You really can achieve anything that your heart desires! At least that's what Paul Malek tells us in this episode of the Acrobatic Arts Podcast. Paul is the Artist Director for Transit Dance, an award winning choreographer, a sought after motivational speaker, an accomplished photographer and the author of his own book “The Secret to a Successful and Happy Life”. He definitely leads by example and as Paul would say, “If you love it - do it!”

PAUL MALEK is the Artistic Director of Australian Arts Organisation, Transit Dance which harbours a plethora of platforms such as Transit Dance Company, youth component Origins Dance Company, post-graduate and vocational level courses in Contemporary Dance and the

Performing Arts, youth training pathways as well as producing a multitude of events and production seasons throughout a calendar year.

After an extensive performing career Paul became an award-winning choreographer for his contemporary dance work. His choreography has also featured across theatre, film and television with regular appearances on such television shows as SYTYCD Australia and

DWTS Australia as a contemporary dance choreographer.

Actively engaged in the Australian dance community, Malek is the current President of the board of Directors for the Transit Dance Initiative. Former President of the Board of Directors for the Australian Teachers of Dancing International and the former Artistic

Director of The Victorian Dance Festival.

He is also a much loved MC, hosting a plethora of events such as but not limited to, The Victorian Dance Convention, Come Together Dance Convention, Underground, Dance Chat Live, and Immersed Dance Industry Night.

An inspirational speaker and motivator, Paul has spoken at many dance festivals and conventions, and also hosts empowering workshops at various companies, dance schools, high schools and primary schools across Australia.

A strong passion for education and sustainability in the arts, Paul Malek is dedicated to providing the necessary groundwork for a sustainable and prosperous future for the Arts Landscape of Australia.

www.transitdance.com.au

Paul's Book!

“The Secret to a Successful and Happy Life” available on amazon

Super exciting episode! Erika Mayall answers three important questions about flexibility. #1 How can we help our dancers with square hip splits? #2 What should we focus on when designing our mobility programs? And #3 How does the nervous system affect mobility and flexibility? Listen as Erika provides science based answers to these questions!

Erika is a physiotherapist with a special interest in dance medicine and science. She graduated with a Master of Physical Therapy degree from the University of British Columbia in 2007. Previously she graduated with an Honours Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology from the University of Western Ontario in 2005. Since graduation, she has gone on to complete extensive post-graduate training in manual therapy (FCAMPT), acupuncture (CAFCI), and the Integrated Systems Model (ISM) approach and continues to develop her skill set with regular ongoing education.

As a former elite dancer, Erika's passion lies in treating dancers and other performing artists. She has a keen interest in not only treating injuries, but also in injury prevention and maximizing performance potential in dancers. Erika has completed specialized training in the field of dance medicine in Australia, Canada and the United States, and has studied with leaders in the field such as Craig Phillips and Lisa Howell. Erika is an active member of the International Association of Dance Medicine and Science (IADMS) and a board member of Healthy Dancer Canada (HDC). She is a frequent invited guest speaker on the topic of dance medicine and science locally, nationally and internationally and teaches workshops on the same topics throughout BC and Canada.

Social Media @DancePhysioErika

Website www.erikamayallphysio.com.

Allegro Performance + Wellness www.allegroperformance.com.

In this episode, Mandy Yip explains the various certification courses that Acrobatic Arts offers as well as provides detailed information that may help you decide which course is right for you! She gives the dates and locations of upcoming conventions where Acrobatic Arts will be instructing classes and also shares some exciting news about the partnerships and collaborations that Acrobatic Arts has recently formed.

As the founder and CEO of Acrobatic Arts Inc, Mandy manages the staff and delivery of all training programs, and the Acrobatic Arts syllabus in over 6500 dance studios in over 30 countries. Over 500,000 dancers participate in Acrobatic Arts classes on a weekly basis. Mandy created the Acrobatic Arts training and certification program, and the Acrobatic Arts Curriculum, producing the most comprehensive, researched program available for AcroDance.

A lifelong learner, Mandy has achieved certification in countless courses, including contortion, hand balancing, inclusive learning, tap, jazz, gymnastics, and safe coaching, to name a few. Mandy currently sits on the advisory board for YPAD, and assists with the mission of keeping kids safe in dance through this organization. Highly sought for workshops, Mandy has taught thousands of dance teachers, and provided expert classes around the world. Mandy is known for bringing passion, technique and in-depth practical knowledge to engaging classes.

AcrobaticArts.com

If you are looking for some tips on cartwheel rebounds and roundoffs, you've come to the right place! Join Sarah Calvert on this episode of the Acrobatic Arts Podcast as she presents her philosophy and teaching guidelines for these two skills. Sarah has an amazing way of finding the fundamental essence of each skill and provides us with solid training tools that we can use in the studio.

