OUR WORK

TEAMING UP WITH LOCAL LEADERS

IADMS's mission is to enhance health, well-being, training, and performance in dance by cultivating medical, scientific, and educational excellence.

At IADMS, our work is focused on meeting the medical, training, and performance needs of the dance community. Together, with dedicated active leaders in dance medicine and science, and local partner organizations, our programs are making dancers and performers across the globe safer and healthier. We offer a wide collection of public and members-only resources and publications that are guided by research and clinical findings in the field. We invite you to explore all we offer and to join us in our mission to improve dancer health and the use of dance to improve health outcomes.

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OUR HISTORY

IADMS was officially formed in 1990, led by Allan Ryan, MD, and Justin Howse, MD, with the goal to enhance the health, well-being, training, and performance of dancers by cultivating medical, scientific, and educational excellence while promoting an active network of communication between dance and medicine. IADMS began as a direct result of the National Dance Association’s Committee on Dance Science and Medicine, which was initiated by Dr. Ryan, and included other notable individuals, including Jan Dunn, MS, Martha Myers, MA, Janice Plastino, PhD, Ruth Solomon, Emeritus, and Robert Stephens, DO.

In 1996, IADMS was registered as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, organized under the United States of America. As a 501(c)(3), IADMS does not participate in any political activities and directly prohibits its members from participating in such activities within the discussion sections of this website. All donations to IADMS are 100% tax-deductible.

 

OUR TEAM

OF EXTRAORDINARY AND DEDICATED INDIVIDUALS

IADMS is supported by a diverse and international group of leaders and individuals actively connected with the healthcare, research, education, administration, and supervision of dancers.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

IADMS board members are elected by its membership to represent the constituency and provide guidance and expertise to advance the organization’s mission.

Nancy Kadel, MD
President
Nancy Kadel is an orthopaedic surgeon specializing in foot and ankle reconstruction. Her academic interest and passion is the care of dancers. She studied dance and science at Sarah Lawrence College, USA, was a scholarship student at Jacob’s Pillow, and performed with several dance companies. She graduated from the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle, fulfilled her residency training in Boston at the Harvard Orthopaedic program, and completed a Foot and Ankle fellowship at the New England Baptist Hospital. She has taught ballet and modern dance classes, and she has choreographed several works.

In San Francisco, Nancy served as Medical Director of the Healthy Dancers’ Clinic, a free injury prevention and screening clinic for dancers housed in the ODC Dance Commons. In Seattle, she volunteers at the SeaPAM Performing Arts monthly clinic. She has lectured internationally on dance injury prevention and published original research on stress fractures, surgical techniques, and dance biomechanics.

As an IADMS member since 2003, Nancy has attended most of the Annual Meetings, and she has served as an Associate Editor for the Journal of Dance Medicine & Science. She worked to get continuing medical education/CEU accreditation for the Birmingham and Washington, DC meetings. She is currently Co-Chair of the Dance/USA Task Force, and she serves on the Dance/USA Executive Board of Trustees. Nancy sits on the Board of Directors for the Performing Arts Medicine Association (PAMA), and she has recently completed her term as President of PAMA from 2014–2016.
Kathleen Davenport, MD
Vice President/President Elect
Kathleen Davenport has been an IADMS member since 2001. As a Physiatrist and Sports Medicine Physician, she has worked toward dancer wellness as Company Physician for Miami City Ballet and in treating studio dancers, university dance students, and professional dancers of all backgrounds.

As the 2020-2022 Co-Chair for the Dance/USA Task Force on Dancer Health, she values collaboration across disciplines and mutual respect across professions. She served as the Co-Chair of the Colloquium on the Clinical Care of Dancers at IADMS 2015, working across disciplines to explore best practices for dancer wellness as well as lecture formats for IADMS members.

