Saturday Series: Voice Anatomy and Function for Dancers

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.

JANUARY 2026 WORKSHOP

Topic: Voice Anatomy and Function for Dancers

When: Saturday, January 24, 2026 at 11:30 AM EST

Format: IN PERSON

Description: Our first Saturday Series workshop of 2026, Voice Anatomy and Function for Dancers, will be led by special guest and speech-language pathologist Aaron M. Johnson, PhD, co-director of the NYU Langone Voice and Swallowing Center.

For dancers who use their voices in performance, this workshop will review best practices for vocal health. For dancers not accustomed to using their voices in their artistic endeavors, this workshop will be an opportunity to better understand this vital part of our body and how it relates to both our art form and our identity. Dr. Johnson will discuss the basic anatomy and physiology of the three-part vocal system (breathing, phonation, and resonance), practical exercises for maintaining vocal health, common vocal problems in performers, and guidance on when to seek professional care for voice concerns.

Whether using our voice for performance, self-advocacy, or second careers that require us to speak—our voice is a tool for expression, and this workshop will deepen our understanding of its anatomy and function.

Instructor: Aaron M. Johnson, MM, PhD, CCC-SLP, is a researcher and speech–language pathologist specializing in voice habilitation and rehabilitation. He is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Otolaryngology at New York University School of Medicine and co-director of the NYU Langone Voice & Swallowing Center. His laboratory, funded by the National Institutes of Health, uses novel translational research methods to investigate laryngeal neuromuscular plasticity in response to vocal training, vocal fold injury, and advanced age. As a clinician, he works on a multidisciplinary team to diagnose and treat voice disorders in performing artists. His research and clinical interests stem from his previous decade-long career as a professional classical singer and teacher of singing. Dr. Johnson holds degrees in vocal performance from Northwestern University, a certificate in vocology from the National Center for Voice and Speech, and a research doctorate from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is a recognized vocologist by the Pan American Vocology Association and a fellow of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.

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.

February 21: The Dancer’s Skeleton: Building Strength from the Inside Out with Joshua Honrado, DAT, LAT, ATC

March 28: Foot & Ankle Exploration with Glenn De Kler, MS, LAT, ATC

April 18: ACL in Dancers with Hailey Calkins, MS, LAT, ATC

May 30: Shoulder Function with Lauren McIntyre, LAT, ATC

June 27: The Magic of Muscles with Ella Otto, MS, LAT, ATC

July 25: Hip Anatomy and Function with Lauren McIntyre, LAT, ATC

August 22: Cardiovascular System with Patti Cavaleri, PT, DPT

September 19: Pelvic Floor Anatomy for Dancers with Bridgette Saba, DAT, LAT, ATC

October 24: Menstruation to Menopause Ella Otto, MS, LAT, ATC & guest

November 21: Joints for Longevity 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.

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