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  • Guest - The Flexibility Problem Dance Moms Need to Know About

    Guest - The Flexibility Problem Dance Moms Need to Know About
    2026/08/17
    Hypermobility, EDS, and the Dancer Everyone Calls "Flexible" Guest: Sharon Harrasser, MS, CWP, CLYL from 13 Zebras Wellness She's Not Uninterested, She's Hypermobile: What Dance Moms Need to Know about Hypermobility Your dancer is the flexy one. The one who gets picked for contortion tricks. The one whose splits look effortless. And she is also the one who bruises constantly, walks into doorframes, spills water, gets exhausted standing in line, and complains of "growing pains" that never quite go away. What if those things are connected? In this episode I sit down with Sharon of 13 Zebras Wellness, an integrative health and wellness coach, Ehlers-Danlos Society advocate, and certified wellness practitioner, who has been living with hypermobility since long before anyone gave it a name. She was a dancer too, until joint subluxations pulled her out of it. We talk about what hypermobility and hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos actually are, why puberty is so often the moment things fall apart, what studios and coaches consistently miss, and the difference between a dancer who is not trying hard enough and a dancer whose connective tissue is working against her. This is an education episode. We are not diagnosing anyone and we are not treating anyone. But information changes what you notice, and what you notice changes the conversation you have with your dancer's provider. [00:01:11] Meet Sharon: from "you're just double-jointed" to an EDS advocacy career [00:03:36] Sharon's own dance story, and why puberty is the turning point for so many dancers [00:04:29] Why medical schools spend about 30 seconds on this [00:06:10] Why the business is called 13 Zebras (there are 13 recognized subtypes of Ehlers-Danlos, and no two people present the same) [00:08:14] The disclaimer, and why dance and gymnastics attract hypermobile kids in the first place [00:09:23] Common characteristics to observe: fatigue, GI symptoms, "growing pains," food sensitivities, the Beighton score [00:10:06] The ADHD and autism connection in hypermobility research [CLARIFICATION NOTE: the direction of research findings is that 51% of neurodivergent people exhibit hypermobility traits. And that people with hypermobility are also more likely to have an associated neurodivergent condition.] [00:11:25] What studios get wrong: "she's not trying hard enough" versus "she needs different support" [00:14:14] Connective tissue is in everything (brain, vocal cords, intestines, blood vessels), so this is never just about flexible joints [00:15:19] Proprioception explained, and why it explains the bruises, the clumsiness, and the exhaustion [00:16:40] Dysautonomia, blood pooling, fainting during long balances, and why hot showers can wreck a dancer [00:19:03] The party trick problem: showing off flexibility while quietly damaging joints [00:20:12] Why injuries in hypermobile bodies do not heal the same way [00:21:29] The number one thing Sharon wants every dance mom to know: flexibility is not the same as strength or control [00:22:19] Over-splits, forced stretching, and the "stretchy coach" problem [00:23:27] What a subluxation actually is (and how it differs from a dislocation) [00:25:03] Pain and fatigue are information, not something to dance through [00:26:33] Why "I can normally dance through pain" is a red flag, not a badge of honor [00:28:14] Building a team around the dancer instead of building the dancer around the team [00:29:14] Studios that shame dancers for sitting out [00:31:38] The nutrition conversation: GI motility, mast cell involvement, and why elimination approaches are diagnostic tools, not long term plans [00:35:06] How to actually prepare for the pediatrician appointment (observe first, collect patterns, bring the whole picture once) [00:36:16] Genetics referrals and connective tissue panels [00:39:40] The mental health piece: when a dancer's identity collides with a diagnosis [00:41:38] The honest conversation about commitment, and what this asks of a serious dancer [00:44:59] Hypermobility clinics opening up worldwide [00:47:01] Laughter yoga, Dr. Madan Kataria, and why Sharon is researching the nervous system side of it [00:49:47] What a thriving dancer actually looks like [00:53:44] For the moms: 75% of hypermobile patients are female, and there is a genetic link Three Things Sharon Wants Every Dance Mom to Hear 1. Flexibility is not the same thing as strength or control. Beautiful extensions and effortless turnout do not mean the joint is stable in that position. Training that builds stability around the joint matters more than training that chases more range of motion. 2. Pain and fatigue are information. They are not obstacles to push through. Persistent joint pain, recurring injuries, and unusual fatigue are data. Rest and modification are part of training, not evidence of failure. 3. You may be looking at yourself, too. There is a genetic link here. A lot of moms recognize their own history somewhere in this conversation. That can ...
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    58 分
  • AI for Dance Moms: The Question it WIll Never Ask You

