Saturday Series: The Power of the Pelvic Floor

Physical therapist and pelvic floor specialist Dr. Zoe Tawa, PT will review the anatomy, function and importance of the pelvic floor.
About this Event

Harkness Center for Dance Injuries proudly offers in-person and virtual Harkness Center Saturday Series workshops for the dance community.

Our educational theme for 2026 is BODIES—A deep dive into our anatomy.

Throughout the year, our community programming will focus on functional anatomy through a biopsychosocial lens specific to anyone who identifies as a dancer.

SEPTEMBER 2026 WORKSHOP

Topic: The Power of the Pelvic Floor

When: Saturday, September 19, 2026 at 11:30 AM EST

Format: IN PERSON

Description: Our ninth Saturday Series workshop of 2026, The Power of The Pelvic Floor, will be led by Harkness Center physical therapist, Dr. Zoe Tawa, PT, DPT, OCS.

In this in-person workshop for dancers and dance educators, physical therapist and pelvic floor specialist Dr. Zoe Tawa, PT will review the anatomy, function and importance of the pelvic floor musculature, while also addressing pelvic floor issues that dancers might experience throughout different stages of their careers. Additionally, participants will learn practical exercises and stretches for maintaining a healthy pelvic floor.

Instructor: Zoe Tawa, PT, DPT, OCS received her bachelor’s degrees in dance and biology from the George Washington University and her doctorate in physical therapy from Columbia University. Dr. Tawa is a board-certified orthopedic clinical specialist and also has an interest in women’s health and pelvic floor physical therapy. A lifelong dancer herself, she has had the joy of providing physical therapy backstage for numerous Broadway shows.

UPCOMING SATURDAY SERIES WORKSHOPS

Virtual workshops are marked with (v) and run 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM ET. All other workshops are in-person and run 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM ET. Registration for each event, once open, can be found at https://linktr.ee/harknesscenterfordanceinjuries.

October 24: Menstruation to Menopause with Ella Otto, MS, LAT, ATC & Rebecca Kesting, PT, DPT

November 21: Joints for Longevity with Glenn De Kler, MS, LAT, ATC

December 12: Balance Across our Lives: Vestibular System (instructor TBC)

Saturday Series workshops are led by our clinical staff and feature various topics on dancer wellness and injury prevention. All members of the dance community are welcome. Please note whether format is in-person or virtual.

• We strongly encourage participants under 16 years of age to attend with a parent/guardian.
• Liability waiver: for workshops that include movement, participants will be required to sign a liability waiver.
• Refund policy: we cannot provide refunds after the event has taken place.
• Virtual workshops: unless noted, recordings of virtual workshops are not provided, so please plan to attend in real time.
• Questions: Contact Kristen Stevens, program manager, [email protected]

About the Harkness Center for Dance Injuries: NYU Langone's Harkness Center for Dance Injuries (www.DanceInjury.org) is dedicated to enhancing the health and well-being of dance professionals through clinical services, education programming, and research. Founded in 1989 through a partnership between the Harkness Foundation for Dance and the Hospital for Joint Diseases (now NYU Langone Orthopedic Hospital), the Harkness Center provides care for dancers of all ages, genres, and levels as well as for musicians, actors, figure skaters, aerialists, and more.

In addition to caring for injuries, an integral part of the Harkness Center’s mission is providing education. For the dance community, Harkness offers injury prevention workshops, online courses, and screenings, including its long-running, free Injury Prevention Assessment (IPA) program. For dance medicine professionals, Harkness offers live and online continuing education courses. DanceMedU, the Harkness Center's digital learning platform (www.DanceMedU.org), offers over 20 lectures on dance medicine and dancer health for the dance and healthcare communitities.