Erika Mayall Physiotherapist

10/28/2025

✨The Dance Physio Podcast✨

Episode 105: Breaking the Binary in Ballet with Anna Morgan

Cis gender girls account for 92% of the young people training in ballet in the UK, yet men still make up the vast majority of leadership positions (artistic directors, choreographers, etc) in the top 5 ballet companies. Why do we think this is?

In this week’s podcast episode, I’m joined by to chat about what she’s learned on this topic through her master’s research into gender equity in ballet leadership and training.

We also get into some of the issues that we see arise when ballet continues to be taught with a rigid, binary structure and ways we can make ballet a more inclusive and welcoming environment for all dancers, regardless of their gender identity.

Episode 105 is out now wherever you listen to your podcasts. While you’re there, don’t forget to like, subscribe, share and leave a comment 💜

10/21/2025

✨The Dance Physio Podcast✨

Episode 104: Hip Dysplasia in Dancers

If you’ve ever had a baby, you may be familiar with hip dysplasia as infants are routinely screened for it in the first few months of life. But more mild cases may not be caught in infancy and can show up later in life - often in conjunction with other hip issues like pain, impingement, labral tears and more.

In this week’s podcast episode, I discuss hip dysplasia and why it matters for dancers. You’ll learn exactly what hip dysplasia is, how it’s diagnosed, and common complications that may arise for dancers with hip dysplasia. I also cover teaching and treatment techniques to help minimize the effects of hip dysplasia for dancers.

Episode 104 is out now wherever you listen to your podcasts. While you’re there, don’t forget to like, subscribe, share and leave a comment 💜

10/14/2025

✨The Dance Physio Podcast✨

Episode 103: Clenching, Gripping and Knuckling: what your dancer’s feet can tell you

In this week’s podcast episode, I recap my recent presentation at the IADMS Annual Conference in Las Vegas. I was so fortunate to be able to present a workshop with longtime friend, mentor and colleague

We have had the opportunity to present together numerous times over the years, and one of the things that makes us such a great duo is the different perspectives we view the same issue with.

This year we presented all about dancer’s feet, and what their gripping, clenching and knuckling might tell us (and how to address it!).

If you missed out on our session at IADMS, have a listen to episode 103 for the recap. While you’re there, don’t forget to like, subscribe, share and leave a comment 💜

10/07/2025

✨The Dance Physio Podcast✨

Episode 102: Physio Insights for Latin Dancers with Dr. Julieann Berg

In this week’s episode I’m joined by , physical therapist and Latin dancer extraordinaire. We chat about what makes the latin dance community unique in the dance world, common injuries she sees in the Latin dancers, why strength training is so important.

We also discuss the challenges that dancing in heels presents, and how you can make sure you’re physically ready for it.

Episode 102 is out now wherever you get your podcasts. While you’re there, don’t forget to like, subscribe, share and leave a comment 💜

10/01/2025

September Snaps…

🦩 Flamingos at the Flamingo
⚽️ Mr. B living the dream repping
💜 The best people reunited for a sh*tty reason 🩵
📚 First day of school
🐐 Big fans of Sunny
🕯️ Candlelight concerts
✈️ Off again, this time Vegas…
👯‍♀️ Always a pleasure presenting with
🪩 RuPaul’s Drag Race
🍔 First ever In-N-Out Burger
🎡 Vegas skylines

09/30/2025

✨The Dance Physio Podcast✨

Episode 101: IADMS Annual Conference Recap

The annual conference is always a highlight of my year, and this year was no exception. Over 600 of the world’s leading dance medicine and rehabilitation specialists, researchers, educators, dancers and more gathered for 4 jam-packed days in Vegas.

In this week’s podcast, I recap my time at the conference, and highlight my top 5 takeaways (in no particular order!). Have a listen to find out what all the buzz is about.

Episode 101 is out now wherever you get your podcasts. While you’re there, don’t forget to like, subscribe, share and leave a comment 💜

09/23/2025

🎉100th Episode of The Dance Physio Podcast🎉

This week is a very special milestone for the podcast - it’s the 100th episode!!!! 🎉🥳🤯

So to celebrate, I’ve done something a little different than usual and used this episode to celebrate you 🫵🏻, the community behind the podcast 🫶🏻

Through generous support from some incredible sponsors, we have amazing prize giveaways specially curated for the dance community. Have a listen to the episode to hear what the prizes are, and how to enter the giveaway.

HUGE thanks to our sponsors:





Have a listen to episode 100 now, and don’t forget to enter the prize giveaways before the deadline, end of day September 30th! 💜

09/16/2025

✨The Dance Physio Podcast✨

Episode 99: Helping Dancers Advocate for Themselves in the Studio

A question I often get from dance parents is ‘how can I help my dancer advocate for themselves in the studio?’. Although I love the care and intention behind this question, I actually think we’re approaching the whole situation wrong.

In this week’s podcast episode, I discuss why I think this is the wrong approach, and how we can flip our thinking to actually better support our dancers.

In a culture where dancers are already vulnerable to power dynamics, asking them to advocate for themselves is just one more example of putting the burden on the person with the least amount of control over the situation.

Have a listen to episode 99 - out now wherever you get your podcasts 💜

09/09/2025

✨The Dance Physio Podcast✨

Episode 98: Patellar Tendinopathy in Dancers

Yup, still on that tendon train and still talking about load management. This week it’s all about the patellar tendon 🙌🏼

Tune in to learn what exactly the patellar tendon is and what makes it different from a lot of other tendonss in our body, common signs and symptoms of patellar tendinopathy, as well as treatment and management strategies for it.

Are you a dancer who’s dealt with patellar tendinopathy? Let me know what’s helped you the most in the comments below👇🏼

Episode 98 is out now wherever you get your podcasts. While you’re there, don’t forget to like, subscribe, share and leave a review 💜

07/01/2025

June recap 🌺🦖🚤🌊🌳🍹⚽️🌸

06/18/2025

Had a great time chatting with Brett and Jenny on the Ballet Help Desk podcast. Part 1 is out now! Check it out wherever you listen to your podcasts :)

NEW EPISODE
Both of our kids were misdiagnosed with ballet injuries, which opened our eyes to how crucial it is to work with providers who truly understand dancers. In this two-part episode, Erika Mayall, a dance physical therapist explains how injury prevention for ballet dancers differs, common misdiagnoses, early warning signs, and how to choose the right specialist and advocate for your dancer’s health.

Search Ballet Help Desk wherever you get your podcasts or listen on our website - www.ballethelpdesk.com

If you want to hear even more from Erika, you can tune in to her podcast: The Dance Physio Podcast

06/17/2025

Still on that recovery train 💪🏼 This continues to be a daily conversation in the clinic, especially at this time of year.

So I’m curious, what else would you add to the list?

Drop your own recovery go-to or hard-earned lessons in the comments!

🩰💬