    AI for Dance Moms: The Question it WIll Never Ask You
    2026/08/10
    Your dancer gets hurt. You have a diagnosis, a recommendation, and a knot in your stomach. So you do what a lot of us do now. You open ChatGPT and start typing. In this solo episode, Karina thinks out loud about what actually comes back, and why an answer can feel complete while missing the thing that mattered most. She's not anti-AI. She uses it, and she says so. But she also went in and tested it the way a dance mom would, playing the role of a mom brand new to holistic and integrative health who just wants to know whether there's another path before the surgery date. What came back was information, plenty of it, and none of the thinking. Because AI answers the question you asked. It doesn't reason about whether it was the right question to ask. Karina uses a meniscus tear as her example: a mom types in the injury and the surgery recommendation, and gets studies, options, and considerations. What she doesn't get is the follow-up question about hypermobility, or about other conditions that could change how risk gets weighed entirely. A machine can't reach for what it doesn't know to look for. Neither, she points out, can a specialist work strictly inside the protocol they were trained in. Which lands on the knot at the center of this episode: unless you ask it specifically, how do you know what to ask? She also gets into the parts that don't come with a warning label. What she personally won't type into a chatbot about her own family, and how she keeps things hypothetical instead. Why "there's no evidence for this" can be a statement about how a study was built rather than about whether something has any value. And the distinction she keeps returning to, between a tool that helps you find answers and a tool you expect to hand you one. If you've ever closed a chatbot window feeling smaller instead of clearer, this episode explains why. In this episode: (01:03) Where AI stops being helpful and becomes a different animal(02:47) Why AI behaves a lot like a specialist locked inside their own training(04:02) The word "artificial" is doing a lot of work, and we keep skipping past it(06:28) Connecting an injury to the rest of the body, and what goes missing when nobody does(08:24) The test Karina ran on herself, as a mom new to all of this(10:41) You can't ask the right question if you don't know it exists(13:26) The meniscus tear example, and the follow-up question that never comes(15:35) The use she's most comfortable with: getting help building your question list(16:22) The information about your dancer that lives with you and nowhere else(17:14) What she won't share with a chatbot, and how she words things instead(18:21) Where she does find it useful: narrow research questions and date ranges(22:50) Why the research picture on holistic modalities can look thinner than it is(27:38) A tool on the way to answers, not the answer(28:31) The gut check: did that conversation leave you with your power or without it Karina wants to hear from you. How are you actually using AI for your dancer? Does what it tells you line up with what your providers say? And if you've come across a holistic or integrative health AI tool, send it over. She'd like to test it and report back. DM on Instagram @thrivingdancersco or email team@thrivingdancers.com . Subscribe to the newsletter for the written version of these conversations: https://moms.thrivingdancers.com/newsletters/thriving-dancers-world/subscribe Shared as personal experience and general health education. Nothing here is medical advice, diagnosis, or a treatment recommendation. Please work through decisions about your dancer with your own qualified providers.
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    31 分
  • Guest -Dance Medicine Athletic Trainer from George Mason University School of Dance