Kathleen has been on research protocols since high school and won the Resident Research Award at the University of Washington. As an active dancer and member of her local community, she has worked to found and grow community organizations.
Peter Lewton-Brain, DO, MA
Past President
After moving from being a principal dancer with eminent ballet companies, Peter retrained as a dance educator and an osteopath. Peter is the immediate Past-President of the International Association of Dance Medicine & Science (IADMS), using his dancing, osteopathic, and academic experience to transform the outreach, communication, and dissemination of knowledge by IADMS. Simultaneously Peter is studying for his PhD at Trinity Laban Conservatory of Music & Dance and is head of the Health and Performance Team at the Ballets de Monte-Carlo and the dance and health Scientific Adviser of the Pôle National Supérieur de Danse Rosella Hightower in Cannes/Mougins, France, as well as being the President of the Association Danse Médecine Recherche in Monaco and France.
Claire Hiller, PT, PhD
Treasurer
Claire Hiller is a physiotherapist who worked for many years with adolescent dancers. She is now a Senior Lecturer at the University of Sydney, Australia and researches in the areas of dance for health, and musculoskeletal health with a focus on ankle injury. She is passionate about fostering collaborations in the dance field to further evidence-based practice for dancer health, the use of dance for health, and indigenous dance forms.
She has been a member of IADMS for many decades and has served on the Research Committee and the Board. In the past, she organized the Physical Therapy Special Interest Days at the Annual Conferences.
Zahara Carpenter, BFA
Director-at-Large (Professional Member)
Jill Descoteaux, PhD, AT
Director-at-Large (Professional Member)
Jill is a faculty member at West Virginia University, Dance Science Emphasis Area in the Exercise Physiology department. She has 6 years of IADMS leadership experience; 4 as the Student Representative on the board of directors (2017 - 2021) and 2 years as a Student Committee member (2012 - 2014). Clinically, Jill is an athletic trainer, with experience working in three performing arts clinics around the United States including for Cirque du Soleil in Las Vegas, Nevada. During her time as the IADMS Student Representative (2017 - 2021), she worked closely with the Student Committee in developing and participating in programming for students, redesigning and enhancing the utility and aesthetics of the IADMS Instagram, and assisting in student-focused proposals such as the Mentorship Program. As a board member, Jill has assisted with the Journal of Dance Medicine & Science, Strategic Planning, Conference planning, and has served on two board committees (Finance & Ethics). Her vision for IADMS is to be a connecting organization between existing dance medicine and science organizations and to support the development of budding dance medicine and science networks. She supports IADMS producing more materials to directly help dancers and dance educators, such as scientifically-supported videos, texts, and blog posts. She has and will continue to push for more translated materials to enhance the global community of IADMS. Jill’s passion in the field is access to healthcare for all dancers; specifically supporting the development of flexible and robust dancer health networks in order for dancers of all genres and financial abilities to have access to and receive quality care.
Lauren Elson, MD
Director-at-Large (Professional Member)
Lauren Elson, MD is board-certified in sports medicine and in physical medicine and rehabilitation. She attended Tufts University School of Medicine, did her residency at New York Presbyterian Hospital Columbia/Cornell, and completed a fellowship in Sports Medicine at Stanford University. She is currently the Director of Dance Medicine at Spaulding Rehabilitation and an Instructor at Harvard University.

She is a former professional dancer and instructor of jazz, ballet, tap, hip-hop, African, swing, and salsa, and she has danced with Cambridge Dance Company since its inception in 2012. Currently, she is the chair of the Freelance Dancer Committee on the Dance/USA Task Force on Dance Health. She has lectured nationally and internationally on dance health and injury prevention to dancers and professional organizations and has recently published an introductory textbook for physicians interested in treating artists: Performing Arts Medicine.
Gayanne Grossman, PT, EdM, BFA, FIADMS
Director-at-Large (Professional Member)
Gayanne is a dancer, dance educator, author, researcher, and a physical therapist specializing in performing arts medicine. She works with dancers of all levels from professional to amateur. She served International Association for Dance Medicine and Science (IADMS) on the Board of Directors (BOD) for over 12 years (6 two-year terms) and was recently reelected to serve a 7th term. Gayanne is on the BOD of the Bridge Dance Project whose mission is to liaise the commercial and competition dance world with experts in dance medicine and science. Gayanne is adjunct faculty for Johns Hopkins University Peabody Institute. She is the Director of Dance Wellness and an adjunct professor for Muhlenberg College Department of Theatre and Dance. She wrote the textbook: Dance Science: Anatomy, Movement Analysis, Conditioning and is Editor-in-Chief of the IADMS Bulletin for Dancers and Teachers. She published original peer reviewed research most notably on turnout and tibial torsion measurement in dancers, authored the hip chapter for the American Physical Therapy Association’s (APTA) monograph on dance medicine, and the chapter on career transitions for the National Dance Association. She has given lectures, scientific presentations, grand rounds, and movement-based workshops in Europe, Asia, Canada, and the United States of America. She helped design the dance curriculum for the certification course in Performing Arts Medicine for Performing Arts Medical Association (PAMA) in conjunction with the American College of Sports Medicine, has been faculty from 2018 to 2021, and chaired the dance track in 2019. Gayanne served the APTA Performing Arts Special Interest Group on the BOD and as chair of the Nominating Committee. She also served the APTA as a content expert for the Performing Arts Practice Analysis that helped the APTA declare Performing Arts Medicine a specialty. Gayanne received a Presidential Award for the keynote speech at the National Dance Association’s (NDA) Annual Conference in 2012. She was awarded fellowship status by IADMS for excellence in research and contributions to the field in 2014. The National Dance Society presented Gayanne with the Advocate Award Honoree for advocacy in the dance field in 2018. Gayanne’s physical therapy experience includes the Pennsylvania Ballet, the University of Utah Departments of Ballet and Modern Dance, Muhlenberg College Department of Theatre and Dance, Temple University Department of Dance, and the Princeton Ballet School. Gayanne’s teaching and curriculum design experience in universities includes anatomy and kinesiology, research methods, modern dance technique, and dance conditioning. Gayanne has devoted her professional life to the health, wellness, and education of performing artists.
Matthew Grierson, MD
Director-at-Large (Professional Member)
Matthew Grierson, MD is a board-certified physiatrist with subspecialty certification in sports medicine. He holds a BFA in modern dance from the University of Utah and has received his medical degree from Boston University School of Medicine.

Dr. Grierson is Medical Director for the Seattle Clinic for Performing Artists and is a co-founder of a free clinic in Seattle that provides free medical care to uninsured or underinsured performing artists. He is an active member of the Dance/USA Taskforce on Dancer Health and served as a member of the IADMS Development Committee. He has a strong commitment to principles of public health and has helped influence healthcare policy through service on county and state medical society boards as well as through work as Speaker of the Washington State Medical Association House of Delegates and as a representative to the American Medical Association.

