Association and the laryngologist for the internationally renowned Spoleto Festival USA. She lectures nationally and internationally on the topics of vocal health, disorders of the singing voice, laryngopharyngeal reflux disorders and pediatric voice and swallowing disorders. She is a member of The Voice Foundation, Collegium Medicorum Theatri, and the American Society of Pediatric Otolaryngology, amongst others.

Susan Raeburn, PhD
Invited Panel Presenter

Dr. Susan Raeburn is a licensed clinical psychologist in independent practice in Oakland, CA with a special interest in working with performing artists. She attended U.C.L.A. (BA), San Francisco State University (M.A.), and the Wright Institute, Berkeley (PhD). Following internship training at Stanford University Medical Center, she was a staff psychologist there in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine (1983-1992). She later worked as a staff psychologist in Chemical Dependency Services at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center, Walnut Creek, CA (1992-2016).

In addition to her clinical practice, Susan has published numerous peer-reviewed articles on eating disorders, addictions, and musician mental health. With Eric Maisel, she co-authored Creative Recovery: A Complete Addiction Treatment Program That Uses Your Natural Creativity (Shambhala, 2008.) Susan has been active at music industry conferences (South by Southwest, North by Northwest, NARAS, The Future of Music Coalition, The Experience Music Project), The College Music Society, and the Performing Arts Medicine Association where she is on the Editorial Board of their journal, Medical Problems of Performing Artists.

She contributed two chapters in Touring and Mental Health: The Music Industry Manual from Omnibus Press/London (2023).

As an amateur guitarist/singer, Susan considers one of her most meaningful qualifications in working with performers is being the daughter of touring musicians, big band leader Boyd Raeburn and jazz vocalist Ginnie Powell.

Marissa T. Schaeffer, PT, DPT, OCS, CSCS
PAMA Symposium Committee Co-Chair

Marissa T. Schaeffer, PT, DPT, OCS, CSCS, (she/her) is the owner of FlySpace Physical Therapy. She is a graduate of the SUNY Purchase College Conservatory of Dance and earned her doctorate in physical therapy from Columbia University. She has worked as a senior therapist at Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, the Limón Dance Company, HopeBoykinDance, Steps on Broadway, St. Ann’s Warehouse, Roundabout Theatre, Freestyle Love Supreme and more! She has presented at multiple dance medicine and science conferences and has written and contributed to articles in Dance Magazine, Dance Teacher Magazine and Dance Studio Life. Marissa is also a published author in the Journal of Dance Medicine and Science.

Aviva Wolff, EdD, OT, CHT
PAMA Symposium Committee Co-Chair

Aviva Wolff, EdD, OT, CHT is an occupational therapist, clinician-scientist with experience working with performing artists and individuals with upper extremity musculoskeletal overuse injuries. She consults for the Julliard School, and runs the upper extremity clinical movement analysis programs and biomechanics research at the Leon Root, MD Motion Analysis Laboratory at Hospital for Special Surgery in New York.

Her research interest is in the prevention and treatment of musculoskeletal occupational overuse injuries. Dr. Wolff has served in leadership capacities in multiple professional organizations, and has published multiple papers and book chapters. She is currently President-Elect of the American Hand Therapy Society.

Kathleen Davenport, MD
Invited Speaker/Panel Presenter

Kathleen L. Davenport, M.D. is a Sports, Performing Arts and Dance Medicine physician. She is the Director of Physiatry at HSS FL. She completed her Doctorate of Medicine (M.D.) at the University of South Florida in Tampa, FL, where she received an award for Excellence in Medical Humanities and the Joseph Collin’s Foundation of New York Scholarship. Dr. Davenport completed her residency in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of Washington in Seattle, WA. While there, she helped found Seattle Performing Arts and Dance Medicine (SeaPAM), including a free dance medicine clinic. She graduated residency with the Outstanding Resident Research Award, having completed research on dance injuries, dancer access to healthcare, and concussions in soccer players. Dr. Davenport then completed a Spine and Sports Fellowship at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York, NY, where she worked with dance medicine physicians and published articles on hip injuries, and platelet rich plasma injections. Dr. Davenport is the Company Physician for Miami City Ballet, serves as Vice President/President-Elect for IADMS, and is past Co-Chair of the Dance/USA Task Force on Dancer Health. She is active in research and lectures nationally and internationally to advance wellness in athletes of all abilities and disciplines.

Essentials of Performing Arts Medicine Certificate Course