September 14 - December 6, 2026

Professor: Joshua Honrado, Kristen Stevens, and Ella Otto

Tuition: $550 member / $650 non-member

12 Weeks; 3 NDEO-Endorsed PDCs

**Optional add-on** College Credits through Oakland University: 3

Dance educators in every genre of dance serve a myriad of student populations. The goal of this evidence based course is to present you, the dance educator, with key principles of overall health in a way that will allow you to critically interpret the information, apply it to your dance education setting, and formulate a dance injury prevention plan of action in your teaching practice. Participants will explore the relationship, or spectrum, between overall health and dance injuries in order to consider what a dance injury prevention plan of action would include in any given environment.

Topics covered will include

➤ physical, psychodynamic, and environmental factors

➤ motor skill development

➤ strength and conditioning principles

➤ common dance injuries and their formal nomenclature

➤ common myths about injury and training

➤ adolescent dancer health

➤ basic functional anatomy/biomechanics and nutrition

➤ teacher self-care.

Upon analyzing the course material, you will design an action plan for your students and receive feedback from Harkness Center for Dance Injuries (HCDI) clinicians. At the end of this course, you will demonstrate knowledge of what factors constitute overall health and how you can use this knowledge to develop and deepen your own teaching practices, regardless of the educational setting. 

It is strongly encouraged but not required that prior to engaging in this course, that participants have previously taken NDEO’s OPDI-110 Dance Kinesiology and Applied Teaching Practice or another anatomy/kinesiology course. 

Required Materials: Lectures from HCDI’s DanceMedU online learning platform. These will be ordered during the course. Price is $20.

To receive college credit for this course in addition to PDCs, you must register through Oakland University by scheduling an advising session and finalizing your registration through OU before the August 15 deadline.

Questions about this Course?  Email opdi@ndeo.org

"The course benefited me greatly in an area that is detrimental to dancers, but often missed. I believe I am now more aware of the various types of injuries as well as providing prevention for my dancers."

"I feel that I am more prepared to answer questions from my dancers in the classroom and during their training. I hope that I am able to take this information and teach better classes with injury prevention in mind."

"I really liked the general pass of the course.... it never felt like I was given too much or too little information."

"It helped me re evaluate how to format rehearsals and classes for the health and well being of my dancers."

"This helped raise my awareness of dancer wellness immensely. I was introduced to SO many great resources and readings, and I plan to continue digging into many of these ideas and research. If I am able to make myself more knowledgable, I'll be able to better serve my students.

"I particularly liked the information with regard to adolescent dancers, and learning about all of the risk factors that contribute to an injury (Biopsychosocial model was new for me). It helps me understand how we can attempt to reduce these risks in the studio.

"I found the information to be very practical and applicable to my job and I will continue to refer back to my notes and assignments as I endeavor to work on an injury prevention and cross training plan...I just have to get other teachers on board!"

Dr. Joshua Honrado is an athletic trainer with the Harkness Center for Dance Injuries at NYU Langone Health for over 10 years. He has worked with over 65 Broadway shows (Hamilton, Wicked...), elite dance companies (Mark Morris Dance Group, Limon Dance Company...), and collegiate dance programs (SUNY Purchase, Hunter College...). He is a Hilot practitioner, Reiki master, certified strength and conditioning specialist, and registered yoga teacher. Dr. Honrado has presented dance medicine research and education at 17 renowned medical conferences. Dr. Joshua Honrado teaches OPDI-116: Harkness Center for Dance Injuries: The Applied Science of Dancer Health and Injury Prevention.

Kristen Stevens, MA Program Manager of Education at NYU Langone’s Harkness Center for Dance Injuries Ms. Stevens manages the Harkness Center for Dance Injuries’ education programming and marketing. Previously, she worked as a professional ballet dancer in companies including Norwegian National Ballet and BalletMet Columbus; and since 2016, she has been on faculty at the American Ballet Theatre’s JKO School Children’s Division. She has been a Teaching Artist for New York City Ballet, Dance Theatre of Harlem, and Ballet Hispánico. She holds a master’s degree in arts administration from Teachers College, Columbia University and dance education certifications from the Dance Education Laboratory and the ABT National Training Curriculum. Kristen Stevens teaches OPDI-116: Harkness Center for Dance Injuries: The Applied Science of Dancer Health and Injury Prevention

Ella Otto 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. Ella works is an athletic trainer at the Harkness Center for Dance Injuries where she works with professional dance, theater and broadway performers. She also has experience as a choreographer, dancer, and strength and conditioning coach. Ella holds certifications in Graston Technique and personal training and as a corrective exercise specialist. Ella Otto teaches OPDI-116: Harkness Center for Dance Injuries: The Applied Science of Dancer Health and Injury Prevention.

How Courses Work

PC NYU Langone