His clinical practice serves as a resource for dancers across the spectrum of age, ability, and function. Dr. Grierson cares for professional dancers from the Pacific Northwest Ballet, Whim W’him, and Spectrum Dance companies and works with university dancers from Cornish College of the Arts and the University of Washington. He holds a clinical faculty appointment with the University of Washington Department of Rehabilitation Medicine and is involved in teaching residents and medical students, helping to usher in the next generation of dance medicine professionals.
Megan Richardson, MS, Dipl Ac, LAc, ATC
Director-at-Large (Professional Member)
Megan is an acupuncturist and an athletic trainer who specializes in manual therapy and functional training. For the past 21 years she has provided backstage coverage to numerous dance companies and Broadway shows and has presented on issues related to athlete's and dancer's health and rehabilitation both nationally and internationally. Megan first joined the IADMS community as a college student attending the Annual Meeting in Hartford Connecticut in 1998. She has been an active member ever since: attending and presenting at many conferences, sitting on the Membership and Development committees, as the host city conference coordinator in 2002, and a reviewer for the Journal of Dance Medicine and Science. She is honored and excited to contribute to the organization as a Board of Directors member.
Nefeli Tsiouti, MA, MS, PT
Director-at-Large (Professional Member)
Nefeli has obtained the: BSc Physical Therapy (European University Cyprus), BA French Literature (University of Athens), MSc Dance Science (Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music & Dance), MA Choreography (Middlesex University), and Diploma Sports Massage Therapy (Sports Therapy UK). She is the Founder of Project Breakalign since 2013, an international, interdisciplinary research project for Breakers and hip-hop dancers, specializing in physical conditioning and injury prevention. The project received a grant from the CND in France for the creation of the Breakalign Methodology (2015-17), a supplementary conditioning program for Breakers. Project Breakalign research, lectures, and therapy have taken place worldwide in universities, conferences, dance camps such as also Catch the Flava, Outbreak, Red Bull BC1, IBE, Street Style Lab, and more. Nefeli has served in the Dance Educators Committee of the International Association for Dance Medicine & Science (IADMS) between 2017-2021 and is currently on the Board of Directors of IADMS (2021-2023). She is also an assessor for Safe in Dance International in Greece and the UK. Her work has expanded from a professional dance career in breaking, hip-hop dance theatre, to becoming an educator, lecturer, researcher, and also currently a physical therapist and injury prevention specialist for dancers. She is also a Scientific Collaborator at the European University Cyprus Medical Department, the organizer of the Cyprus Dance Science Conference and the Cyprus Hip-hop Dance Theatre Platform since 2018. Nefeli’s work has received scholarships, grants, and awards, including the Sports Therapist of the Year Award 2018 by the International Federation of Holistic Therapists.
Elizabeth Yutzey, MFA
Student Representative
Elizabeth Yutzey started contemporary dance training in Columbus, OH before continuing to study dance at Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, PA, where she completed a dual BA (Hons) in Dance and Anthropology. Since then, she has performed with various local dance artists and showcased her own choreography in Lancaster, PA, and London, UK. Elizabeth came to Dance Science after briefly working professionally as an archaeologist with a specialization in bioarchaeology. She has since completed her MFA in Dance Science at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance in London, UK. Her research focuses on evaluating methods of measuring creativity in dance science and was presented as a poster at the 2018 annual IADMS conference in Helsinki. Elizabeth recently completed her role as Dance Science Graduate Intern for Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, which included administering musculoskeletal and fitness screenings, lecturing MSc Dance Science students on laboratory methods, and leading various dance science workshops to young dancers and university students across the UK. Elizabeth has been a member of IADMS since 2012 and Chair of the Student Committee since 2018.
Cecil C. Conner, Jr., LLB
Advisory Board Member
Cecil C. Conner, Jr. is a native of Greensboro, NC. He studied at the University of Vienna in Austria, received his BA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and his LLB from Columbia University School of Law. Mr. Conner is a retired US Navy Lieutenant.

Mr. Conner retired in 2012 after 17 years as Managing Director of Houston Ballet. He currently serves on the boards of American Festival for the Arts, Dance Source Houston, Houston Arts Alliance, the International Association of Dance Medicine and Science, Theater District Houston, and the advisory boards of the Menil Society and the Performing and Fine Arts Society of the University of St. Thomas. He previously served on the boards of the American Guild of Musical Artists Retirement and Health Fund, Career Transition for Dancers, Dance/USA (Chair), Houston First Corporation, the National Association of Regional Ballet, the Texas Institute for Arts in Education, and Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts in New York.

Mr. Conner served as Executive Director of The Joffrey Ballet from May 1992 until April 1995, as the Executive Director of the Pauline Koner Dance Consort from 1976-1981, and as an agent with Tornay Management in New York. He has served on grant panels for Federal, State, and local arts agencies. He also has lectured on dance at Rice University and the University of Houston.

