Meet the Core Team
The EDMI core team came together in 2023 to meet an observed need to train the next generation of clinicians and practitioners working with dancers. From this group the team has expanded to included clinical experts from across Europe.
The Core Team
Dr Nick Allen
Nick Allen has a post graduate degree in Sports Medicine and completed his epidemiological based Doctoral dissertation in 2011. His research interests lie in optimising performance through screening, the relationship of vitamin D to injuries and performance, cardiac risk in dancers, and the management of tendinopathies. He has been invited to present at several conferences by various organisations, including the British Association of Sports Medicine, the Royal Society of Medicine, British Rheumatology Society, UK Sport, England Rugby, UK Strength and Conditioning Association and the English Institute of Sport. He is guest lecturer for the M.Sc. in Sports Medicine at Nottingham University and Queen Mary’s University London. He is Birmingham Royal Ballet’s representative on the National Institute of Dance Medicine and Science’s NIDMS Partners Committee. Through the Jerwood Centre he has been asked to provide opinions on complex cases for other dancers as well as professional and Olympic athletes. Alongside this he has worked as an external Consultant to Great Britain Gymnastics, England and Great Britain Hockey, and the Lawn Tennis Association’s High-Performance Centre. Prior to moving to Birmingham Royal Ballet, he was Head of Medical Services for a top Premiership rugby club.
The Core Team
Dr Tom Brandon
Tom Brandon is a registered Dutch Sports Physician, currently chairman of the Netherlands Association of Sports Medicine, past board member of The Dutch Foundation for Training of Sports Physicians, past Trainer of Sports Physicians in Zwolle, The Netherlands and past Chairman of the Department of Sports Medicine in Zwolle. Tom is a lecturer at many different courses for General Physicians and Occupational Health Physicians and has been for over 35 years. From 1990 – 1999 he has been the Sports Physician to the Dutch Gymnastics Federation and to the Dance Academy Artez in Arnhem, The Netherlands. His experience in Dance Medicine is the development and injuries to the young dancers and he is still regularly a consultant for young dancers and gymnasts
The Core Team
Joost van Megen
Joost van Megen is a qualified Therapist with over 20 years experience in dance. He set up and guides the dance medical care network in the Netherlands that connects clinicians, therapists and hospitals with dancers and pre-professional dance schools. He is the initiative taker and one of the founding partners of the new European Dance Medical Initiative that provides training in the medical care of dancers.
The Core Team
Professor Roger Wolman
Consultant in Rheumatology and SEM Roger Wolman qualified as a Doctor from the University of Manchester and completed his specialist training in Rheumatology and Sport & Exercise Medicine in London. During this time, he worked at the British Olympic Medical Centre where he completed his Doctorate on Hormonal dysfunction and Bone health in female athletes. This work included research on professional dancers and athletes in weight-restricted sports. From 1994 -2019 he worked as NHS Consultant at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital. While working there, he set up Sport and Exercise Medicine clinical services, including clinics for sports injuries, dance medicine, athlete bone health and Exercise prescription for patients with chronic diseases to help improve their wellbeing. He was one of the founding partners of the National Institute of Dance Medicine and Science which was launched in 2012 and continues as their Medical advisor. His research has led to the publication of more than 50 papers in peer-reviewed medical and scientific journals which includes work on bone stress injuries, RED-S and the role of Vitamin D in the musculoskeletal health of athletes. He has worked with elite athletes from a range of sports including Football, Rowing, Track and Field, Dance and combat sports.
The Core Team
Professor Matthew Wyon
Professor in Exercise Physiology In his role at the University of Wolverhampton, UK, he is the Director of Studies for a number of dance science and medicine doctoral candidates, the Director of the Exercise Science Laboratories and the CQC Manager for the HealthScan (DEXA) service. He was the President of International Association for Dance Medicine & Science between 2015-17 and is a founding partner of the National Institute of Dance Medicine and Science (NIDMS), UK. He is the scientific lead for NIDMS and set up and guides the Institutes physiological testing screen for dancers. He has worked with numerous dance companies as an applied physiologist and strength and conditioning coach. He has collaborated with a number of pre-professional dance training institutions to develop and programme their curriculums. He has published extensively on performance enhancement and injury epidemiology for dancers including British Association of Sport and Exercise Science Guidelines for testing dancers, Strength and Conditioning for Dancers, and Periodization: a framework for dance training.
