Area: Dance Medicine and Wellness
About:
Brenda Critchfield, MS, ATC, CSCS, LAT is the Director of Dance Medicine and Wellness Facility for the BYU Department of Dance. She is a certified athletic trainer, a national strength and conditioning specialist and has earned certifications in kinesiotaping and Graston technique. She has worked in a wide variety of athletic training settings including NCAA Division I and III athletics, semi-professional hockey, ESPN X-Games, and the U.S. military. She started working with performing artists in 2007 while obtaining a Master of Science from University of New Mexico. Brenda received her BS in athletic training from Brigham Young University. She has worked with professional dancers from New York City Ballet Company, American Ballet Company, the Martha Graham Company, and with actors on Broadway to prevent dehydration in Shrek. Critchfield published two position statements for the International Association of Dance Medicine & Science. She has also written a chapter in the book Dancer Wellness. Her interests lie in the prevention and treatment of injuries in dancers and global body healing. As Director of Dance Medicine and Wellness Facility, Critchfield utilizes manual therapy techniques, myofascial release techniques, and soft tissue work to help dancers recover from injuries.