Mr. Conner’s background in the arts is complemented by his extensive law background. From 1980 – 1995, Mr. Conner served as managing partner of and later of counsel to Mandelbaum, Schweiger & Conner in New York City. Previously, Mr. Conner was with Goldman Sachs & Co., and Simpson, Thacher & Bartlett, both in New York.

 

BOARD COMMITTEES

Members of the Board Committees are drawn from voting and non-voting members of the Board of Directors. The standing Board Committees include the Executive Committee, Compensation Committee, Finance Committee, Governance Committee, and Nominations Committee

 

The Executive Committee will consist of at least the President, Vice President/President-Elect, Past President (non-voting), and Treasurer of the current Board of Directors. A key role of the Executive Committee is to keep under review the Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws of the Association and to make recommendations for their amendment to the Board of Directors as they feel such to be necessary.

 

MEMBERS

Nancy Kadel, MD, President

Kathleen Davenport, MD, Vice President/President-Elect

Peter Lewton-Brain, DO, MSc, Past President

Claire Hiller, PhD. PT, Treasurer

 

The Compensation Committee is responsible for reviewing the compensation of all staff and making recommendations for their amendment to the Board of Directors as they feel such to be necessary.

 

 

MEMBERS

Peter Lavine, MD

Gayanne Grossman, PT, EdM

Cecil Conner, LLB

Kathleen Davenport, MD

Lauren Elson, MD

Matthew Grierson, MD

 

The Finance Committee will support the Treasurer in reviewing financial reports and documents and with any other financial decision-making. The treasurer reports directly to the board. 

treasurer@iadms.org

TREASURER

Claire Hiller, PhD, PT

MEMBERS

TBA

 

The Governance Committee is an ad hoc committee whose purpose is to assist the Board in fulfilling its responsibilities through adequate governance policy development, evaluation for necessary Bylaws changes, overseeing the Board’s performance, and/or ensuring compliance with legal entities and guidelines. 

governance@iadms.org

CHAIR

Matthew Grierson, MD

MEMBERS

Peter Lewton-Brain, DO

Nancy Kadel, MD

Cecil C Conner, LLB

Kathleen Davenport, MD

 

The Board of Directors will act as the Nomination Committee for the selection of the Board Endorsed slate for the positions of Vice President/President-Elect and Treasurer. The final slate will be approved by the Board of Directors.

 

MEMBERS

Board of Directors

COMMITTEE CHAIRS

IADMS Operational Committees are staffed by volunteers appointed by the Board of Directors. The Committee's roles are clearly defined under our Bylaws

Ellie Kusner, MSc
Chair, Dance Educators' Committee
Ellie Kusner is a teacher, researcher, writer, and Bessie Award-winning performer. She began performing as a student of The Boston Ballet School, where she danced with the company in many large-scale productions. Realizing that a career in pointe shoes was not her destiny, Ellie went on to earn her BA from Barnard College before embarking on a freelance dance career. She has worked with numerous choreographers including Mark Morris, Pam Tanowitz, Ellen Cornfield, Nilas Martins, and Patricia Hoffbauer, in venues ranging from warehouse rooftops to The Metropolitan Opera House. Ellie holds an MSc in Dance Science from Trinity Laban, London, UK and enjoys exploring and implementing evidence-based teaching practices to enhance the learning, health, and performance of dancers. Ellie has taught at various institutions including Hofstra University, American Ballet Theater’s JKO School, Boston Ballet, Barnard College, Slippery Rock University, Gallim, and Trinity Laban. She currently teaches pilates to dancers at The Juilliard School and to all populations in the Wellness Center at the Mark Morris Dance Center. Ellie is also the co-host of DanceWell Podcast, a resource dedicated to exploring 360 degrees of health and wellness for dancers, and she has written about dance and wellness for Dance Teacher and Pointe Magazines.
Clare Guss-West, BHum, MA
Chair, Dance For Health Committee
Transitioned professional dancer, choreographer, opera director to Chi Kung practitioner, therapeutic masseur, international holistic wellness managing director and author.

Today, Clare’s specialist work translates Attentional Focus research findings for direct daily dance practice. Findings are adapted as easy to use, complementary tools for dancers, dance educators and healthcare practitioners. Attentional focus strategies enhance the physical and mental performance of pre-professional, professional dancers and equally that of all dancing publics. Clare teaches AF workshops and class at Finnish National Ballet & School, Ballet de L’Opèra du Rhin, Houston Ballet, The Royal Ballet, L’Ecole Superieure de Danse de Cannes et Marseille, Opèra de Paris-Opèra Université. She lectures on Older Adult Dance Practice for the MAS Dance Science programme, Bern University, Switzerland, for the University Côte d’Azur, France and for the Royal Academy of Dance.

Director of the European ‘Dance & Creative Wellness’ Foundation, Clare leads an international benchmarking initiative for the dance for health sector and lobbies for the validation of dance in innovative preventative healthcare.
Stephanie De’Ath, MSAC, BA
Chair, Development Committee
Prior to graduating from North London School of Sports Massage (NLSSM), Stephanie completed Trinity Laban’s MSc Dance Science programme and professional dance training at Middlesex University. Stephanie’s dance background and Dance Science studies initiated a keen interest in the areas of movement analysis, injury surveillance and rehabilitation. After studying these topics extensively during undergraduate/postgraduate study, Stephanie decided she wanted to have a more ‘hands-on’ approach and subsequently this led to pursuing the course at NLSSM.