    Guest -Dance Medicine Athletic Trainer from George Mason University School of Dance
    2026/07/30
    Details Introduction and Professional Background: Karina Klepach introduced Jena HH, who is a dance medicine athletic trainer and educator at George Mason University School of Dance (00:00:02). Jena HH has worked as a clinician for 15 years, with 10.5 years at the university and prior experience as a contractor for performers at Disneyland. Additionally, Jena HH is the founder of the Skilled Collection, a platform focused on parent-facing child movement and clinical education (00:01:19).Entry into Dance Medicine: Jena HH described their path into the field as originating from a background in high school cheer and a later interest in sports medicine. After being asked to work backstage for a University of Idaho dance performance, Jena HH identified dancers as a unique population requiring specialized athletic support, which led to a career focused on the intersection of dance and medicine (00:02:43).The Transcendence of Dance: Jena HH expressed that dance offers a transcendent experience for audiences, where dancers create beauty that impacts viewers emotionally (00:05:09). Karina Klepach agreed, noting that this sense of fluidity and energy is similar to the movement found in Qigong, leaving audiences in a changed state (00:06:25).Defining Organizing Patterns: Jena HH explained that the "organizing pattern" refers to why a dancer's body might fail to perform a specific movement or why it feels difficult. The focus is not just on muscle tightness, but on why the brain is sending signals that result in imbalanced length-tension relationships. Jena HH emphasized that the body is highly intelligent and that clinicians must look beyond the immediate area of pain to understand the systemic cause (00:09:15) (00:15:36).Systematic Evaluation and Clinical Tools: To address movement issues, Jena HH uses systematic evaluations, specifically the Selective Functional Movement Assessment (SFMA), which is reserved for medical professionals. This system helps categorize bodies based on missing movement pieces, moving away from orthopedic tests that only identify ligament tears without explaining the underlying cause of the injury (00:11:17) (00:13:33). Jena HH has presented on these systematic evaluations at the International Association for Dance Medicine and Science (IADMS) conferences (00:12:29).Limitations of Orthopedic Surgery: Karina Klepach highlighted the issue with standard orthopedic approaches, noting that surgeons are trained to operate rather than analyze whole-body mechanics (00:16:32). Karina Klepach shared a personal experience where a specialist recommended surgery for a meniscus tear, but the diagnostic process failed to address why the tear occurred in the first place (00:17:42).Conservative Treatment and Research: Karina Klepach noted that, in their experience, conservative treatment was successful, citing research that suggests sham surgeries for meniscus tears can be as effective as actual repairs, which are also associated with higher risks of long-term arthritis. Both speakers emphasized that the goal is to avoid unnecessary medical interventions through better initial assessment (00:16:32) (00:20:58).The Role of Dance Teachers: Jena HH and Karina Klepach discussed the reality that while dance teachers may lack the capacity to individually manage every student's injury, they are not acting maliciously. Teachers are responsible for guiding groups of students, and while some elite teachers have developed nuanced ways to help themselves, it is often outside their scope to diagnose the underlying causes of a specific student's struggle (00:22:16).Addressing Anatomical Limitations and Body Shaming: Karina Klepach described the problem of dance environments where students are shamed or labeled as "not trying" when they are physically unable to perform certain moves due to anatomical limitations (00:24:48). Jena HH added that issues like tibial torsion or hip socket angles can make certain movements, such as parallel positions in modern dance or turnout in ballet, structurally difficult for some dancers (00:26:02) (00:32:16).Collaborative Communication: Jena HH and Karina Klepach agreed that the solution lies in better communication (00:23:24) (00:31:20). When teachers are provided with information or explanations regarding a dancer's anatomical limitations, they are often receptive and eager to find solutions, suggesting that studios should be open to dialogue between parents, dancers, and clinicians (00:30:14).Professional Support and Re-evaluation: Jena HH recounted an anecdote about a professional dancer who had a significant discrepancy in hip external rotation that went unaddressed by other practitioners. Jena HH emphasized the importance of seeking out qualified physical therapists and continuing to search for answers if the first intervention does not resolve the issue (00:28:17).Identifying Anatomical Variations: Karina Klepach shared personal anecdotes about receiving dismissive feedback ...
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    1 時間 1 分
  • Medical Decision-making Do's and Don't for Dance Moms

