Susan Simpson

Susan Simpson on finding her path from dancer to physiotherapist, and why the healthiest careers are built through balance, knowledge, and respect for the body

Long before she became Head of Performance Medicine and Physiotherapist at the New Zealand School of Dance, Susan Simpson was a young dancer taking classes in a garage behind her teacher’s house in a small provincial town in New Zealand. Growing up on a farm, she was far removed from the large institutions and professional companies she would later work with, but her love of movement and curiosity about the human body would eventually lead her back to one of New Zealand’s most prestigious dance institutions, this time not as a student, but as the person helping the next generation of dancers thrive.

Simpson attended the New Zealand School of Dance as a contemporary major and describes her time there as transformative.

“It was one of the most challenging and rewarding years of my life,” she says. “As the year progressed, I decided that I wanted to shift my focus, with an increasing interest in the field of dance medicine.”

That shift led Simpson to study physiotherapy at Otago University, however dance remained central to her life throughout her studies. She continued choreographing for operatic societies, working with freelance choreographers, performing with the Physical Education Department dance group, and teaching dance classes at the university gym and local dance schools.

After two years working in hospitals in New Zealand, she travelled to London seeking more specific work in the dance industry as a physiotherapist. The pathway was not immediate. Her first two jobs were in a men’s prison and a ski trauma unit, experiences that broadened her skills before an unexpected opportunity arrived.

“The physiotherapist at the Central School of Ballet was leaving to work full-time for Rambert Dance Company. I was 22 and talked my way into the job!”

That moment would become the start of an extraordinary chapter in her career. From her work at Central School of Ballet came opportunities with The Royal Ballet, Rambert Dance Company, West End productions and freelance dancers, establishing her as a respected physiotherapist within the international dance community.

After four years in London, Simpson returned home to New Zealand. She initially worked with the New Zealand School of Dance and the Royal New Zealand Ballet but discovered that her greatest passion lay in supporting dancers during the formative years of their training.

“I ultimately wanted to focus on working with the pre-professional dancers,” she explains.

Today, as Head of Performance Medicine and Physiotherapist at the New Zealand School of Dance, Simpson coordinates a multidisciplinary team dedicated to providing what she describes as “wrap around care” for young dancers.

“Specialist healthcare is so important for young dancers, to help support their training practices and to provide conditions for them to thrive,” she says. “Adolescent dancers also have the added challenge associated with growth, maturation and development.”

Her team’s role extends far beyond treating injuries. Healthcare professionals help direct training loads, injury prevention strategies, recovery strategies and fuelling strategies, while empowering dancers with the knowledge to build healthy and sustainable careers.

“The most common injuries we see in dancers tend to be overuse,” Simpson says. “The repetitive activity that is required to master dance skills will load the tissues of the body, bone, ligament, tendon, muscle and fascia.”

The type of injury often depends on the dance form being studied. In ballet, common concerns include ankle sprains, posterior ankle impingement, patella and Achilles tendinopathy, and hip impingement, while contemporary dancers may experience lower back pain, rotator cuff strain, shoulder instability, and knee sprains and strains.

Understanding the difference between normal muscle soreness and a more significant injury is another important part of a dancer’s education.

“Normal muscle soreness typically doesn’t happen right away but rather after the activity,” she explains. “You may wake up the next morning or even a couple of days later and feel sore as you get up.”

Known as delayed onset muscle soreness, or DOMS, this is often a sign that the body is repairing and recovering and can usually be managed with recovery strategies such as load changes, gentle stretching, rolling, tissue release, and hot or cold modalities.

However, Simpson warns that a rapid onset of soreness may indicate an acute injury or overload of the body’s tissues.

“Getting clarity around diagnostics and the type of tissue involved can help to direct effective treatment and rehabilitation plans which will help the dancer return to full capacity,” she says.

An area of dance health that has evolved significantly over recent years is strength and conditioning, now widely recognised as an essential component of safe and sustainable training.

“Strength and conditioning plays a huge role in helping dancers perform safely and sustainably,” Simpson says. “It is encouraging to see over recent years that many schools have strength and conditioning integrated into their timetables.”

At NZSD, this begins with a benchmarking screening at the start of each year, allowing the team to develop programs that address tissue tolerance, movement competency, neuromuscular control, rate of force development, skill acquisition, and dance-specific drills. Importantly, these programs also include periods of de-loading and recovery.

For young dancers balancing training, academic commitments and personal lives, Simpson believes a long-term approach is essential.

“One thing I often say to our dancers at NZSD is, you are in for the marathon and not the sprint.”

She encourages students to use a strategy known as reverse engineering, looking at their goals for the term or year and working backwards to create a realistic pathway towards achieving them.

This same philosophy applies to a dancer’s overall wellbeing.

“A healthy mind and body are vital for a dancer and the choices you make on a daily basis, over a week, over a term or a season can make a big difference to how you feel and how your body responds and recovers from training.”

Simpson describes the foundations of good health as “wellness habits”, sleep, hydration, nutrition, and rest and restoration.

“Sleep tops the list and is a fundamental biological necessity that allows your body and mind to recharge,” she says. “During your sleep your brain clears out cellular waste, it consolidates memories and boosts your ability to learn and solve problems. The body also repairs tissue, builds muscles and triggers the release of growth hormones.”

Hydration, nutrition and time away from training are equally important, helping dancers maintain concentration, support recovery, protect their physical health and remain mentally refreshed.

Having once been the young dancer dreaming of a future in the industry herself, Simpson understands the dedication required to pursue dance at the highest level. Her message to the next generation is not simply to work harder, but to work smarter, caring for their bodies so they can continue to do what they love for many years to come.

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