As the Therapist for “RiverDance… the show”…
“The whole cast is talking about you…
They say you are absolutely fabulous!!!”
A letter of appreciation from “RiverDance… the show” hangs with pride in my Therapy Room. It also brings back many warm memories of my two weeks as their therapist. They told me that during their more than six years of touring cities in Canada and the United States… they have never provide a letter of appreciation to any other therapist. The cast and the management viewed me as a very special person and an exceptional therapist. Here is what happened.
When I received a letter asking me if I would like to be their therapist for the first week of their two week Toronto engagement, I thought it might be quite interesting to do so. As I got settled in a therapy room, I was told that the cast would probably just ask for “legs & feet”. I was told that they had been in many cities… and for the most part therapy was below what they really wanted. So, I expected to do just “legs & feet”.
Therapy sessions were 20 minutes… 3 cast members per hours. They began 90 minutes prior to the beginning of the performance… and ended about 30 minutes before the ‘grand finale’. There was an overhead speaker in the therapy room, so I was able to hear and enjoy the performance each time. Three days went by without any feedback from any cast member. So on the third day, I said to one dancer… “I have no idea what you people think about what I am doing”… And she lifted her head toward me and said…
“The whole cast is talking about you…
They say you are absolutely fabulous!!!”…
Then she asked if I would be the therapist for the second week of their Toronto engagement. When I told her that they would have another therapist for that second week, her expression was one of great disappointment. That night I received a call from the RiverDance management… asking me if I would find a way to be the therapist for the second week. I was very happy to make that happen.
Word got around pretty quickly. Everyone seemed to know what was happening. And they felt comfortable in asking me to do whatever I thought was necessary. If they had a special issue they would tell me about it… and I would attempt to address that issue. If I was concerned about dancers injuring themselves, they would trust me in conveying that concern to them and to management. For instance, a Russian dance performer, who had not been part of my schedule, was suddenly slated to see me. He was in great agony during and after his performances due to issues involving very abnormal Psoas muscles and their related tissues. He needed much more that I could provide in 20 minutes. And then his body needed time to heal and regain balance. If he kept pushing himself, he would have destroyed his ability to perform. I believe he was given some time to heal. The cast and management expected me to be honest, capable and “there” for them. And I very much appreciate their trust and confidence.
One day, the captain of the men’s dance team asked me to do something for a painful shoulder issue. All I had was 20 minutes. I told him that what I was going to do was going to hurt quite a bit. We did what was necessary. And the very next day, I saw him racing up a stairway to the stage… as he shouted with great joy and appreciation…
“What you did for my Shoulder was… absolutely brilliant!!”
Then employees that supported the RiverDance production company also became aware of ‘this special therapist’ and from time to time, they would ask me about issues that were concerning them. However, I could only provide advice, and not therapy. My schedule with the cast was full.
During the second week, several singers asked management to schedule an appointment with me. Over the years, they had never trusted anyone to work with the areas of their mouth and throat. But, they trusted me to do whatever I thought was necessary. After working with the throat areas of the lead female vocalist, I could hear the results of the therapy from the overhead therapy room speaker. During her next performance, her voice was more powerful… and her words were more clear. It was a wonderful feeling to be able to experience this.
And I know that the cast appreciated me being there with them as well. The last therapy session of the day ended about 30 minutes before the end of the performance. Then, I would race up to a Stage Wing to watch the thrilling ‘Grand Finale’. And finally… the last days of the two weeks were coming to an end. I could tell from the faces of the cast who I saw in therapy and in the hallways… that there was this uncomfortable feel about having to say ‘goodbye’. During the two weeks, we had bonded like family. The whole RiverDance company was like a family… and I was honoured to have been accepted as part of that family.
This is typical of my therapy sessions. I always attempted to provide much more than what people expected. They want you to be very professional and provide excellent therapy… and they also want you to be ‘a person’. They want to value their time with you and to feel the value as well as the results. In my own clinical setting, my sessions are usually 90 minutes or more. Yet, even with these short 20 minute sessions, the cast of RiverDance was able to acknowledge and express their feeling of this value with their warm and sincere ‘goodbye’.
Safran Rehab & Wellness Therapies
www.SafranTherapies.com
704-246-7888