Stephanie is now Sports and Remedial Massage Therapist (SRMT) at London Contemporary Dance School and is a lecturer in Dance Science at Bird College and senior tutor at NLSSM, alongside guest lecturing at London Studio Centre and Royal Academy of Dance. Throughout Stephanie’s diploma and subsequent CPD training she has acquired a range of advanced soft tissue techniques including; deep tissue massage, muscle energy technique, soft tissue release, positional release, neuromuscular technique, kinesiotaping, instrument assisted soft tissue massage, lymphatic drainage, posture assessment, movement assessment, exercise prescription and ScarWork(c) . Stephanie’s practice is evidence based and she keeps up to date with current research to ensure her treatment is reflective of best practice.
Debra Crookshanks, GradDipManipTher, BAppSc
Chair, Ethics Committee
Debra Crookshanks is an Australian trained and nationally registered musculoskeletal and spinal manipulative physiotherapist, with particular expertise in the field of Dance Medicine.

Debra is primarily a clinician and educator having written the Safe Dance 3 Report, along with the Dance Anatomy component of the University of New South Wales BA.BEd degree, study guides for dance training facilities, and occasional papers specifically for students of dance. She was founding Chair of Dance Physiotherapy Australia, a special interest group within the Australian Physiotherapy Association dedicated to providing continuing education to those caring for dancers, lecturing extensively in the area of lumbo-pelvic pain, and continues to write dance medicine articles for national dance publications in Australia.

Debra is Director of The Dancers Clinic, a private physiotherapy practice in Sydney, NSW providing consultancy physiotherapy to recreational through to professional dancers and performing artists both in-clinic and onsite. She has presented at many IADMS Conferences since 1999, and was Invited Speaker in Seattle, 2013 on the topic of The Dancers Hip.
David Popoli, MD
Chair, Medical Committee
Dr. David Popoli is a board-certified physical medicine and rehabilitation and sports medicine physician. He completed medical residency at Harvard and sports medicine fellowship at Boston Children's. He has previously collaborated with the Boston Ballet and the Atlanta Ballet, USA Cycling, and the US Olympic Training Center. He currently serves as an attending physician in the Department of Orthopedics at Wake Forest Baptist Health and as consulting physician with the University of North Carolina School of the Arts (Winston-Salem, North Carolina).

Dr. Popoli has a strong interest in exploring and implementing multidisciplinary care—specifically the creation and deployment of treatment teams with diverse training backgrounds (PT, MD, PhD, ATC, DC, etc.) with an aim to optimize care for dancers.

He has been the chair of the organizing committee for the 1st/2nd City of Arts and Innovation Dance Medicine conference in Winston-Salem; previous speakers have included Lyle Micheli, MD, Susan Jaffe, Marijeanne Liederbach, PhD, and Jennet Zerbe.
Matthew Wyon, PhD, MSc
Chair, Professional Development Committee
Matthew Wyon, PhD, is a Professor in Dance Science at the University of Wolverhampton, UK and a Visiting Professor at the Division of Surgery and Intervention Science, Institute of Orthopaedics and Musculoskeletal Science, University College London and ArtEZ, Institute of the Arts, The Netherlands. At Wolverhampton, he is the course leader for the MSc in Dance Science and Director of Studies for a number of dance science and medicine doctoral candidates. He is a founding partner of the National Institute of Dance Medicine and Science, UK. Prof. Wyon is a past chair of the Research Committee for the International Association for Dance Medicine & Science. He has worked with numerous dancers and companies within the UK and Europe as an applied physiologist and strength and conditioning coach. He has published over 90 peer-reviewed articles in dance medicine and science.
Kelli Sharp
Johanna Osmala
Co-Chairs, Program Committee
Sarah Needham Beck
Chair, Promotion Committee
Sarah is a Research Fellow in Exercise Physiology at the University of Chichester, UK. Her primary role is within the University’s Occupational Performance Research Group, where she conducts research related to the selection, training, and performance of personnel working within physically demanding occupations. In addition to this, Sarah is involved in delivery of the BSc/MSci Dance Science program at Chichester, teaching across Physiology and Research Methods modules and supervising student research projects. Sarah is also undertaking research in collaboration with colleagues in the University’s Dance Department investigating areas including the training load of dance students and the physiological demands of professional touring.

Sarah has a range of teaching, research, project management, and advocacy experience within dance science through previous roles in the Dance Science Department at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance and as a Manager of the Healthier Dancer Programme at One Dance UK. She received both her PhD (2017) and MSc (2010) in Dance Science from Trinity Laban, following her BSc in Sport and Exercise Sciences (2009) at the University of Exeter.