    Medical Decision-making Do's and Don't for Dance Moms
    2026/07/20

    Empowered Decision-Making for Dance Injuries in Conventional Care

    The episode encourages dance moms to practice empowered decision-making when seeking conventional medical care for injured dancers by staying actively involved, asking questions, and advocating for timely, appropriate diagnostics and follow-up, rather than giving up power out of fear. It emphasizes that non-life-threatening injuries like broken toes or feet still require urgent, accurate evaluation, including insisting on advanced imaging such as CT scans when X-rays are inconclusive, because the early days of healing are critical. The host criticizes “waitingitis” and shares a story of a delayed foot fracture case to illustrate pushing for earlier specialist access while avoiding rushed decisions. The episode promotes integrating holistic approaches with conventional care, understanding root causes of injuries, and coordinating a supportive team, including studios, to prevent recurring injuries, burnout, and lifelong pain.

    00:00 Welcome and Topic

    00:37 Why We Give Power Away

    01:41 Be the Advocate

    02:30 Urgent Injury Toolkit

    05:35 Demand Proper Imaging 09:58 Push Back on Waiting

    12:32 Case Study Waitingitis

    14:05 Conservative vs Surgery

    15:14 Integrative Care Teamwork

    18:51 Holistic Root Causes

    24:18 Prevent Burnout and Pain

    27:10 Wrap Up and Resources

    Get Your Decision-Making Guide HERE.

    Subscribe to Thriving Dancers World newsletter so you don't miss another episode: https://moms.thrivingdancers.com/newsletters/thriving-dancers-world/subscribe
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    31 分
  • Nourishing Dancers: The Truth About Nutrition vs. Diets in the Dance World

    Nourishing Dancers: The Truth About Nutrition vs. Diets in the Dance World
    2026/07/06

    Nutrition vs. Diets for Dancers: Building Long-Term Wellness with Whole Foods

    The episode addresses how nutrition is misunderstood in the dance world, arguing that guidance often focuses on restrictive “diets” and food-group rules rather than the nutritional building blocks dancers need to fuel training, support cell regeneration, and strengthen immunity long term. It urges dance moms to teach dancers to evaluate food quality (ingredients, additives, processing) instead of labeling foods “good” or “bad,” using examples like different kinds of pizza, juice, honey, granola, and ultra-processed substitutes (sugar-free products and meat replacements). The script explains how highly processed foods can strain digestion and fail to provide usable nutrients, contributing to fatigue, illness, injuries, skin issues, and unhealthy relationships with food. It advocates individualized nutrition based on a dancer’s needs (e.g., magnesium and sodium from foods like dragon fruit and celery juice) and mindful choices in social situations.

    00:00 Nutrition Not Diets

    01:26 Cells Need Fuel

    04:41 Dance Culture Problems

    06:38 What Diets Miss

    08:17 Quality Over Labels

    15:28 Read Ingredient Lists

    17:07 Beware Substitutes

    20:46 Ultra Processed Digestion

    24:02 Teaching Better Choices

    26:04 Personalized Nutrition

    28:08 Food Works Slowly

    34:05 Mindset And Metabolism

    39:59 Gut Health And Outcomes

    44:22 Final Takeaways

    Subscribe to Thriving Dancers World newsletter so you don't miss another episode: https://moms.thrivingdancers.com/newsletters/thriving-dancers-world/subscribe
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    47 分
  • Meniscus Injury Recap

