What is Dance Podiatry?
Dance Podiatry is an area of podiatric care focused on the unique demands that dance places on the feet, ankles and lower limbs. It combines an understanding of foot and lower-limb health with the biomechanics, technique, footwear and physical demands specific to different styles of dance.
Dancers use their bodies differently from the general population, with unique movement and strength goals and increasingly complex skills to develop as they progress through their training and into their professional careers. These demands also vary significantly between dance styles, each requiring different movement patterns, technical skills, footwear and physical capacities. Dance podiatry assessments consider not only where you are experiencing pain or difficulty, but also your individual dance style and how your foot structure, biomechanics, technique, training load and footwear may be contributing.
Dance podiatry can support dancers across all ages and levels, from recreational and student dancers through to pre-professional and professional performers. This may include dance injury assessment and rehabilitation, biomechanical assessment, pre-pointe and pointe readiness assessments, strength and conditioning, dance footwear advice, and skin and nail care.
The aim is to provide podiatric care that understands the demands of dance, helping dancers manage foot and lower-limb concerns while supporting their long-term participation, training and performance.
Our Dance Podiatry Services Include
Pointe Assessments
For all ballet dancers, beginning your journey en pointe is an exciting and memorable milestone. It marks your hard-earned progress and introduces new challenges to your technique and your body — particularly the feet, ankles, and lower limbs. Having the guidance and support of your dance teacher is crucial, and completing a professional pre-pointe or pointe readiness assessment by a qualified podiatrist can make all the difference in setting dancers up for success — for safety and longevity. A pre-pointe assessment is a one-on-one, in-depth assessment conducted by a podiatrist with a specialised understanding of dance biomechanics and the unique anatomical demands of ballet. This tailored assessment evaluates how well a dancer’s body is prepared to meet the technical and physical challenges of dancing en pointe.
We are so grateful for the relationship between BLOCH and Performance Podiatry Sydney. Dancers who pass their pre-pointe assessment at Performance Podiatry Sydney will receive 10% off their first pair of pointe shoes and accessories from Block York St or Chatswood
Read More HERE
Injury Rehab
Whether you dance recreationally, competitively or professionally, injuries can impact your ability to train and perform with confidence. Our dance injury rehabilitation services support dancers through every stage of recovery, from initial injury assessment and treatment through to safe return-to-dance and performance.Our dance podiatrists develop individualised rehabilitation programs based on your injury, biomechanics, dance style, training demands and goals. Treatment may include strength and conditioning, load management and dance-specific rehabilitation, alongside therapies such as DolorClast® radial extracorporeal shockwave therapy, high-power laser therapy, dry needling, massage and mobilisation therapy, where clinically appropriate.Rehabilitation progresses towards the movements and skills you need for class, rehearsal, competition or performance, with the goal of restoring strength, capacity and confidence for a safe and successful return to dance.
Preparation For Pointe Assessments
Starting pointe work is one of the most exciting milestones in a dancer’s journey. To make this transition smooth, safe, and successful, many dancers choose to complete a Preparation for Pointe Assessment with a podiatrist in the 3 to 12 months leading up to their formal pointe assessment. This appointment introduces the elements that will be tested, provides personalised guidance, and helps dancers build the strength and knowledge required for a confident start en pointe.
What You’ll Learn
A preparation session offers practical education and tools, including:
- How to prepare for a successful pointe assessment step-by-step.
- Targeted exercises to mobilise & strengthen key areas.
- Pointe shoe fitting advice—features to look for, how they should feel, and what to avoid and how to enjoy the first pointe shoe fitting with confidence.
- Guidance on useful in-shoe tools and devices.
- Tips for ongoing foot and ankle conditioning to support safe ballet training.
Read More HERE
Support and Recovery
Performance seasons can place unique demands on a dancer’s feet and lower limbs, particularly during periods of increased rehearsals, performances with reduced recovery time. Our performance season support is designed to help competitive and professional dancers manage these demands and maintain their foot health throughout busy training and performance periods.
Support may include skin and nail care, management of blisters, corns, skin tears and shoe-related concerns, ingrown, involuted or traumatised toenails, Onyfix® nail correction, as well as in-shoe offloading, padding and modifications to dance-specific footwear to improve comfort and reduce irritation without unnecessarily interfering with performance.
