Bonnie Millen, professor of dance anatomy and kinesiology at Long Island University’s (LIU) C.W. Post campus, taught Nassau BOCES Long Island High School for the Arts (LIHSA) dance students critical methods for injury prevention during a master class. The LIHSA Master Class program is part of the school’s ongoing mission to provide students with an inside look at the industries they are pursuing, and to introduce them to mentors within their chosen fields.
Millen led the dancers through a variety of movements, stretches and yoga positions designed to prepare their bodies for the rigorous demands of dance. A specialist in therapeutic movement and physical therapy, Millen is a New York State registered physical therapist assistant and a yoga alliance registered yoga instructor. She has an extensive background in posture re-education, spinal stabilization and exercise, and is formally trained in Feldenkrais Awareness Through Movement, the Alexander Technique and Body-Mind Centering. She is certified in Ohashiatsu bodywork therapy, a combination of exercise, meditation and touch communication.
In addition to her nine years teaching at LIU, Millen has served for 22 years as a yoga instructor and nearly 20 years as a physical therapist. She
is a certified personal trainer with the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America, a senior member of the American Oriental Bodywork Therapy Association, and a U.S. Master Swimmer. She holds a master’s degree in dance education from New York University and a bachelor’s degree from the State University of New York at Oneonta.
