Bendy Bodies with Dr. Linda Bluestein Dancing Stronger: Smarter Training for Bendy Bodies with Jennifer Milner (BEN 165)
Oct 9, 2025
Jennifer Milner, a ballet coach and Pilates trainer specializing in hypermobile dancers, joins to share her expertise. She discusses why conventional training cues can lead to injuries for bendy bodies. Jennifer emphasizes the importance of individualized training, injury prevention, and body awareness. She also explores the fine line between flexibility and hypermobility, advises on safe stretching techniques, and calls for better communication between dancers and choreographers. Her insights aim to empower dancers to embrace their unique bodies and train smarter.
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Hypermobility Is Often Undetected Early
- Jennifer realized hypermobility was widespread once she started working with pre-professional dancers and connecting symptoms like loose ankles and frequent dislocations.
- Seeing more dancers early revealed the need to stabilize whole bodies, not just treat isolated injuries.
Prioritize Health Over Tricks
- Do not let tricks define your value; prioritize healthy ability over showy moves.
- Treat aches as real, and accept that your recovery timeline may differ from peers.
Use Objective Pre‑Pointe Assessments
- Get a pre-pointe assessment with objective criteria before going on pointe and use it to discuss readiness with the studio.
- Reassess and work on identified deficits instead of rushing to match peers.