Dance Physiotherapy

With a focus on injury prevention and management, our physiotherapy for dancers supports a safe return to performance, guided by over a decade of experience across diverse genres and productions, including Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake, Wicked, Kinky Boots, and Matilda.

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Specialist Services

Our Dance Physiotherapy in Manchester

At our clinic, every physiotherapy and rehabilitation assessment for dancers begins with a focused consultation to build a clear picture of what is affecting movement, performance, and injury risk in dance. We regularly support dancers with:

1. Foot & Ankle Injuries

Common in dance due to repetitive loading, jumping, and landing demands. These injuries can affect stability, technique, and a dancer’s ability to tolerate training and performance.

2. Knee Pain & Overuse Injuries

Often linked to alignment, strength imbalance, and repeated movement patterns. Knee pain in dancers may develop gradually or present following changes in training load or choreography.

3. Hip & Pelvic Injuries

Frequently associated with high ranges of motion, turnout demands, and sustained loading. Hip and pelvic issues can affect control, force output, and overall movement efficiency.

4. Lower Back Pain

Linked to repetitive spinal loading, extension-based movements, and compensatory patterns. Symptoms may present suddenly or develop over time in response to ongoing training demands.

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How We Assess

How We Assess Your Injury

At Elite Performance Physio MCR, our approach focuses on targeted dance injury treatment, supporting a gradual reintroduction to training and meets stage requirements.

Our Assessment

Our dance physiotherapy assessment takes into account the specialised demands of dance performance across different environments. This may include:

Assessment of movement patterns specific to dance technique and choreography
Consideration of training load and performance demands
Identification of factors contributing to acute or chronic pain

This enables us to tailor our physiotherapy services to support injury prevention and a safe, efficient return to full training and performance, while prioritising individual needs.

Why This Helps Our Physiotherapists

Through dance-specific assessment informed by movement demands and current performance, our physiotherapists are able to:

Identify contributors to common dance-related injuries
Target areas affected by repetition or specific movements
Support informed return-to-training and performance decisions based on individual progress

We use this understanding to guide personalised physiotherapy care and to determine appropriate rehabilitation progression for each patient.

Our Approach

How Dance Physiotherapy Works

We work closely with leading performance organisations, including the Northern Ballet School in Manchester, the Institute for Contemporary Theatre, Emergence Dance Company, and The Royal Exchange Theatre.

Drawing on this experience, we can support injury prevention and recovery with structured rehabilitation and exercises tailored to dancers.

Step 1: Initial Physiotherapy Assessment

A focused assessment to understand your injury history, movement patterns, training load, and the physical demands of dance in rehearsal and performance.

Step 2: Identification of Dance-Specific Factors

We identify technical, repetitive, and load-related factors that may be contributing to pain, injury, or reduced performance.

Step 3: Targeted Treatment & Rehabilitation Planning

A personalised treatment and rehabilitation plan is developed based on assessment findings, supporting recovery while considering ongoing training demands.

Step 4: Progressive Return to Training & Performance

Rehabilitation progresses in a structured and controlled way, aligned with your recovery, rehearsal schedules, and performance requirements.

Step 5: Ongoing Support & Collaborative Care

To further support your recovery and progression, we coordinate with consultants and fitness professionals as needed, ensuring your rehabilitation remains structured and well-managed.

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What Our Clients Say

Our clients are at the heart of everything we do

Hear from clients who have elevated their performance and long-term well-being with our expert-led care.

Google Reviews

“Block book appointments to avoid disappointment! A professional vocalists best kept secret!! Dan has become a staple to my busy life as a performer. I try to book in as regular as possible if he has a slot available. Dan is amazing, the best in the business. I always leave feeling more relaxed, with clearer tone and ready for performance mode again. I have recommended him to other performers, reluctantly because i want to always make sure I can get an appointment. Thank you Dan!”

Chesqua - Professional Singer

“Dan is without doubt one of the best in his field of work. His knowledge and expertise is second to none. He has helped me not only physically by putting together a specialised plan for my injuries, but also mentally helping me understand by explaining everything throughly and intricately. Dan is warm, friendly and he genuinely cares about each of his clients. My sessions with Dan have not only begun to heal my injuries, but I have built strength, gained knowledge and it’s boosted my confidence. I come out of my sessions with spring in my step!”

