Title: Understanding ACL Injuries in Dance 

Format: ZOOM

Date: Sat. April 18, 2026 

Hailey Calkins, MS, LAT, ATC 

Time: 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM EDT 

Description: 

Our workshop, Understanding ACL Injuries in Dance, will explore the unique demands placed on the knee in dancers and how these demands influence injury risk, treatment decisions, and rehabilitation outcomes. This presentation will review relevant knee anatomy and biomechanics and present an overview of ACL injury epidemiology within the dance population. We will discuss surgical reconstruction options and current rehabilitation processes, with attention to how traditional ACL protocols may differ when applied to dancers. This workshop aims to empower dancers, educators, and clinicians with knowledge to support injury prevention, informed decision making, and safe return to dance. 

Bio: 

Hailey Calkins is a certified athletic trainer at the Harkness Center for Dance Injuries. Her primary clinical role is serving as the head athletic trainer for Dance Theatre of Harlem, both in New York City and on tour. Prior to working within the performing arts, Hailey worked in winter sports medicine at multiple ski and snowboarding sites, including the US Ski and Snowboard Olympic Training Center and the Snowbird Clinic. There, she gained extensive experience managing high-level ACL injuries. She has published and presented research on variability in ACL reconstruction rehabilitation protocols and is now focused on applying these findings to the dancer population.