Launching the West Coast’s first Performing Arts Physical Therapy Fellowship, the USC Division of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy sets a new standard for artist care, partnering with USC’s performing arts schools to keep musicians, dancers, actors, singers and circus performers in top physical shape.
BY DANIEL P. SMITH
BY THE TIME CHELSEA CORREA ARRIVED AT THE USC GLORYA KAUFMAN SCHOOL OF DANCE in 2021 to pursue her BFA, the lifelong dancer had already endured two separate anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction surgeries on her right knee and nearly 24 combined months of exhaustive rehab.
Correa’s experience at an early age sparked a deeper interest in body mechanics and steered her to USC, which boasts renowned programs in both dance and physical therapy.
“I knew USC was the place I had to be,” the New Jersey native says.
While at USC Kaufman, Correa faced additional devastating injuries: two separate ACL tears on her left knee within a year.
In recovery, she linked up with Marisa Hentis, Kaufman’s resident physical therapist and a former professional dancer herself. As Correa pushed to return to the stage, she further recognized the critical value of individualized health care for performing artists like herself.
“As great as a traditionally trained physical therapist might be, a PT well-versed on the timing, precision and abstract movements of dance is so valuable to recovery and performing,” says Correa, who graduated from USC Kaufman last May and plans to apply to DPT programs in the fall with long-term aspirations of working with dancers and high-level athletes.
Last year, the USC Division of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy launched its Performing Arts Physical Therapy Fellowship program to enhance care for performing artists like Correa. The fellowship — one of four fellowships and seven residencies the Division offers — provides advanced specialty training for practitioners interested in treating dancers, musicians, actors and other performing artists. It is the fifth such program in the United States, the first on the West Coast and one of only two hosting a fellow during the 2025-2026 academic year.
“Los Angeles is the nation’s performing arts capital, and with this fellowship, USC takes a more prominent role in developing clinicians who understand the intricacies and demands of the performing arts,” says Hentis, the fellowship’s program director.
When USC hired Hentis in 2019, the dancer-turned-physical therapist immediately set her sights on making USC the “West Coast’s hub for performing arts medicine.”
An assistant professor of clinical physical therapy with a joint faculty appointment with USC Kaufman, Hentis led courses in the dance program, treated dancers clinically and built a research portfolio focused on supporting dancers. Her stewardship of dance medicine at USC delivered value for students and performers, and it spurred interest in providing physical therapy to individuals in other performing arts disciplines, such as music, the cinematic arts and musical theater.
“We had something working, so why not extend it?” Hentis recalls.
The new 14-month fellowship program includes didactic education centered on distinct performing arts, from dance to marching band to circus performance, as well as concentrated clinical components.
Cultivating relationships with USC Kaufman, the USC Thornton School of Music, the USC School of Dramatic Arts and various performing arts-oriented clubs on campus, the fellow provides treatment and preventive care to students and professionals at USC Kaufman’s Performing Arts Physical Therapy Clinic and backstage at local venues. The fellow is also tasked to participate in literature reviews, pursue a clinical research project and shadow physicians to achieve a deeper understanding of working with performers.
“Through this immersion in the performing arts, fellows not only gain an intimate understanding of the unique physical demands of different performing arts, but also the distinctive cultures and socioeconomic demands of working in these fields,” Hentis says.
While USC Kaufman has long interacted with the Division, including providing physical therapy screenings for dancers during the first week of school to measure baseline data and delivering wellness education to students, USC Kaufman Assistant Dean of Programming and Special Events Jackie Kopcsak touts the new fellowship as a “game changer,” capable of extending dancers’ career longevity and transforming the standards of care available to performing artists.
“Unlike athletes who often rely on power, speed and repetitive motions, performing artists must balance technical precision with emotional expression, physical stamina with interpretive subtlety,” Kopcsak says.
“Performing arts physical therapists understand these dual demands, recognizing that recovery isn’t only about regaining function, but also about restoring the refined control that defines an artist’s craft.”
Meanwhile, USC Thornton Vice Dean of Classical Music and Composition William Kanengiser says the on-campus Performing Arts Physical Therapy Clinic serves as more than a valuable training ground for fellows; it is an accessible, convenient and valuable resource for USC’s musicians as well.
“I have heard of a number of students who developed acute conditions, potentially affecting upcoming performances. They were promptly scheduled, evaluated and treated,” says Kanengiser, chair of the USC Thornton Wellness Committee.
Combining a background in theater and dance with an earnest desire to work with performing artists, Amir Khastoo DPT ’17, ORTHO ’18, jumped at the opportunity to be USC’s inaugural Performing Arts Physical Therapy fellow last fall. Over recent months, Khastoo has enjoyed providing event coverage and on-site care to performers as well as deepening his knowledge base in a specialized area of personal interest.
“The fellowship has been an amazing opportunity to immerse myself in populations I have a genuine interest in caring for and to learn the specialized skills, assessments and movement analyses necessary to support their well-being as efficiently as possible,” says Khastoo, an assistant professor of clinical physical therapy at USC. “I’ve received an elevated level of mentorship and guidance that only makes me more excited to serve performing artists moving forward.”
The American Board of Physical Therapy Residency and Fellowship Education is currently evaluating USC’s Performing Arts Physical Therapy Fellowship for accreditation. Hentis hopes to earn accreditation by the summer and use that as a springboard to foster relationships with industry partners across Los Angeles to further enrich the fellowship experience and solidify USC’s role as a leader in performing arts health care.
“The ultimate goal is to make USC the performing arts medicine standard bearer on the West Coast by providing the best care and the most up-to-date treatment approaches,” Hentis says.
