INJURY PREVENTION, JUNE 18TH
This workshop will address common misconceptions about how to become the best dancer you can be.
Dancers will learn strategies for injury risk reduction and performance optimization.
Dancers will learn strategies for injury risk reduction and performance optimization.

Dr. Meredith Dake, PT, DPT, OCS is a physical therapist and former dancer who works with dancers in the Children's Hospital Colorado Sports Medicine Center. Her experience from ballet training at the university level and performing in ballet and musical theatre companies enhances her practice style. She regularly teaches educational workshops for dancers and provides presentations on injury rehabilitation for dancers at healthcare conferences including International Association for Dance Medicine and Science, Performing Arts Medical Association, Colorado Dance Educators Organization, Denver Citywide Hip Group, and the Children’s Hospital Colorado Orthopedics Institute. Her aim is to empower dancers to perform confidently.
JUNE 25TH
CPEX, JULY 2ND
The Center for Performance Excellence (CPEX) provides sport and performance psychology interventions to individuals as well as teams and groups. By teaching mental skills that help athletes and performers achieve personal excellence, we hope to use performance as a vehicle for positive social change. Through an emphasis on well-rounded development, personal responsibility and citizenship, clients gain knowledge and tools they need to flourish personally and professionally.

Arianna Shimits (a Nutmeg Alum) is currently a MA candidate at the University of Denver. She completed her bachelor's degree in Psychology at the New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences at Arizona State University. While working towards her BA she danced professionally at the Washington Ballet under Septime Were, Ballet Arizona under Ib Anderson and the Colorado Ballet under Gil Boggs. She was fortunate enough to dance many soloist and corps de ballet roles in ballets choreographed by Petipa, Balanchine, Tudor, Tharp, Webre, Deane, Liang, York, and Stevenson. After retiring from dance Arianna pursued an MA in Sport and Performance Psychology because she believed that the performing arts could benefit from the skills and training offered by Sport and Performance Psychology. She is passionate about helping people perform at their best and believes that complementing the rigorous physical training of dance with mental skills training will help athletes of all ages achieve exactly that.