Haydee Ferguson - My Story

Haydee started dancing at age 3 and has never looked back. Her formal training began at Sheila Laing Dance Centre in Adelaide. As a teenager she turned towards a broader range of dance styles before finding her true passion in ballet and contemporary. From there she danced in the full time program at the Adelaide Centre for the Arts. After enduring many setbacks with her health and injuries, Haydee entered the world of healthcare. She has now been a physiotherapist for over 12 years working primarily with dancers and performers. Over the years, Haydee has worked with many touring shows including: Cedar Lake Ballet and Contemporary Company (USA), Victorian State Ballet, Chunky Move, Gravity and Other Myths, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (Sonia Friedman Productions), West Side Story (BB Group production), Chicago (John Frost and Suzanne Jones Production), Melbourne Theatre Company (various shows), School of Rock (Andrew Lloyd Webber) and many independent artists. Haydee’s passion lies in working with adolescent dancers as they work through some of the biggest transitions in both their dancing and their health.


Haydee has completed a Bachelor of Physiotherapy (University of South Australia 2012), a Graduate Certificate in Health Research (University of South Australia 2020) and a Bachelor of Exercise and Sports Science, Honours (Deakin University 2022). Haydee is currently a PhD candidate at Deakin University where she is investigating the biomechanics of pointe work, the mechanics of pointe shoes and the process of transitioning en pointe. Haydee is also a Teaching Fellow at Deakin University.


Education

  • PhD Candidate, Deakin University (Current)
    Research Project: Biomechanics of pointe, pointe readiness and mechanical properties of pointe shoes.
  • Bachelor of Exercise and Sports Science (Honours - first class), Deakin University (2022)
    Research Project: Assessment of risk of low energy availability and eating disorders and nutrition knowledge in pre-professional adolescent ballet dancers.
  • Graduate Certificate in Health Research, University of South Australia (2020)
  • Bachelor of Physiotherapy, University of South Australia (2009-2012)
  • Full time Dance at Adelaide Centre for the Arts – TAFE SA (2005-2007)

Awards

  • Career Development Award - Australian Society of Performing Arts Health (2024)
  • Golden Key International Honour Society (2024)

Publications and Presentations

  • Biomechanics of the foot en pointe - Australian Society of Performing Arts Health (2024):
  • Can we accurately measure multi-segment foot kinematics in a ballet pointe shoe? - Australian and New Zealand Society of Biomechanics (2024)
  • Assessment of risk of low energy availability and eating disorders and nutrition knowledge in pre-professional adolescent ballet dancers - Deakin University Symposium (2022)

Registration and Certifications

  • AHPRA Registered Physiotherapist (current)
  • APA Member (2009-present)
  • Australian Society for Performing Arts Health Committee Member (current)
  • Dance Research Collaborative Member (2023-present)
  • Working with Children Check, Victoria, Australia (current)

Professional Development

  • Progressing Ballet Technique (2020)
  • Safe Exercise at Every Stage: Workshops 1 and 2 Intro to SEES management and treatment of exercise in eating disorders (2020)
  • The Dancing Hip, APA (2019)
  • Foot and Ankle in Dance, APA (2019)
  • Screening and Conditioning for Dancers, APA (2017)
  • Level 2 Flexibility Intensive, The Ballet Blog (2017)
  • Level 2 Hip Injuries, The Ballet Blog (2017)
  • Level 2 Foot & Ankle Injuries, The Ballet Blog (2017)
  • Level 1 Dance Teacher and Practitioner Training, Perfect Form Physiotherapy (2015)
  • APMA Pilates Certification – Level 2 Practitioner (2006-2007)