Sarah has been an IADMS member since 2009, during which time she has served two terms as Chair of the Student Committee and three terms on the Promotion Committee. She is passionate about her role in promoting the association and the wonderful work it does.
Jacqueline Dimmock, MS, BA
Chair, Publications Committee
Jacqueline is a Performing Arts and Dance Science lecturer in the United Kingdom. She has a Bachelor’s in Dance Studies and a Master’s in Dance Science from the University of Wolverhampton. Over the last few years Jacqueline has utilised these to integrate healthy dance and wellbeing practice within her contemporary dance teaching and lecturing. She has taught in a variety of settings including recreational dance schools, Further and Adult Education and most recently in a vocational Performing Arts School in Wiltshire. Jacqueline has served as a member of the Publications Committee since 2018 and has been the Associate Editor and Editor of the Newsletter during this time.
Derrick Brown, MSc
Chair, Research Committee
Derrick Brown is currently co-program manager and lecturer in dance science at the University of Bern, Institute for Sport Science, Bern Switzerland. In addition, he also is a research fellow at the National Centre for the Performing Arts (the Netherlands) as well as a guest lecturer in health at ArtEZ University of the Arts and the Coronel Institute of Occupational Health, People and Work- Academic Medical Center Amsterdam, both in the Netherlands. He obtained his M.Sc. in Dance Science with honors from the University of Wolverhampton U.K. and is a certified Sport/Performance Nutritionist (CISSN). Derrick has peer-reviewed for several international journals and is currently an editorial board member for the Journal of Dance Medicine & Science. He has (co)authored numerous peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, and books on dance education and performance. Derrick is currently a doctoral candidate in his final year at Radboud University, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour (the Netherlands) where his research crosses empirical theories in cognitive and experimental psychology with queries in dance performance research.

Prior to academia, he worked for thirty-five years professionally in the dance world, first as a dancer, teacher, and rehearsal director. He danced with Peridance, Ballet Manhattan, Pretty Ugly Dance Company, Itzik Galili, and for 10 years with the Mark Morris Dance Group. He has taught ballet for classical and contemporary dancers in dance institutions and companies throughout the EU including Codarts University of the Arts, Amsterdam University of the Arts, Les Ballet de Monte-Carlo, Noord Nederlands Dans, Staatsoper Hannover, The Hessisches Staatstheater Wiesbaden, and Culberg Ballet.
Melissa Mishkin
Lauren Copping
Co-Chairs, Student Committee
Melissa Mishkin is a student at the University of South Carolina where she is pursuing her Bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science. She plans to graduate in May 2022. While at the university, she has been active in helping form the school’s first dance science club, Carolina Dance Science, where she currently serves as Vice President. She has completed research on multiple projects, and is currently studying knee rotation in dancers. Melissa has been a member of the IADMS student committee since 2020 and Co-Chair of the Student Committee since 2021.
Lauren has recently completed her Master of Physical Therapy at the University of British Columbia. She hopes to work with dancers and performing artists to help them on their rehab journey and get them back to doing what they love. Lauren started dancing in Vancouver, BC before moving to Texas to begin her formal dance training. She graduated from Texas A&M University in 2016 with her BS in Dance Science. During that time, she performed throughout the United States and had the opportunity to be involved in multiple research projects. Following undergrad, Lauren continued pursuing research and completed her MFA in Dance Science at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance in 2018. Her thesis investigated dancers' perceptions of memory and the flow experience.
Lauren is excited to be stepping into the role of Co-Chair of the Student Committee. She attended her first IADMS annual conference as an undergraduate student in 2013 and has been a member of the Student Committee since 2018. Lauren looks forward to taking on this new role within the organization!

 

OPERATIONAL COMMITTEES

Our Operational Committees work on the short and long-term goals driven by the strategic plan and vision of the organization. Each committee has a specific purpose and works closely with the Board of Directors and IADMS staff to accomplish their goals.

 

The Dance Educators' Committee provides educational resources for dance teachers, dance students, parents, and dancers; and promotes healthy discourse between them and the allied health practitioners who provide their care. The committee is responsible for the development of the Annual Conference's special interest day, A Day for Teachers; oversees the annual Dance Educator Award; and produces IADMS resource papers, blog posts, and posters.

education@iadms.org 

CHAIR

Ellie Kusner, MSc

MEMBERS

Joe Bowie

Janine Bryant, MA, BFA, SFHEA

Jennifer Deckert, MFA

Michelle Schachtler Dwarika, MA, MAS

Claire Farmer, MSc

Natasha King, MSc, RAD, RTS

Liza Kovacs, MSc

Elin Lobel, PhD, GCFP, CMA

Astrid Sherman, FISTD

Brenton Surgenor, MCouns, MSc, MA, BPhEd

Charmaine Tay, MSc

 

The Dance for Health Committee is an interdisciplinary team of teaching artists, dance educators, researchers, and healthcare professionals. The committee promotes innovation in research and best practice, bringing together the healthcare and dance sectors to facilitate the implementation of dance-based interventions within evolving health and social structures. Advocating for dance as a life-long partner for health and well-being, the Dance for Health Committee builds collaborations among multidisciplinary stakeholders to influence national and international dance for health policy.