    Meniscus Injury Recap
    2026/06/29

    Karina's back after a pause to talk through what happened with her dancer's meniscus tear, basically the whole story from missed signs to recovery. The injury had been there for a while before anyone knew. Her dancer was in pain but didn't say anything, scared she'd get pulled from dance, telling herself it was probably nothing. By the time they got an MRI in November 2025, the knee had become unstable. Once they had that diagnosis, she pulled her out of dancing immediately, even though it meant missing shows and eating the cost of costumes that were already paid for and nonrefundable. She's honest about how much that hit, both financially and emotionally, on top of the injury itself. From there it was about finding the right doctor. She specifically didn't want someone who'd default to a surgical mindset, so she found an orthopedist open to trying a conservative approach first, while still booking a backup surgery slot just in case things didn't progress. Plan A was avoiding surgery, plan B was having it scheduled anyway so they wouldn't lose time if they ended up needing it. The actual recovery: crutches and no weight on the knee at first, then a brace for about six weeks, then another month of dancing in the brace before easing back to normal training. Alongside that, she used a personal protocol, supplements, homeopathy, essential oils, some herbs, and dietary changes, since the meniscus doesn't get much blood flow and needed support reaching it from a few different angles. She repeats more than once that this was her family's path, not medical advice, and that anyone listening should work this out with their own providers. All in, it took about six months before her dancer was cleared, and she made it back for both the spring and final shows. The bigger lessons she keeps coming back to: parents don't have to just accept the first thing they're told. She talks about bringing information to a doctor as a participant in the decision, not someone who just nods along, and getting a second opinion if something doesn't sit right. She also points out that most orthopedic surgeons are trained to fix things mechanically, not to think about a dancer's long-term career or body as a whole system, which is part of why she's pushing people to find specialists who actually understand dancers. She ties this specific injury back to a connective tissue and alignment issue her dancer's been dealing with, and flags hypermobility as something she wants to do a full episode on later. She closes on the role of belief and expectation in healing, bringing up research on how a doctor's confidence in a patient's recovery can affect outcomes, and treats that as a real factor alongside everything else they did physically.

    Where to find Thriving Dancers: Instagram: @thrivingdancersco Email: team@thrivingdancers.com Newsletter signup: https://moms.thrivingdancers.com/newsletters/thriving-dancers-world/subscribe
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    38 分
  • We're back for good

    We're back for good
    2026/06/22

    Why I Went Quiet, and What's Coming Next

    Karina is back after a season away, and she's telling you exactly why. While her own dancer was deep in healing a meniscus injury, Karina needed to know her decision-making framework actually held up before bringing it to the rest of the Thriving Dancers community. In this episode, she shares what that season taught her, why she believes change needs to happen at a bigger scale across the dance industry, and a new resource she's building for dance moms navigating injury and burnout decisions.

    Then she dives into a topic she rarely sees discussed: the real difference between technique and authenticity, and why two equally trained dancers can have completely different outcomes in auditions, casting rooms, and on stage. In this episode:

    • Why Karina paused the podcast, and what her own dancer's healing process taught her
    • A new framework she's building to help dance moms make confident decisions during injury or burnout
    • Why "it worked for someone else's dancer" doesn't mean it's right for yours
    • Beyond technique: what judges, directors, and audiences are really responding to
    • Why uniform technique (think Vaganova, Cecchetti, Balanchine) makes individuality even harder to access
    • What separates dancers who move to the next level from those who "did everything right" and still don't know why they didn't get the outcome
    • A look ahead: upcoming guest experts, from GI doctors to professional dancers

    Have a question or topic you want covered? Find Karina at @thrivingdancersco on Instagram, or get more tools and insights by signing up for the newsletter here:

    Thriving Dancers World Newsletter
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    23 分
  • Healing Helpers -Part 2

    Healing Helpers -Part 2
    2026/01/05

    In this conversation, Karina discusses the supportive protocol for dancers, emphasizing the importance of mindset, nutrition, and holistic approaches to recovery from injuries. She highlights how a positive mindset can influence healing, the role of nutrition and supplements, and the need for a comprehensive understanding of recovery processes. Karina also shares personal anecdotes and insights into the emotional aspects of healing, encouraging a supportive environment for dancers during their recovery journey.

    Subscribe to Thriving Dancers World newsletter so you don’t miss upcoming episodes: https://moms.thrivingdancers.com/newsletters/thriving-dancers-world/subscribe
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    28 分