For muscular or soft tissue concerns associated with increased dance load, treatment may also incorporate strength and conditioning, load management assistance, technique-modification advice, DolorClast® radial extracorporeal shockwave therapy, high-power laser therapy, dry needling, massage and mobilisation therapy, where clinically appropriate.
Whether you’re preparing for a performance, navigating an intense rehearsal period or recovering between shows, care can be tailored to the specific demands of your dance style, footwear and performance schedule to help keep you dancing comfortably and confidently.
A Passion for Dance Podiatry
With over 17 years of experience as a dancer, Tayla developed a passion for dance podiatry. This means that she has a specialised interest in foot and leg injuries, pain and conditions associated with ballet, dance and artistic sports for clients of all ages and experience levels.
Whilst Tayla is qualified to treat all podiatry issues, she has completed further specialist training and certifications to assist all dancers with pre-pointe preparation and assessments, pointe shoe fitting and Progressing Ballet Technique (PBT). Tayla has also completed her ‘Level 1 Dance Teacher training: The Fundamentals’ and ‘Level 2 Pointe Intensive’ certification through The Ballet Blog
Tayla is passionate about diversity and communication in healthcare and she recognises that consultations must be carefully tailored to the needs and goals of each of her clients. She avidly recognises that an individual, person-centred approach is essential for comfort, performance and success.
Book a dance podiatry appointment with us today
*for any dance appointment other than pointe assessment and pointe assessment preparation appointments, please book a standard dance podiatry appointment. For pointe assessment and pointe assessment preparation appointments, please book the corresponding appointment type
BOOK ONLINECheck out some of our blog posts on dance podiatry:
Lateral Ankle Instability for Dancers
Most dancer’s will understand the importance of being protected from ankle rolling or ankle sprains, [...]
Signs a Dancer Is Not Ready for Pointe Shoes
For many dancers, starting pointe work is an exciting milestone. For parents, it often comes [...]
Os Trigonum Syndrome & Surgery: A Complete Guide for Dancers and Athletes
Posterior ankle pain can be incredibly limiting — especially if you’re a dancer, athlete, or [...]
The Most Common Reasons Dancers Fail a Pre-Pointe Assessment
(And What Dancers Should Know Before Their Assessment) For many dancers, a pre-pointe assessment feels [...]
Preparation for Pointe Assessments: Building Strength, Confidence and Safety Before Going En Pointe
Starting pointe work is one of the most exciting milestones in a dancer’s journey. To [...]
What to Expect During a Pre-Pointe Assessment with a Dance Podiatrist
Stepping Into Pointe Work: What Happens During a Pre-Pointe Assessment? Starting en pointe is a [...]
Why Pre-Pointe Assessments Are Essential for Aspiring Ballet Dancers
Ready to Dance En Pointe? Here’s Why a Podiatry-Led Dance Assessment Is a Must For [...]
Why should I get a pre-pointe assessment?
Ballet is an athletic art that demands precision, strength, and dedication. For aspiring ballet dancers, [...]
Dancers Ourselves
With dancers integrated throughout our team, from practitioner to management, we truly understand the unique challenges dancers face
Amongst The Industry
We prioritise connecting with the dance community. Here is Tayla presenting a dance podiatry workshop to the SDC PPY cohort
Leading Technology
We use the latest technology to provide thorough support to dancers… such as our Zebris treadmill with inbuilt force pressure plates for detailed technique analysis
What Our Dance Clients Have Said
“As a dancer, it was really important for me to connect with a practitioner who understands the industry — and Tayla absolutely does. She truly understands that I not only need to keep dancing, but that I want to keep dancing!
I saw Tayla Forland at Performance Podiatry CBD for a Biomechanical Assessment & Injury Management session, and I couldn’t recommend her more highly. She was friendly, professional, and took the time to really listen to what I wanted to achieve. She came up with several tailored solutions to support my goals and recovery.
I would highly recommend Tayla as a podiatrist, especially to any dancer looking for someone who genuinely understands their needs”
“I took my daughter to Performance Podiatry for her ballet pointe assessment having been there 15 years ago for issues with my feet.
What a wonderful experience! The receptionist is a dancer, the podiatrist is an ex dancer and they totally understood how nervous my daughter was and what a big event a pointe assessment is in a girl’s life. The podiatrist explained every step, provided loads of reassurance and talked to my daughter like she was an adult, making her feel grown up and taken seriously.
I would recommend Performance Podiatry to anyone – especially for pointe assessments and anything else dance related”