In her early development Sarah split her time between gymnastics and dance equally then later dove into competitive rock climbing. The combination of these skills transitioned her to a performance career in stunts in the thriving Vancouver film scene. During her professional career Sarah studied Kinesiology and began her work as a dance educator and gymnastics coach.

After graduation she spent several years working as a rehabilitation specialist in a Physiotherapy clinic, designing return to training programs for injured athletes while training dancers and acrobats in the evenings. Sarah later returned to university to study contemporary dance and also completed a second degree in Education earning a ministry of Education - BC Teachers Certificate. In 2008 she completed her Masters degree in Coaching Sciences from the University of Victoria where she researched in the field of athletic motor development.

With a firm belief in continuing education Sarah has studied with various training organizations including the Canadian Dance Teachers Association (CDTA), National Coaching Certification Program – Women's Artistic Gymnastics - Level Three (NCCP), The International Dance Teaching Standards – Module Three (IDTS), Acrobatic Arts – Module Three, Alixia Flexibility, Ballet Blog, Youth Protection Advocates in Dance (YPAD), Zumba, and BCRPA personal training, as well as various other conferences and workshops in dance education and the movement sciences.

Sarah is currently working on doctorate research in Educational Leadership and can be found presenting as a guest lecturer at universities across Canada and Australia. She can also be seen presenting live worldwide with CLI Studios in Los Angeles. As a highlight of her career Sarah recently presented her research at the International Association of Dance Medicine and Science in Montreal. Sarah enjoys working as a guest choreographer in both dance and gymnastics and is passionate about advocating for safe dance practice.

https://www.danceteachingstandards.com

https://www.synergydance.ca

David Stinson is our guest for this episode of the Acrobatic Arts Podcast. David is a successful studio owner as well as being the CEO and founder of I-PATH. He believes that dance teachers and children, regardless of their economic status, should have the ability to access the arts and quality dance education.

David is the CEO & Founder of International Performing Arts & Theatre - a world leading examining organization that has over 12,000 children and young people across the globe preparing for an I-PATH exam each year.

He is a professionally trained dancer and performer having graduated with a Trinity Diploma in Musical Theatre back in 2007. He has performed all over the world as both a singer and dancer and has also performed leading roles in London's West End at theatres such as the Victoria Apollo and the Dominion Theatre.

David has also led a successful singing career. He released his debut album in 2007 and has since shared the stage as a solo artist with the likes of the Hairspray cast; winners of The Voice; and X Factor Winner Sam Bailey.

Today, David is more commonly seen judging dance competitions across Europe, Asia and Africa as well as Guest Teaching at various colleges and universities worldwide. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and a member of the UN's (United Nations) body for dance - the International Dance Council. Founder and CEO of International Performing Arts & Theatre.

www.i-path.biz

[email protected]

Have you ever been concerned about someone's body composition but wasn't sure how, when or even if to approach the subject with them? Listen to this podcast as Jasmine Challis provides her professional opinion on this specific topic. As a registered dietician and nutritionist, Jasmine shows true compassion towards dancers, teachers and parents when it comes to the topic of body composition.

Jasmine Challis is an Accredited Nutritionist and Sports Dietitian on the UK Sport and Exercise Nutrition Register (SENr) with a particular interest in dance. She has worked with dance students, dance teachers and professionals for more than 25 years. She has given group talks and individual advice to professional dance schools and companies.

Jasmine has been involved in Dance UK Roadshows giving talks/workshops on 'Nutrition and Dance Performance' and on 'Eating Disorders' and has run courses on these topics for dance teachers. She was nutrition consultant for the Dance UK Information Sheet on Food and Nutrition for Dancers and is co-author of the IADMS updated Nutrition Resource Paper (2016) and the Nutrition chapter in the IADMS ‘Dancer Wellness book published 2017.

Away from dance she has contributed to medical and dietetic textbooks and continues working with patients & clients both with disordered eating and other medical problems. Jasmine has also worked both with coaches and athletes, and has advised at national level training camps. She has recently completed a MRes in Sport and Exercise Science at Roehampton University.

[email protected]

IADMS nutrition paper:

https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.iadms.org/resource/resmgr/resource_papers/dance-nutrition-2016.pdf

Sarah Davison's career as a dancer and casting director for Cirque du Soliel is nothing short of amazing. In this episode, she discusses the vital role of self confidence for performing artists as well as how important it is to have a plan when transitioning from one stage of your career to the next. Sarah is very passionate about supporting the next generation of dancers and walking them through these life changing events.

