Therapist Educator Healer

Katherine Ewalt, MS, ATC, HHP, BCTMB is the Owner / Director of Performing Arts and Athletic Restorative Training Specialists (PAARTS) Wellness Studio. A former professional freelance modern dancer, violist, and collegiate gymnast, Ms. Ewalt has worked professionally in the fields of Sports and Performing Arts Medicine for 21 years. She has lectured at national and international conferences in Europe and China on sport and performing arts injury prevention and care as well as with sport teams, dance and performing arts companies, universities and schools. Ms. Ewalt is an acute care provider, clinician, manual therapist, healer and educator hailed for her attention to detail and ability to get to the root of her clients’ problems. She provides care for acute and chronic musculoskeletal injuries, guides corrective exercise and performance enhancement strategies, and offers a variety of holistic healthcare approaches to recreational, pre-professional, professional dancers and performing artists, recreational, club, collegiate, professional and Olympic sport teams, members of the United States Navy and Marine Corps, weekend warriors and the general population.

Personal Philosophy:


Since opening PAARTS in 2006, I have been absolutely blessed to be able to combine my background, passion and love for the performing arts with my passion for the healing arts. I value providing comprehensive and individualized holistic care – care that equally focuses on physical, mental and emotional well-being of my clients as a means to promote optimum health, wellness, injury care and maximum performance. My background as a high level gymnast, semi-professional dancer, and violists provides me unique insight into the technical, training and performance demands of these activities; insight which I use to address the individual needs of my clients. My extensive education in Sport and Performing Arts Medicine, Exercise Science, Holistic Health, Osteopathic Manual Therapy, Massage Therapy and Pilates provides me the tools to work with a variety of clients’ needs. My gifts in life have been my personal experiences with significant injuries and loss along with my innate intuition and empathic abilities – I can relate and empathize with most all conditions that enter my care. My skill has brought me many referrals and the opportunity to know and work with some of the world’s greatest performers and athletes. Yet all clients – regardless of age, level or ability – receive the same level of high quality care. I look forward to helping you!

Performing Arts and Performing Athletes

Ms. Ewalt is the dance medicine provider and consultant for the California Ballet Company, San Diego Ballet Company and School, San Diego Dance Theater, and Malashock Dance Company as well as the performing arts medicine provider to independent San Diego Symphony Orchestra musicians. She is often sought out for her expertise in performing arts medicine by touring Broadway dancers, professional instrumental musicians, vocal performers and has provided onsite care for productions including “Burn the Floor,” “So You Think You Can Dance,” and Wendy Whelan’s “Restless Creature.”

She has provided ongoing individual care for members of the USA Gymnastics Women’s team and USA Figure Skating, as well as for care of others involved in gymnastics and ice/figure skating from recreational to collegiate and elite level participants.  She works with area artistic and rhythmic gymnasts, cheerleaders, circus artists, tumble/tramp athletes, roller- and ice/figure skaters.

Ms. Ewalt served as the guest editor for the Journal of Dance Medicine and Science(JDMS) in September of 2010 for the special issue “Athletic Training in Dance Medicine and Science,” has published articles and abstracts of her research in JDMS, has served as a consultant to Dance Magazine regarding concussion injury and performance anxiety in dance, and has been interviewed in Advance for Directors in Rehabilitationfor her work with dance students and professionals.  Ms. Ewalt authored the column  “Performing Artists’ Health Corner” for San Diego Performer Magazine as well as the “Dancers’ Health Corner” for Dance San Diego Magazine.  She is actively involved with national and international performing arts medicine associations acting as manuscript reviewer for the Journal of Dance Medicine and Science, coordinator of the “Physical Therapists and Athletic Trainers’ Special Interest Group Day” for the International Association for Dance Medicine and Science conference 2008-2010. She served as performing arts Subject Matter Expert for the Professional Education Committee of the National Athletic Trainers’ Association and was a founding member of the Performing Arts Medicine Work Group of the NATA.  She is a constituent of the …

 Task Force on Dancer Health for DANCE/USA; lead author of the Task Forces’ informational paper for “Tips on Concussion for Dancers” and contributing author for “Tips on Anxiety for Dancers”.  Ms. Ewalt developed and taught Body Modalities and Injury Prevention at San Diego City College from 2006-2008 and was an inaugural faculty member of Shenandoah Universities Masters Certificate Program in Performing Arts Medicine 2011-2014.

Having herself experienced a near career ending injury and surgery at age 16 years, Ms. Ewalt has a particular interest in promoting injury prevention, early care and return to peak performance.  She enjoys working with children and adolescents to help them navigate the struggles of changing body and mind when injury becomes part of the equation.  Recognizing the body/mind connection, Ms. Ewalt is creative in finding ways to keep individuals active and safely participating in activity.

Quick links

Sports and Military

Ms. Ewalt has worked in numerous sports medicine settings including Division I and III Collegiate Sports; Professional Sports; Elite and Olympic Sports, High School Athletics; and clinical settings including: The United States Naval Academy, Virginia Roadsters – Women’s Professional Fastpitch Softball, The George Washington University, Washington DC Police and Fire Departments, Indiana University, Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton Sports Medicine Clinic, and the Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego Sports Medicine and Reconditioning Team Center.  Through these settings she has worked extensively with over 26 types of men’s and women’s athletic teams, as well as with pediatric through geriatric populations and with persons of varied levels of health and fitness.  She works with many area gymnasts, cheerleaders, soccer and volleyball players, golfers, runners, cyclists, MMA fighters, swimmers and surfers.

Education

Ms. Ewalt received her Master of Science in Kinesiology/Athletic Training from Indiana University in 2000, where she served as the primary Certified Athletic Trainer for Indiana University Ballet Theatre.  She served as a graduate assistant and clinical instructor in the Athletic Training program while attending graduate school at The George Washington University 1998-1999 after obtaining her Bachelor of Arts in Athletic Training from Gustavus Adolphus College in 1997.  Ms. Ewalt completed her training in Pilates in 2001 and earned her Massage Therapy and Holistic Health Practitioner credentials in 2006.  She is Board Certified in Massage Therapy and Bodywork with extensive training in a variety of Osteopathic and Manual Therapy techniques; she has been certified in CranioSacral Therapy and the Graston® Technique since 2006.

Personal Performance Background

Ms. Ewalt has a varied performance background including 11 years as a violist, 9 years as a USA Gymnastics club and collegiate competitive artistic gymnast and 14 years as a semi-professional modern dancer.  She was member of the 1994 and 1995 Division III Women’s Gymnastics National Championship team at Gustavus Adolphus College; she also functioned as a club and high school gymnastics coach from 1993-1997 as well as a high school gymnastic judge from 1994-1997. She danced with Matching Tights Dance Company in St. Peter, MN from 1996-1997. While in San Diego, she  danced and choreographed with AxXiom Dance Collective and performed with The Garage and area choreographers including Patricia Rincon, Debbie Toth, Toni Sammartano from 2002-2007. Her last performance was as part of the cast for “Love-In a Musical Celebration” which featured Tony and Grammy award winning performers.  Live performances and DVD recording of the production occurred in the fall of 2007 at The Birch North Park Theatre; the movie premiered at the Paramount Studios in Los Angeles in July of 2008. “Love-In a Musical Celebration” was played nationally on PBS.  Ms. Ewalt continues to take dance class as time permits now focusing her attention on helping others to reach their performance goals through her work at PAARTS.