What inspired you to become a PT?

Growing up, I was passionate about gymnastics, so injuries were a part of my life. Any time I saw an orthopedist for an injury or a chronic issue, I’d usually get the same frustrating advice, “Take three weeks off before going back to gymnastics.” Anyone who’s familiar with competitive gymnastics knows that it’s not realistic as the sport demands many hours of training to be successful and extended time off isn’t always an option. I got tired of hearing that from doctors who didn’t really understand the demands of artistic sports so that’s what ultimately pushed me to become a PT. I knew I wanted to help performing artists get back to their sport or work in a way that made sense for them.

How did you break into the performing arts world?

I got lucky! I always knew I wanted to be a performing arts PT, and by chance, I found out that Touro School of Health Sciences had a clinical affiliation with NeuroTour Physical Therapy, a company that specializes in treating performing artists working on both Broadway and off-Broadway shows. Since their student spots were limited and in high demand, I had to apply to do my final clinical rotation with them. I was grateful to get selected! During my time there, I built a great relationship with my clinical instructor, and we stayed in touch after graduation. When I later applied to work there, she served as a reference for me, which helped to give me a leg up on competition.

What is a typical day on the job as the resident PT for shows like Sleep No More, The Lion King and Beautiful: The Carole King Musical?

When working backstage as a PT for these shows, the job is primarily manual therapy based. You typically arrive at the theater two hours before the show starts and stay until the curtain falls. Performers sign up for PT sessions that are usually 20 to 30 minutes in duration, depending on the show, and I help them prepare for the night’s performance with quick assessments, manual therapy, taping, and occasionally offering suggestions for modifying choreography if something is causing pain or increasing injury risk. If there’s an occasional night where none of the off-stage performers sign up for PT during the show, you can sometimes head down to the stage and watch from the wings, which is an amazing bonus of working in this field!

Most of the work revolves around injury prevention and managing chronic issues, but there’s also an element of acute care. If a performer gets injured onstage, you may be called to the side-stage area for a quick assessment to help them decide whether they should continue to perform. These moments don’t happen every night, but when they do, you must move fast, make quick and educated judgment calls, and sometimes tape something up in record time; all before they need to be back onstage.

Congrats on recently being hired as the PT at Moulin Rouge! What are some aspects of this role that you’re most excited about?

One of the things I love about working in theater is that every show has its own unique backstage culture, so I’m really looking forward to meeting new people and getting to know this cast. There are a lot of dance routines in the show, which makes it especially exciting to dive into the choreography to better understand the physical demands of the performers. It’s always a thrill to get to learn a new show from a perspective that so few people get to experience.

How did you help actors handle the intense physical demands of Sleep No More, an immersive play where audience members wore masks and followed performers around in a five-story building?

Sleep No More was a bit of an atypical experience compared to the usual Broadway show due to the unique nature of immersive theater. With high-intensity choreography and the unpredictability of audience movement, the dancers were at a much higher risk of injury than in other productions. Because of this, injury prevention was a top priority. A big part of my job was ensuring performers had proper warm-ups, providing choreography-specific exercises to address problem areas, and conducting general screenings for new cast members. These screenings helped identify potential injury risks so I could give each performer individualized exercises based on their role and the physical demands of the show. A production like this requires a deep understanding of the choreography to give relevant and specific advice tailored to each individual role.

How did Touro’s DPT program prepare you for your career?

Touro’s DPT program gave me the solid foundation needed to jumpstart my career. In the field of performing arts, PTs must have a strong grasp of anatomy, orthopedic assessment, and manual therapy, and all the hands-on lab sessions at the School of Health Sciences were especially helpful in building those critical skills. While nothing fully prepares you for the real-world challenges of patient care, Touro’s program gave me the confidence and clinical reasoning I needed to establish that critical foundation and grow into a successful performing arts PT.

Can you share a memorable moment from your time working in theater?

One of my favorite memories from working in theater is from my time at Sleep No More. There was an accident during a scene where partnering choreography went wrong, and a dancer suffered a serious, almost career-ending injury. I was there through the entire process—from splinting the injury and seeing them off to the emergency room, to assisting with their rehabilitation and ultimately, helping them return to the stage.

In this line of work, you naturally develop close relationships with performers and seeing them sidelined by an injury can be devastating. Being there for them, both physically and emotionally, is just as important as the rehab itself. Also, getting to watch them return to doing what they love after months of hard work while knowing you played a major role in that process is incredibly rewarding. Over the years, I’ve found that dancers are some of the most grateful patients to work with because they truly appreciate the help in getting them back to their passion.