Meet the Presenters
In alphabetical order
Dr Nick Allen
Dr Nick Allen is the Clinical Director of the Birmingham Royal Ballet. Alongside this he has worked as an external Consultant to LTA’s High Performance Centre in Edgbaston, British Athletics, Great Britain Gymnastics, various Premiership Football and Rugby clubs and England and Great Britain Hockey. Prior to this he was Head of Medical Services for a Premiership rugby club. He is an Honorary Lecturer for Queen Mary’s University London and lectures on the M.Sc. in Sports Medicine QMUL and Nottingham University. He is on the Sports Advisory Group for Versus Arthritis’ Centre of Excellence in Sports, Exercise and Osteoarthritis. His PhD was in epidemiology and holds a Masters in Sports Medicine. He has published one text book in dance medicine and contributed a chapter to a sports physiology textbook. He has been involved in over 20 peer revied research papers
Dr Tom Brandon
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Dr Willemijn Diemer
I am a sports physician. As an enthusiastic amateur dancer, I have always been interested in physiology and medical care in dancers. During my training as a doctor and specialisation in sports medicine I have done two internships in the Medical Centre for Dancers and Musicians. In my daily practice I work with a variety of athletes and non-athletes, amateur and professional dancers
Professor Yiannis Koutedakis
Formerly an elite sportsman, dancer and national coach (for Greece & UK), he was a co-founder of the British Olympic Medical Centre where he worked with Olympic athletes and professional dancers. He taught dance physiology at the London Contemporary Dance School, English National Ballet School, directed two comprehensive research programmes commissioned by Dance UK and Northern School of Contemporary Dance (Leeds, UK), and worked with the Birmingham Royal Ballet and the English National Ballet. He authored the book “The Fit and Healthy Dancer” and was principally involved in the World’s first university-based MSc in Dance Science (Wolverhampton University, UK). Parts of his scientific work have been adopted by reputable bodies including the British Heart Foundation, the South African Thoracic Society and the US Department of Health, while his name appeared at the top 1-2% of academics and researchers worldwide (2019-2023).
Iva Lešić
Iva Lešić is a physiotherapist specializing in working with (pre-)professional dancers. In addition to her clinical practice, she serves as a lecturer in Anatomy & Injury Prevention, Anatomy Applied to Teaching, and Reflection & In-Depth Study at the Academy for Theater and Dance (ATD) in Amsterdam. Within the ATD, she conducts advisory and consultative sessions. Additionally, Iva holds the role of 'Health Representative' at the National Ballet Academy, where she acts as the primary contact for young students (from the age of 10), parents, and external practitioners, overseeing all aspects of student health. Her dance journey began in Sarajevo and led to her graduation from the Royal Conservatory in The Hague. In 1999, she joined the International Dance Theatre (IDT), where she danced for over a decade. Iva continues to teach World Dance and regularly works as a choreographer.
Dr Anandi van Loon-Felter
Drs. A.E. (Anandi) van Loon-Felter, is a physiatrist currently working in a Hand and Wrist rehabilitation clinic where she treats people with complex hand and wrist injuries. She is also working as a coordinator for health at the Lucia Marthas Institute for Performing Arts. In that position she is involved with all aspects of health of students (age 6 tot 25) of this musical theatre education. As a medical doctor she has done her residency (2010-2015) in the Medical Centre for Dancers and Musicians and worked there for several years as a PMR doctor. She graduated in 2002 as a professional dancer and dance teacher at the Lucia Marthas Institute for Performing Arts in Amsterdam and has worked in several musicals as a professional dancer and gave lessons in different types of dance to different age groups
Dr Luis Gadea Mateos
Dr. Luis Gadea is the Head of the Injury Prevention and the Educational Programs at National Institute of Performing Arts and Music, which belongs to the Ministry of Culture of Spain. In 2001 he worked as the Clinical Lead of National Dance Company of Spain and since 2013 as Professor at the Conservatory of Dance in Madrid teaching Dance Science in the Bachelor of Dance. He has collaborated with various companies like, Ballet Nacional del Sodre Uruguay, Staatstheater Nürnberg, Dresden/Frankfurt Dance Company, Hoffesh Schechter, Cloud Gate Taiwan, Martha Graham Dance Company, Staatsballett Berlin, Kibbutz Dance Company, Peeping Tom, Pina Bausch foundation, Kidd Pivot, National Ballet of Spain, and Jan Fabre Dance Company. His PhD was “Epidemiology of injuries in Professional Dancers in Spain” and hold two Masters, in Injury Prevention and Sport Science and the Bachelor of Dance and Physiotherapy. He has also collaborated as a teacher in some Masters of Sport Physiotherapy and with 15 Professional Conservatories of Dance in Spain teaching to the school’s injury prevention management.