Laura Harrison - Professional Music Theatre Performer

“After struggling with my knee for a few months, Dan popped round to make an assessment. He was clear, thoughtful, understood my lifestyle and my desire to get moving. He provided advice, guidance and hands on treatment that helped deal with the swelling and pain. I have recommended him to my son and you only do that when you trust someone to make a difference. Thank you Dan.”

Clare Hayward -Director At Cirus

“I’ve had the pleasure of being treated by Dan on two separate jobs, where he looked after my feet and voice. In only a few sessions I regained total mobility in my feet in a physically intensive show, and more recently have been making use of his vocal massage skills for a vocally demanding role. Dan has an amazing way of finding the crux of the issue and will resolve it with ease, reassurance and expertise. I would recommend Dan to anyone!”

Jed Berry - West End actor

“Dan is an extraordinarily effective physio who has helped me immediately with various joint and muscle problems over the last year and a half. In addition to the treatment he clearly explains the cause of the problems and gives exercises focusing on prevention of reoccurrence and strengthening of the area involved. I feel in great shape thanks to the treatment, core exercises and the inspiration he has given me to get back to running and exercising.”

A. Zuntz - Professional violinist

“An actress friend recommended Dan to me as I needed a vocal massage. I was on tour and my voice was getting tired. I didn’t think I would find someone in Manchester but then my friend told me about Dan. He was amazing. A really nice guy, I immediately felt comfortable and relaxed and he was so good. My voice felt so much better the next day. After that I saw him weekly, not just for my voice but for all the injuries I was sustaining on tour. He fixed my neck, back and calf, and I can’t thank him enough!”

Hayley Tamaddon - Professional actor

“I was referred to Dan by an NHS Speech and Language Therapist for laryngeal physiotherapy. Not only has Dan really helped me with this side of things, but he has also provided manual therapy and exercises for symptoms caused by autoimmune conditions and chronic pain. I am appreciative that Dan has liaised with the other healthcare professionals involved in my care as part of a holistic approach, and they have also appreciated this. He is honest and will tell you if something is likely to help or not and what may be realistic, and reviews your goals with you regularly. I would recommend him to anyone.”

Alexandra Brown - NHS psychologist

“Daniel has a real ability to understand his clients’ needs and implement the most powerful and integrative treatments. Superb in communication and application, he makes a real and lasting difference for successful recovery and physical development. With specific and varying needs, I always come away feeling empowered and reinvigorated. Dan’s the man and I will travel far and wide to get an appointment. Thanks Daniel!”

Rik Makarem - Professional actor

“Dan has helped me a lot with my piano playing related injuries and has gone further than any other physio I’ve had to combat the problem. I return regularly not only to maintain my wellbeing but to have a catch up too. I highly recommend Dan to anyone!”

Mackenzie Paget - Classical pianist

FAQs

Your Questions About Dance Physiotherapy

Is Dance Physiotherapy in Manchester Suitable For All Dance Styles?

Yes. Dance physiotherapy supports performers across a wide range of styles, including ballet, contemporary, commercial, musical theatre, and street dance. Treatment is tailored to the specific physical demands of your discipline, training load, and performance schedule.

Do I Need A GP Referral for Dance Injury Treatment?

No referral is required. You can book directly using our booking form. If further investigation or specialist input is needed, we can support appropriate referrals as part of your care.

What Can I Expect During A Dance Injury Prevention Assessment?

Your assessment begins with a detailed discussion of your training, performance demands, and injury history, followed by movement and physical testing relevant to dance. This allows us to identify factors that affect performance, load tolerance, and injury risk.

How Does Dance Rehabilitation Help With Recurring Injuries?

Many dance-related injuries develop gradually due to repetition or accumulated training load. Our dance physiotherapy focuses on addressing underlying contributors, improving movement control, and guiding safe progression back to full training or performance.

Will My Treatment Include Specific Ballet Injury Recovery Exercises?

Your rehabilitation exercises are based on the demands of your dance style, with ballet injury recovery exercises incorporated where relevant to support recovery and performance.