Dance for Health provides holistic, evidence-based activities for the individual to manage and adapt to physical, mental, and social health challenges. In Dance for Health sessions, trained teaching artists engage people as dancers, rather than patients, in joyful, interactive, artistic practice.

danceforhealth@iadms.org

CHAIR

Clare Guss-West, MA

MEMBERS

Åsa N. Åström, BA

Annabelle Couillandre, PhD

Sylvie Fortin, PhD

Emily Jenkins, MA

Nicoletta P Lekka, MD, PhD, MSc

David Leventhal, BA

Fran Anthony Meyer, PhD

Hanna Poikonen, PhD

Emma Redding, PhD, MSc

Andrea Schärli, PhD

The Development Committee is responsible for global fundraising efforts that contribute to the financial stability and growth of the organization. As a not-for-profit, IADMS relies on its supporters; the Development Committee fosters these relationships for all levels of support and across a variety of fundraising initiatives.

development@iadms.org

CHAIR

CO-CHAIR

Stephanie De'Ath, MSc

Krystina Nelson, MFA, CPT

MEMBERS

Isabel Artigues

Kathleen McGuire Gaines

Michele Pye, PhD, MS

Hai-Jung Steffi Shih, PT, PhD

Gregory Youdan, MA, MS

The Ethics Committee is an ad hoc committee that is formed at the behest of the Board to review the conduct of individual members. The Ethics Committee is responsible for investigating all complaints and making recommendations to the Board of Directors accordingly. 

ethics@iadms.org

CHAIR

Debra Crookshanks, GRADDIPMANIPTHERAPY, BAPPSC

MEMBERS

Jatin Ambegaonkar, PhD, ATC, OT, CSCS

Emma Redding, PhD, MSc

 

The Medical Committee works with IADMS staff, the Program Committee, and the Professional Development Committee to organize and produce accredited courses that provide continuing medical education (CME) credits for physicians on the topic of dance medicine, including the Annual Conference’s special interest day, A Day for Physicians.

medical@iadms.org

CHAIR

David Popoli, MD

MEMBERS

Philip Bauman, MD

Carolyn Keller, DO

Megan Meier, MD

Lyle Micheli, MD

 

The Professional Development Committee identifies the educational and accreditation needs of the dance medicine and science community to develop resources, online courses, and other initiatives that satisfy gaps in the field.

professionaldev@iadms.org

CHAIR

Matt Wyon, PhD, MSc

MEMBERS

Ana Azevedo, PT, PhD

Steven Karageanes, DO, FAOASM

Nico Kolokythas ASSC, MSc, PhD Candidate

Elaina Manolis, PT, DPT, GCS

Mandy Zhang Jiajia, MD

 

The Program Committee is actively engaged in the planning process for the Annual Conference and Regional Meetings. Further, the committee monitors feedback from members and attendees to ensure high-quality programming is produced to address the needs and wants of the IADMS constituency.

programchair@iadms.org

CHAIR (INTERIM)

Johanna Osmala, PT

Kelli Sharp, DPT

MEMBERS

Judith Peterson, MD

Jeff Russell, PhD, ATC

 

The Promotion Committee contributes to the international profile of IADMS by producing and disseminating marketing materials on behalf of the organization. The committee manages IADMS's social media platforms, creates announcements for meetings and events, and produces the IADMS blog.

promotion@iadms.org

CHAIR

Sarah Needham-Beck, PhD, MSc

MEMBERS

Linda Bluestein, MD

Clara Fischer Gam, MS

Yenwen Kuo, MSc

Leanne Steel, MSc

The Publications Committee is responsible for editing and approving the content of IADMS publications, including the newsletter, The IADMS Bulletin for Dancers and Teachers, resource papers, and posters. The committee also reviews all outgoing messaging, handbooks, Annual Conference documents, and marketing materials. In addition, the committee is responsible for maintaining the IADMS author guidelines and ensuring compliance with them in all official IADMS publications.

publications@iadms.org

CHAIR

Jacqueline Dimmock, MSc

MEMBERS

Elizabeth Agre, PT, DPT

Danielle Aways, MSc, PGCHE, SFHEA

Louise Cabral, MSc

Frances Clarke, PhD, MSc, BA (Hons), PGCE, SFHEA

Lynnette Khoo-Summers PT, DPT

The Research Committee aims to promote and strengthen research excellence within the dance medicine and science community and encourages the dissemination of scholarly research among researchers, educators, and health-care practitioners. The committee adjudicates the Student Research Award and Student Researcher Travel Fund as well as the IADMS poster competition at the IADMS Annual Conference. The committee Chair, in cooperation with current Fellows and the Board of Directors, informs the Fellowship of IADMS( FIADMS) process which recognizes individuals with esteemed professional achievement, skills, knowledge, and service to IADMS and the dance medicine and science community. 

research@iadms.org

CHAIR

Derrick Brown, MSc

MEMBERS

Manuela Angioi, PhD

Soledad Echegoyen Monroy, MD, MEd

Katia Ferrar, PhD

Aline Nogueira Haas, PhD

Catherine Haber, MSc

Dirk Hartog, PT, DPT, OCS, CSCS

Danielle Jarvis, PhD, ATC

Nili Knoop-Steinberg, PhD

Mayumi Kuno-Mizummura, PhD

Lynda Mainwaring, MHK, PhD, C Psych

Angela Pickard, PhD, MA

Tom Welsh, PhD

Alicia Fong Yan, PhD

The Student Committee strives to develop a strong network of students and recent graduates in the field of dance medicine and science. The committee provides networking opportunities, professional development resources, and connections for students all over the globe in an effort to meet the needs of future professionals in the field. 

students@iadms.org

CO-CHAIR

Lauren Copping, MFA, MPT

Melissa Mishkin, BS

MEMBERS

Beth Ackroyd, BA, MS

Madeleine Dardeau, MS

Danielle Schraer

Reina Teh

Yurina Tsubaki

Valeriya Volkova

Martha Waugh

Shannon Ye, DPT

IADMS STAFF

Our staff is dedicated to the execution and support of IADMS's mission and strategic objectives as outlined by the Board and respective Committees.