Sarah started her formal dance training as a dancer with her mother in Toulouse, France. After multiple prizes on the National scene, she obtained her degree in Dance and Choreography from the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Lyon at the age of 16.

Sarah then started her professional career performing with several neo-classical and Jazz companies in France before she came to North America as an original cast member of Céline Dion's A New Day. She continued to refine and broaden her experience in live theater in Le Rêve and lastly as a cast member of Viva ELVIS.

She has had the honor of being trained and working with many of the Dance industry, in many styles such as Ballet, Neo-classical, Jazz, Modern, Hip-Hop and Ballroom. She also has done several TV appearances such as “Dancing with the Stars”,” The Oprah Winfrey Show”, “The Jerry Lewis Telethon “and the “American Music Awards”.

Beside her busy career on stage, she has been a producer and project manager of many events in the Las Vegas area, as well as teaching classes and workshops all over Europe and in the Las Vegas Local scene.

In 2012, Sarah was nominated to the position of Dance/Physical Acting Advisor and Scout for Cirque du Soleil Casting in Las Vegas, and later was appointed as the head of the department. As a part of the Casting team, she offered her expertise to enthusiast athletes, artists and performers hoping to join Cirque du Soleil.

For the past year, Sarah has continued to offer workshops and classes to young professionals and in Universities in order to help them prepare for their budding careers.

https://www.facebook.com/sarah.davison.92351

Dr. Linda Bluestein is a wealth of information and we are so excited to share this episode about hypermobility disorders. During this educational talk she discusses the common symptoms that people with these disorders might experience. Dr. Linda Bluestein also explains the approach that she takes when treating her patients and provides us with techniques and strategies that are helpful for people who are diagnosed with hypermobility disorders.

Linda Bluestein, M.D. has over 20 years of experience caring for patients and is the founder of Wisconsin Integrative Pain Specialists, a practice devoted to the holistic treatment of those experiencing persistent pain. Dr. Bluestein received her Medical Degree (M.D.) from the University of California, Los Angeles School of Medicine and completed her internship and anesthesiology residency at the prestigious Mayo Graduate School of Medicine in Rochester, Minnesota. Dr. Bluestein specializes in treating patients with connective tissue disorders such as Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes (EDS) and related disorders. She also treats the fatigue, memory dysfunction, sleep disturbances, and mood disorders that commonly co-exist with these painful conditions. Dr. Bluestein places a strong emphasis on the therapeutic relationship between the physician and patient and is certified by the American Board of Anesthesiologists.

As a former ballet dancer for over 25 years, Dr. Bluestein has a unique interest in treating dancers, gymnasts, circus performers and other people at increased risk of hypermobility disorders. She still dances and her love of dance and genuine understanding of these athletes is paramount to accurately diagnosing and effectively treating dancers. She is a member of the International Association for Dance Medicine and Science and the Performing Arts Medicine Association. Dr. Bluestein is also certified in Performing Arts Medicine and is a member of the Resources Committee for the Dance Healthy Alliance of Canada.

In addition to her pain clinic practice, Dr. Bluestein volunteers much of her time to several non-profit organizations. Through her work with EDS Awareness, Dr. Bluestein helped create the first online EDS CME (Continuing Medical Education) program and she continues to serve as the program's Physician Director. Dr. Bluestein is an integral member of the Board of Directors of EDS Wellness, Inc. where she also serves as the Director of Education. As the Medical Consultant for EDS Wisconsin, Inc., Dr. Bluestein regularly volunteers her time conducting educational programming for EDS patients and their families.

Dr. Linda Bluestein is at the forefront of research on pain, hypermobility and dance medicine and has written and lectured extensively on the topics of pain neuroscience, chronic pain, hypermobility disorders, nutrition and mental wellness particularly as they relate to dancers. She repeatedly receives top reviews from medical students for her teaching abilities and is a member of the clinical faculty at the Medical College of Wisconsin, Central Wisconsin.

Email: [email protected]

Office: [email protected]

https://www.wisconsinintegrativepainspecialists.org/dancer-s-corner

https://www.hypermobilityhappyhour.com

https://tcapp.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Pain-Management-in-Patients-with-Hypermobility-Syndrome.pdf?fbclid=IwAR1ZxXlBzp73E50tpQBcmhYKRezfvi9t92whe4PPSiCfxqSWpJBa0ZJESLo

The Acrobatic Arts Podcast is sponsoring an exciting online dance competition, the International Online Dance Competition. Compete with videos you already have! Judged by industry experts from Cirque du Soleil, La La La Human Steps, Broadway Underground, Bollywood, the Bolshoi Ballet, and Juste Debout. Be seen by an audience of tens of thousands, receive feedback, and win! Submit your dance videos on our website between May 5th to June 5th: only 5$ per video entry with over $10,000 worth in prizes to win. For more information, visit IODC.online. The Acrobatic Arts Podcast is a proud sponsor and encourages our listeners to apply!

