Physical Therapy Means Stretching More than Muscles

“I think every dancer has seen their share of physical therapists,” said KCB Company dancer Geoffrey Kropp.

Like with any athlete, keeping dancers safe is a big job and physical therapy is a necessity. Select Physical Therapy is the official physical therapy provider for Kansas City Ballet.

Physical therapist Michael Heinz has been on site during KCB performances for the last four years. He’s also available to dancers one-on-one as needed during the between times as well.

“I enjoy working with the dancers. They have great personalities, they’re upbeat, and they complain about pain less than many other types of athletes. All they want to do is to be able to perform. They don’t want to sit on the sidelines,” Heinz said.

Ballet dancers have unique challenges. Heinz remembered he had to learn “normal” mobility is different in the dance world. He had to stretch his own thinking to understand a dancer’s need for hyper-mobility, especially in places like knees.

“When we first started using Select, there was a bit of a learning curve, but it has worked out well. They are even starting to be able to name and recognize some ballet steps, though I doubt Mike would spell them correctly,” Kropp joked.

Select Physical Therapy is located at 3215 Main Street, Suite 202. They can be reached by calling 816-472-1800. www.selectphysicaltherapy.com

Return to Feature Stories