An Imaginative Approach for Dancers and Athletes

Russ Beasley, L.M.T., (’89) is an in-demand therapist with elite athletes and Broadway performers. What makes his work unique? “I consider myself a specialist who provides a deep tissue massage. Although I like to work deep, I’m also committed to a relaxed client. I believe that, with very few exceptions, massage should not be overly aggressive.”

He was a dancer for 20 years and found massage to be so beneficial for treating fatigue and injuries that he was drawn to study it. “The Swedish Institute gave me the foundation I needed and then I gradually learned the techniques I use now,” he says. Russ admits that his massage work was more forceful when he was first out of school. It’s common for novice practitioners with good intentions to think that the outcome of a session depends on how hard they work. As a seasoned therapist, Russ takes a different view.

“Now, instead of taking responsibility for creating improvement, I share the responsibility with the client,” he says. “To me, massage is a dialogue; there is always information coming in from the client’s body and my contact response out to it. That communication guides my sessions."

If he senses resistance, Russ will consider his options. “If the body is not ready to make a change, I don’t force it,” he says. “Maybe I alter my technique, change the client’s position, or apply heat. Massage can never be a rote pattern. There always needs to be some imaginative adjustment.”

Picking up the pace backstage

Dancers and athletes comprise most of Russ’ private clientele. He has worked with leading dancers from American Ballet Theater, New York City Ballet, Twyla Tharp’s company, and numerous modern dance companies. For the past 10 years he’s provided on-site massage for the U.S. Open tennis tournament.

With private clients, Russ tends to allow 75 to 90 minutes for a session. However, when he is working backstage, the pace picks up considerably. “During a show I can generally spend only 15 or 20 minutes for each performer,” he says, “so I have to be adept at editing my choice of techniques all the time."

If a dancer comes to him complaining about pain in the back, knees and shoulder, Russ will ask which area feels most important and start there. “An injury may not be bad enough to keep a dancer from performing,” Russ points out, “but it may affect the performance, or it could get worse if ignored. That’s why it’s important to have therapists on hand for shows where there is a lot of physical exertion.”

Russ has worked with the cast of three Broadway shows. While Russ was the massage therapist for the spectacular dance musical Movin’ Out, the producers and cast held him in such high esteem that he had a credit in the show’s Playbill!

Offering a master’s class

There’s a lot to know about working with dancers and athletes, like how they should not get too relaxed before a performance because it can throw off their balance or their grip on a prop. Or that athletes can’t have their range of motion expanded because it will affect the control they need for aim. Or which muscle groups will be most fatigued when a woman has to dance in high heels. It takes a very analytical and technical approach that a massage therapist might never use at a spa.

Russ, a senior member of the faculty for the Swedish Institute’s Massage Therapy Program, offers his expertise in this area to students and graduates through private tutorials. Those who are interested in studying with him can e-mail him at russbeasley1@yahoo.com.

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