Introducing Meaghan Wegg and Tim Buckley! In this episode, Meaghan and Tim talk about what motivated them when they were growing up and how they came to work with Acrobatic Arts. They also share a suspenseful story of when they were caught in the Australian fires of 2020. Meaghan and Tim's journey is truly inspirational and their positive outlook on life and words of wisdom make you believe that dreams really can come true!

Meaghan Wegg

Meaghan grew up dancing where she studied Jazz, Tap, Hip Hop and Acro. In 2001, Meaghan was accepted in to L'Ecole Nationale de Cirque in Montreal where she specialized in aerial hoop and contortion with additional training in Ballet, Contemporary and Modern. Upon graduation in 2005, Meaghan performed professionally as a principal dancer in many roles, including the cast of ‘Tomorrow' (Pigeons, International) and the cast of ‘Loft' (7 Fingers). From 2009 – 2012, Meaghan performed on tour globally with Cirque Du Soleil's ‘Quidam' as a feature aerialist.

Following an extremely successful performance career, Meaghan shifted her focus to coaching and choreography. In 2013 Meaghan graduated with a diploma from L'Ecole Nationale de Cirque (Montreal, Canada) with a major in Research of Acrobatics, and a minor in Hand to Hand partnering for dancers.

Currently she works as a private acrobatic coach and choreographer, and attracts students from around the world with a focus on career development, choreography and professional stage preparation. Meaghan founded Move With The Beat dance competitions in 2013. She is the Australia, New Zealand and Singapore Division manager for Acrobatic Arts since 2015. Most recently she has launched her Aerial Arts Online syllabus guiding teachers with her course for their students and class preparations. Meaghan started The Academy Circus as a local London, Ontario circus and acrobatic facility in 2017.

Meaghan recently has been hired for global choreographic projects in Australia, Montreal, France, China and India creating large scale shows for special events, Casino shows and year end performance university shows. She is passionate about welcoming everyone into the performance industry while sharing tips and tools about making it a reality. She is now an on call Artistic Coach with Cirque du Soleil. Meaghan is very happy to be settled in her home town of London Ontario with her small family!

Tim Buckley

Tim Buckley is a Sports Physiotherapist from Melbourne, Australia. He has worked exclusively with elite ballet dancers, circus artists and orchestral musicians during his 14 year career and has spoken twice at IADMS conferences in Australia and the USA. He was one of two full time physios with The Australian Ballet from 2006-2008 and toured Australia, China, England and France. He joined Cirque du Soleil in 2009 and toured Japan, South America and North America with ‘Corteo' and ‘Quidam', before settling in Montréal to work at Cirque's international headquarters as the Supervisor of Performance Medicine.

Tim then toured again as the Head Physiotherapist on Cirque du Soleil's production, ‘Kurios – Cabinet of Curiosities' in 2014-15, before moving back to Melbourne in 2016.

After another year at The Australian Ballet, Tim returned to Canada and now manages the Australia / New Zealand Division of Acrobatic Arts, as well as several business ventures in his new home country. Having recently completed his Masters of Sports Physiotherapy, he is also a consultant physiotherapist to Acrobatic Arts and Aerial Arts, providing input on the continuing development of syllabus and programs.

Email: [email protected]

AcrobaticArts.com

Have you ever wondered if there is a benefit to wearing socks that are specifically made for dancing? Today we are sharing a very informative talk from Dr. Jeff Russell. Dr. Russell tries to determine if wearing padded dance socks can reduce the forces that are place upon the feet when dancing. Listen as he provides us with the results from one of his research projects.

Dr. Jeff Russell is Associate Professor of Athletic Training and Director of Science and Health in Artistic Performance (SHAPe) at Ohio University. SHAPe comprises three components of performing arts medicine: clinical care of injured performing artists, applied research in the medical aspects of performing arts, and education of both artists and healthcare workers. Russell earned his PhD in Dance Medicine and Science from the University of Wolverhampton in England. He is a Fellow of the International Association for Dance Medicine & Science (FIADMS) and a member of the Research Advisory Group of Cirque du Soleil.

Jeffrey A. (Jeff) Russell, PhD, AT, FIADMS

Associate Professor, Athletic Training

Director, Science and Health in Artistic Performance

Ohio University

[email protected]

SHAPe Clinic: https://www.ohio.edu/chsp/ahsw/community/shape-clinic

OHIO Faculty: https://www.ohio.edu/experts/expert/jeffrey-jeff-russell