Leigh Ponniah, MA, MSc
Director of Operations
leigh.ponniah@iadms.org

Leigh Ponniah, MA, MSc, joined IADMS in 2016 as its Director of Development. Since then she has been promoted to Director of Operations, taking on a larger role in managing all aspects of the organization’s programming and membership. Leigh works with the Board of Directors and Committee Chairs to develop new avenues of growth for the organization to ensure its sustainability and financial stability. Prior to joining IADMS, Leigh spent 10 years at the NYU Langone's Harkness Center for Dance Injuries as a Program Coordinator for Education and Marketing. There she developed a number of educational programs for the dance and medical community, provided lectures and workshops on the topic of kinesiology and injury prevention in dance, and helped to increase the visibility of the Center. Leigh received her MSc in Dance Science from Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance in London, UK in 2006, and in 2012 she graduated with an MA in Performance Studies from New York University's Tisch School of the Performing Arts. Leigh has a number of national certifications in fitness training through the National Academy of Sports Medicine, KettleBell Concepts, and Athletics and Fitness Associates of America. She has also served on the Board for the New York State Dance Educators Association and presented her research at a number of international conferences, including the American College of Sports Medicine, National Dance Education Association, and IADMS.
Sutton Anker, MSc
Programming & Marketing Specialist
sutton.anker@iadms.org

Sutton Anker has a strong passion for teaching: dance technique, dance science/wellness, Pilates, and creative movement classes for all ages and abilities. Her interest in dance medicine and science began at the University of Wyoming where she earned her BFA in 2013 in Dance concentration of Science. In 2015, Sutton graduated with her Masters of Science in Dance Science from Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance in London, UK. Sutton has presented two of her mirror research studies including her Master’s thesis, An Investigation of Pedagogical Rationales for Current Mirror Use in a Ballet Technique Class at the 2016 IADMS conference in Hong Kong. Sutton’s personal and academic interest in pedagogy and advocacy for safe dance practice is what drew her to be a Safe in Dance International (SiDI) Registered Provider. Alongside teaching dance technique at a local studio, Sutton is a BASI Pilates instructor educating and working with individuals, and dancers, on their personal wellness. In 2019, Sutton joined IADMS as the Program and Marketing Specialist to assist teams across the organization to plan, coordinate, and implement successful conference programming and marketing campaigns.
Blair Davis
Accountant
accounting@iadms.org

Blair is married to her husband of 41 years, Michael. They have two daughters and 5 grandchildren. Growing up as a dancer, Blair hopes someday that one of her grandchildren will enjoy it as much as she does. Blair continues to utilize her dancing experience and volunteers her time to teach dance exercise/stretch classes at her church. After college, Blair began her career as an auditor for the Navy Exchange at the now-defunct Alameda Naval Air Base in Alameda, California. This, along with many other educational and career opportunities and experiences, led her to establish her Accounting/ Consulting firm over 25 years ago. She is a certified QuickBooks Pro Advisor which provides her with the expertise to work with small to mid-sized corporations, non-profits, and sole proprietor businesses. She assists businesses with management, budgeting, and planning, as well as QuickBooks software set-up, training, and on-going support. Blair specializes in set-up, repair, reorganization, and maintenance of financial systems. She has also conducted forensic auditing in cases of unusual accounting activities, such as employee fraud and embezzlement. Blair enjoys working closely with her clients, teaching them and their employees the most proficient and up-to-date financial systems and software.
David Allen
Information Technology
support@iadms.org

David Allen joined IADMS in 2014 to select and implement a new conference abstract management system. After a successful implementation, David was invited to assume Webmaster of the association. There, he was responsible for managing the website, the new abstract system, and the IADMS email system, along with other technologies. During his time with IADMS, David has helped incorporate new processes, notably an overhaul of the conference registration system. David works closely with the Director of Operations, the Program & Marketing Specialist, and the Program Chair to create a website experience that is seamless for all IADMS website users.

Since studying computer science at The Johns Hopkins University, David has worked successfully with several non-profit organizations to build and maintain award-winning websites and user interface experiences. His skill sets as a programmer and web developer have given him the opportunity to broaden his role as webmaster with other IADMS projects. As a classically trained pianist, David has been able to combine his professional and personal skills and is proud to support the IADMS mission.
Doobie Moseley
Information Technology
doobie@iadms.org

Doobie Moseley has worked with IADMS since January 2019. He has been working in all areas of Information Technology since 1987 but specializes in computer programming. He's also a huge Disney fan and founded a popular website for Disney fans. He has been married for 22 years to the love of his life, Rebekah, and has an 11-year-old son, Gideon. He currently resides in the San Francisco Bay Area of California.

Interested in serving IADMS in a leadership capacity?

We invite any interested member to apply for positions on the IADMS Board of Directors or on one of our Operational Committees! Contact us if you have any questions about these positions and submission requirements.