When the Harkness Center for Dance Injuries was founded 30 years ago, dance medicine was under-researched, and most dancers could not get quality treatment. Donald J. Rose, MD, clinical associate professor in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at NYU Langone Health, saw this disparity in care and set out to create a facility designed to treat dancers, with an education and research focus to grow the new field of dance medicine.

Every year, the center’s Dance Clinic sees more than 1,200 dancers, offering dance-centered care from experienced experts.

While treating injuries has always been at the heart of their work, the team of physical therapists, athletic trainers, and physicians have put an emphasis on preventative care services in recent years. They teach dancers, parents of dancers, and dance instructors about nutrition, mental health, and how everything factors into keeping a dancer healthy and performing their best.

“Dancers should be running towards the health practitioners that understand them so that injury doesn’t end their career prematurely," Dr. Rose tells Dance Magazine. “We always try to be accessible even if we are busy. How can we help you get to where you want to be?”

Read more from Dance Magazine.