Harkness Sat Series: Maximizing Performance Throughout the Menstrual Cycle

Harkness Center for Dance Injuries proudly offers in-person and virtual Harkness Center Saturday Series workshops for the dance community.

JUNE 2025 WORKSHOP

Topic: Maximizing Performance Throughout the Menstrual Cycle

When: Saturday, June 14, 2025 at 1:30 PM EDT

Format: VIRTUAL (Zoom)

Description: The menstrual cycle is considered an essential measure of health and has a significant impact on a dancer's wellbeing and performance. In this Saturday Series, participants will learn about the four phases of the menstrual cycle and the associated physiological changes that occur. Participants will also be presented with strategies to optimize sleep, nutrition, training and stress management within each phase.

Instructor: Ella Otto, MS, ATC received a bachelor’s degree in movement science and a master’s degree in athletic training from Winona State University, where she also earned a minor in dance. An athletic training student intern with The Harkness Center for Dance Injuries in 2022, she has experience as a choreographer, dancer, and strength and conditioning coach for sports teams. She holds certifications in Graston Technique and personal training and as a corrective exercise specialist.

Saturday Series workshops are led by our clinical staff and feature various topics on dancer wellness and injury prevention. All members of the dance community are welcome (dancers under age 16 are strongly encouraged to come with a parent/guardian*). Please note whether format is in-person or virtual.

*We strongly encourage participants under 16 years of age to attend with a parent/guardian. If a parent/guardian plans to drop off a minor, please make sure you have corresponded with the Harkness Center in advance.

Liability waiver: for workshops that include movement, participants will be required to sign a liability waiver.

Refund policy: We cannot provide refunds after the event has taken place. Eventbrite fees cannot be refunded.

Questions: Contact Kristen Stevens, program manager, Kristen.Stevens@nyulangone.org

Upcoming Harkness Events:

Stay tuned for announcements about our summer programming!

About the Harkness Center for Dance Injuries: NYU Langone's Harkness Center for Dance Injuries (www.DanceInjury.org) is dedicated to enhancing the health and well-being of dance professionals by providing breakthrough approaches to injury prevention, medical treatment, education and training, and research. Founded in 1989 through a partnership between the Harkness Foundation for Dance and the Hospital for Joint Diseases (now NYU Langone Orthopedic Hospital), the Harkness Center provides world-class clinical care for dancers of all types and levels. The scientific foundation for this expert care comes from research into understanding the dancer’s body in motion coupled with workplace requirements. The Harkness Center’s evidence-based practice has produced globally accepted approaches to the recognition, treatment, and prevention of dance injuries.

In addition to caring for injuries, an integral part of the Harkness Center’s mission is providing education. For the dance community, Harkness offers injury prevention workshops, online courses, and screenings, including its long-running, free Injury Prevention Assessment (IPA) program. For fellow dance medicine professionals, Harkness is actively engaged in sharing clinical best practices through academic training with live and online continuing education courses. Since 2015, Harkness Center has offered DanceMedU, its digital learning platform (www.DanceMedU.org), which now offers over 20 lectures on dance medicine and dancer health.