Our Vision
To elevate the standard of care for dancers and dance institutions by bridging the gap between dance science and studios.
To empower dancers and dance organizations with research-based education, screening tools, and conditioning programs that improve performance and reduce injury. We serve dancers across the lifespan—from students to professionals—through an integrated model that includes three core arms: Education, Assessment, and Conditioning.
Education
Fitness Assessment
Dance Conditioning
The Dance Ready Project™ believes that knowledge is power—and prevention begins with awareness. Through workshops, webinars, studio consultations, and online content, we equip dancers, educators, and healthcare providers with critical information about dancer health, injury risk, and performance readiness. Our educational initiatives aim to close the gap between what dancers need and what they’re often taught—promoting a culture that prioritizes strength, recovery, and sustainable training practices.
Our signature tool, the Dance Ready Score™, is a baseline fitness assessment specifically designed for dancers. The Dance Ready Score™ functions like a GPS—it identifies a dancer’s current physical state, highlights areas of vulnerability, and maps out a clear, individualized path to optimal performance.It evaluates key physical capacities such as strength, balance, flexibility and cardiorespiratory fitness. . This tool has been used by studios, companies, and schools across the country to proactively support dancer health, inform dancer training and predict dancer performance.
Beyond assessment, we provide customized interventions and conditioning programs that help dancers strengthen their weaknesses, enhance their performance, and prevent future injuries. Grounded in both sports science and artistic understanding, our interventions include one-on-one performance coaching, group conditioning sessions, and targeted rehab support. We focus on building strength before demanding technique—ensuring dancers are physically prepared for the challenges of their craft.
John Milen
Chief Something Officier
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vivamus pharetra sapien tempus eros dictum consequat. Proin congue, nibh id congue euismod, turpis nisl tempor lorem.
Janet Doe
Founder, CTO
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Nulla dui mi, gravida quis pretium vel, placerat nec dui. Nam vel efficitur dui. Phasellus dictum, magna in elementum accumsan.
OUR FOUNDERS
Dr. Sheyi Ojofeitimi, PT, DPT, OCS
Founder
Dr. Sheyi Ojofeitimi, a licensed physical therapist, is the Director of Therapy Services, and the Health & Safety Advisor for the Alvin Ailey Dance Foundation, and Founder of Boundless Roots Inc. She serves on the Board of Trustees for Dance/USA and is Co-Chair of Dance/USA Taskforce on Dancer Health advocating for the health and safety of all performing arts athletes.
AAt Alvin Ailey, she directs and coordinates the health & wellness services for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Ailey II, and The Ailey School. She is the in-house medical lead for the organization's infectious disease contingency planning committee providing guidance on daily operations, exposure protocols, isolation, quarantine and return to work. Her achievements include reducing overuse injuries by 37%, time-loss injuries by 33%, and creating protocols that prevented COVID-19 outbreaks within the organization during the pandemic. These initiatives have saved the organization millions in health-related costs while supporting dancers' return to rehearsals and live performances after prolonged interruptions.
A dedicated researcher, Dr. Ojofeitimi served as a senior research associate at the Analysis of Dance and Movement (ADAM) Center, a biomechanics laboratory devoted to the study of movement and injury patterns in dancers. Here she took on new challenges as an integral member of a 3-person team tasked with rebuilding a biomechanics lab. She managed all aspects of research projects and co-authored articles that resulted in several peer-reviewed publications in scientific journals. Her most recent publications include an article entitled Guidelines for Returning to Dance Following Concussion: Adaptations from Sport Concussion Literature, published in the International Journal of Clinical Practice, and co-authoring Chapter 3 in the book Dance Injuries: Reducing Risk and Maximizing Performance. She continues use her skills to develop evidenced based health and wellness protocols for dance organizations; protocols that resulted in reduced injury and illness rates saving the organizations millions in health-related costs.
Dr. Ojofeitimi currently serves as the Treasurer for Dance USA’s Taskforce on Dancer Health, is a member of Dance USA’s Board of Trustees. She has also worked with several, Broadway & Off-Broadway shows including Wicked, Once on This Island, Avenue Q, The Book of Mormon, and Free Style Love Supreme and continues to advocate for dancer well-being through her research, education, and clinical leadership.
She is a member of the International Association of Dance Medicine Specialists, Performing Arts Medical Association and American Physical Therapy Association. Apart from work, she enjoys spending time with friends & family, taking dance classes, traveling, and listening to books/podcasts.
Dr. Danelle Dickson, PT, DPT, OCS
Founder
Dr. Danelle Dickson, PT, DPT, OCS is a licensed physical therapist, Performing Arts specialist, Orthopedic clinical specialist and owner at Performance Plus Physical Therapy. She is also the creator of Dansebridge Online - a conditioning program for dancers, the host of the Dancing around Elephants Podcast, co-founder of a business mentorship for minority women: The Business Female Foundation, and co-founder of the Dance Ready Project.
Dr. Danelle’s forty two years in the dance world fueled her passion to work with dancer’s injuries. She combined her passion for dance with her skills in orthopedics to work with thousands of dancers and other athletes, at the pre-professional level and professional levels. She has worked with local DC dance companies, DC dance schools and notable companies and performances such as Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Ailey II, Little Dancer, Angels in America, POTUS!, CHICAGO!, Netflix's Bridgerton, Tempestous Elements, Tony Award winning Jaja’s African Hair Braiding, Dissonance Dance Theater, Dance Institute of Washington, Dance Academy of Virginia, Kirov Ballet, The Viva School of Dance, and University of Maryland Dance Department.
Dr. Danelle has used her 17 years experience in the field to help her patients, but also give back. Dr. Dickson has lectured at Howard University, University of Maryland, University of Delaware and Marymount University on dance medicine , injury assessment and treatment. She has also presented at the national level, at the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) and international dance medicine conferences on dance research at International Association of Dance Medicine and Science (IADMS), and featured in national physical therapy magazine (APTA) in 2022 for her innovation in clinical practice in the dance and mentorship world. She is also a published research in International Dance Medicine Journal (JDMS). She has also presented on Dance Medicine, DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) and Physical Therapy think tanks (Graham Sessions) at the national level - American Physical Therapy Association (APTA). Dr. Dickson also writes and contributes to national publications on dance including Dance Teacher and Dance Advantage Magazine. Dr. Dickson’s expert topics include dancer injuries, injury prevention, patient advocacy and business mentorship for minority women.
Dr. Danelle lives in Maryland with her close friends and cats Ché and Fidel. When she is out of the clinic, you can find her traveling the world, and spending time with her family in Trinidad, England, and Australia. And of course, always finding time to dance!