Joost van Megen
Joost van Megen is a qualified Therapist with over 20 years experience in dance. He set up and guides the dance medical care network in the Netherlands that connects clinicians, therapists and hospitals with dancers and pre-professional dance schools. He is the initiative taker and one of the founding partners of the new European Dance Medical Initiative that provides training in the medical care of dancers.
Dr Duncan Meuffels
I am a Sport Orthopaedic and Complex Knee Instability Surgeon, who is actively involved in research of the knee. In 2011 I defended my thesis “Novel Insights in Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury”. I work full-time as a surgeon focused on sport and dance injuries of the knee and lower extremity. As a consultant for the Scapino Ballet and other professional companies I pre-dominantly see professional dancers and football players. My research group is focused on clinical research investigating traumatic knee injuries such as meniscal, anterior cruciate ligament injury and knee luxations and its sequelae. A number of multi centre trials and a European network for multi ligamentous knee injuries are headed from the Erasmus MC
Maartje Mouchart
Maartje is a podiatrist with over two decades of expertise in sports podiatry, specializing in dance medicine. Passionate about fostering a holistic approach to foot care, she not only addresses biomechanical aspects but also values the artistic essence of movement. Connected to Artez, Maartje is dedicated to shaping the education of future dance professionals, integrating essential knowledge on foot function, care, and health. Her commitment extends beyond academia to hands-on collaboration with esteemed entities like Introdans, contributing to the dance community in the Netherlands. In her professional capacity, Maartje focuses on injury prevention and management, employing a tailored approach that combines logical strategies with innovative solutions. She utilizes therapies such as exercise, manual therapy, taping, dry needling, and customizing dance shoes, orthoses and insoles. Beyond dance, Maartje has an extensive clientele in top-level sports like iceskating, cycling, and running. Her proactive stance towards health and performance aligns seamlessly with her role as an educator, sharing insights and knowledge with sports physicians worldwide. Grounded in years of practice and fueled by a sincere passion for dance, Maartje's journey in sports podiatry is a humbling opportunity to contribute to the understanding and improvement of podiatric care within the realm of dance medicine.
Johanna Osmala
I am a physiotherapist and sport scientist with more than 15 years of experience working with professional dancers and other performers. I am the head of a physiotherapy team at the Finnish National Ballet being responsible for injury prevention, rehabilitation, and coaching services for professional ballet dancers. I am currently serving IADMS as a co-chair of program committee. I am long time member and former chair of Finnish dance medicine and science association Dance Health Finland (DHF).
Dr Irina Roncaglia
Irina is a Chartered Sport & Exercise Psychologist and Clinical Lead, registered with the Health Care Professional Council (HCPC), is an Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society (BPS) and a member of the IADMS. Irina sits as a Committee member for the London and Home Counties Branch of the BPS (LHC). Irina focuses on improving, empowering and promoting self-growth, wellness and well-being in professional elite dancers drawing on a 15 year career with English National Ballet. Irina is driven and passionate in ensuring that performing artists lead healthy, fulfilling and long-lasting performing careers. Irina also works in bringing the Performing Arts into the SEN curriculum with a specialism in Autism Spectrum Conditions. She sits on the Editorial Board of Psychological Thought, and the Journal of Dance Medicine and Science. She is a member of the International Association of Dance and Medicine (IADMS) and a member of One Dance UK (ODUK). Most recently she was an invited research guest editor for a special issue in Frontiers - Positive Psychology. She is a Champion for Dance for Health within IADMS. She has presented workshops on wellbeing and positive mental health for the Medical Charity British Association Performing Arts and Medicine (BAPAM). She is a published author and her publications can be accessed through her website. Her research interests include Transitions, Lifespan Models, Resilience, Coping Processes & Strategies and Performing Arts. She has completed her Doctoral research with Birkbeck University (UK) investigating the Retirement Transitions in Elite Performers.
Erin Sanchez
Erin is the Manager of Health, Wellbeing and Performance at One Dance UK. Alongside knowledgeable, experienced colleagues in the Healthier Dancer Programme, Dance Medicine and Science Expert Panel, and the National Institute of Dance Medicine and Science, Erin works to ensure dancers’ health education and resources are evidence and best-practice-based and led by the needs of the sector. She is incredibly proud of our Healthier Dancer Talks, which have reached over 11,000 people to date.
Benjamin Soerel
Benjamin is a physiotherapist with a MSc in Human Movement Sciences and Manuel Therapy. Currently he is connected to Codarts University of the Arts in Rotterdam, where he primarily works with dance students. At Codarts he is responsible for amongst others the student screenings, treatment plans and advising dance staff. Prior to his career as a health professional Benjamin graduated from the Royal Conservatory in the Hague and The Royal Ballet School in Londen. He then continued his professional dancing career with the Birmingham Royal Ballet and worked as a freelance ballet teacher with both amateurs and professionals.
