Dance Medicine & Performing Arts Rehabilitation

Refined care for refined movement.

At Innova Physical Therapy, dance medicine is approached with precision, artistry, and deep respect for the extraordinary demands of performance.

Bret Swigard leads Innova's Dance & Performing Arts Rehabilitation program and has served as the consultant for the International Ballet Academy for more than 20 years. He has treated professional dancers from around the world, along with dancers from many respected local studios, bringing decades of experience to both elite performance care and the developing artist.

We understand that dancers are not simply recovering from injury. They are protecting technique, expression, confidence, and the ability to communicate through movement.

An Elevated Standard Of Care

Dance places unique demands on the body. Small impairments in control, mobility, stability, alignment, or timing can affect turnout, extension, jump mechanics, balance, line, artistry, and durability.

That is why dance medicine requires more than traditional rehabilitation.

At Innova, care is:

one-on-one with your physical therapist
individualized to the technical demands of your discipline
grounded in whole-body movement analysis
designed to restore both performance and confidence

Our goal is not merely to reduce pain. It is to help you move with greater freedom, precision, and trust in your body.

Where Orthopedic Expertise Meets Artistic Understanding

Dancers require a level of clinical insight that goes beyond routine care. The body must not only heal — it must perform.

We assess how the entire system is working together, identifying the subtle restrictions, compensation patterns, control deficits, or biomechanical barriers that may be limiting your movement or increasing injury risk. This allows us to create care that is not only therapeutic, but performance-driven.

Whether the concern is injury recovery, persistent limitation, recurring overload, or a desire to improve movement quality, our work is designed to support the dancer as both an athlete and an artist.

Pre-Pointe Evaluations

The transition to pointe is one of the most important milestones in a dancer's development and should be approached with expertise and care.

Our pre-pointe evaluations assess:

strength and neuromuscular control
alignment and stability
foot and ankle mechanics
mobility restrictions
technique-related readiness
whole-body movement quality

If a dancer is not yet ready for pointe, that should never be seen as failure. It is an opportunity to identify exactly what needs to improve in order to support safety, technical development, and long-term success.

Performance Enhancement With Purpose

At Innova, we treat more than pain.

Many dancers experience limitations that are not overtly painful, yet still compromise performance. A subtle control issue, restriction, or compensation can quietly affect extension, turnout, jump height, balance, endurance, and movement quality.

Our role is to identify those barriers with precision and address them in a way that supports elegant, efficient, and sustainable performance.

Whether your goal is:

greater turnout
improved extension
safer flexibility
stronger pointe readiness
better balance and control
more powerful jumps
cleaner movement quality

Our care is designed to help your body better support your art.

Sophisticated Care For Serious Artists

At Innova Physical Therapy, dance medicine reflects the same values that define our clinic: excellence, individuality, and thoughtful care delivered at a high level. This is rehabilitation designed for performers who want more than standard treatment.

It is care that understands nuance.
Care that respects technique.
Care that honors the art behind the athlete.

Elegant movement begins with exceptional care