Dr Matthijs Somford
Matthijs is an orthopedic surgeon at Rijnstate Hospital in Arnhem, The Netherlands. His specialties are hip and foot/ankle injuries. As such he is involved with the care for athletes, including dancers, of all kinds. Rijnstate is High Performance Partner of TeamNL. Dance related injuries of dancers from Introdans and students from ArtEZ are regularly treated at Rijnstate. Working in a training hospital makes that teaching is among the core activities of Matthijs. These acquired teaching skills will also be used as a teacher for EDMI.
Professor Janine Stubbe
Dr. Janine Stubbe is a human movement scientist and employed as a professor Performing Arts Medicine at Codarts Rotterdam. On the one hand, she focuses on optimizing the health of dancers, musicians, circus artists and athletes (Health for Artists research line) and on the other hand on arts interventions to improve the health of various target groups (Arts for Health research line). Janine is also head of the Codarts Research Office. In this position, she must ensure the quality of practice-oriented research within Codarts. She manages the other professorships and is responsible for acquisition and networking. Janine has written more than 75 international publications and is a frequent invited speaker at international and national conferences. In addition, Janine has acquired research projects with a total value of more than 4 million euros. Furthermore, Janine is director of the Performing Artists and Athlete Research Lab (PEARL), the research center of Codarts
Menno de Vries
Menno de Vries is a Muanual Physiotherapist who has been working for more than 30 years with pre-professional and professional dancers. Menno was involved with setting up the "Health Team" at the Amsterdam School of Art (Amsterdamse Hoge School der Kunsten) to look after all the pre-professional Dance Departments. His role within the the team is to cover the "medical consultation hours for Dance performers". Menno also has a 30 year connection with The Netherlands Dance Theater (NDT) as their accompanying Fysio-Manualtherapist to , for Medical consultation, coordinating the Health Team and Tour guidance.
Dr Kaj Wage
Kaj Wage is a pediatrician with a wealth of expertise in various specialized fields, including pediatric respiratory diseases, sports medicine for children, and eating disorders in youngsters. Currently based at the OLVG Hospital in Amsterdam, he has been at the forefront of pediatric care since 1995.. Notably, Dr. Wage holds the position of Head of the Medical Team at the Royal Conservatoire Dance in The Hague, showcasing his commitment to the intersection of medicine and the arts. His extensive experience in guiding pre-professional dancers from the tender age of 9 to 21 provides him with a unique perspective, making him a valuable resource in the realm of medical education. His insights and knowledge as he shares his expertise with us at EDMI makes him a valuable member of our teachers team.
Professor Roger Wolman
Roger Wolman qualified as a Doctor from the University of Manchester and completed his specialist training in Rheumatology and Sport & Exercise Medicine in London. During this time, he worked at the British Olympic Medical Centre where he completed his Doctorate on Hormonal dysfunction and Bone health in female athletes. This work included research on professional dancers and athletes in weight-restricted sports. From 1994 -2019 he worked as NHS Consultant at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital. While working there, he set up Sport and Exercise Medicine clinical services, including clinics for sports injuries, dance medicine, athlete bone health and Exercise prescription for patients with chronic diseases to help improve their wellbeing. He was one of the founding partners of the National Institute of Dance Medicine and Science which was launched in 2012 and continues as their Medical advisor. His research has led to the publication of more than 50 papers in peer-reviewed medical and scientific journals which includes work on bone stress injuries, RED-S and the role of Vitamin D in the musculoskeletal health of athletes. He has worked with elite athletes from a range of sports including Football, Rowing, Track and Field, Dance and combat sports.
Professor Matthew Wyon
Matthew Wyon PhD, is a Professor in Exercise Physiology at the University of Wolverhampton, UK. In this role, he is the Director of Studies for a number of dance science and medicine doctoral candidates, the Director of the Exercise Science Laboratories and the CQC Manager for the HealthScan (DEXA) service. He was the President of International Association for Dance Medicine & Science between 2015-17 and is a founding partner of the National Institute of Dance Medicine and Science (NIDMS), UK. He is the scientific lead for NIDMS and set up and guides the Institutes physiological testing screen for dancers. He has worked with numerous dance companies as an applied physiologist and strength and conditioning coach. He has collaborated with a number of pre-professional dance training institutions to develop and programme their curriculums. He has published extensively on performance enhancement and injury epidemiology for dancers including British Association of Sport and Exercise Science Guidelines for testing dancers, Strength and Conditioning for Dancers, and Periodization: a framework for dance training.