By Judit Ruiz Onandi – artistic assistant for dance companies, Certified Advanced Rolfer®, Rolf Movement™ Practitioner and Rolfing® Teacher in Training; formerly a professional dancer
How Rolfing® Changed My Relationship With My Body as a Dancer
As a professional dancer, I lived inside a body that was constantly performing, adapting and being shaped by choreography. For years, I thought of my body almost exclusively as a tool - something to train, discipline and refine.
Experiencing Rolfing® Structural Integration, and learning more about the role of fascia, changed that understanding completely. It opened a new pathway into body awareness that became essential for my dance career.
As a dancer, Rolfing gave me the feeling that my body is more than an instrument – it is my companion.”
Fascia in Dance: Why It Matters More Than You Think
Like many dancers, I had heard about fascia, but I didn’t truly understand its relevance.
The turning point came when I first learned that fascia can stay restricted even after an injury is considered medically ‘recovered’.
I could really identify with that experience of medical professionals saying that everything was well, but me feeling that something was still not recovered.”
Through Rolfing sessions, I realised how deeply fascia influences the qualities I relied on in my dance career:
- adaptability and fluidity
- balance and alignment
- efficiency of movement
- the ability to sense and respond
- long-term resilience in a demanding profession
This was not an abstract anatomical idea - this was something I felt directly in my movement.
Rolfing® vs. Physiotherapy: What Reaches Deeper?
For years, osteopathy and physiotherapy supported me through recurring strains and the chronic load of professional dance. Their work was invaluable, but it mainly addressed moments of injury or acute discomfort.
After those sessions the pain was gone, but I often sensed that something deeper in my body was still holding on, something I couldn’t quite access. Rolfing Structural Integration touched that layer. The work brought a level of coherence and ease that accompanied me back into the studio.
After I took up Rolfing, I got an overall feeling of sensing the body much more adaptable and able to deal with extreme physical demands.”
For the first time, I felt a sense of integration rather than temporary relief.
How Rolfing® Improved My Movement Quality
After several Rolfing sessions, my body felt different in ways that mattered deeply in my dance career:
- more grounded in weight transfer
- clearer in direction and intention
- less effortful in extension and suspension
- more spacious around the joints
- more connected through the whole body line
It was as if I could move with less “noise” inside myself. Movement became more responsive and less effortful. My chronic lower back pain - something I carried for five years - softened as my body reorganised.
My body feels much more alive and awake now than 20 years ago.”
From Forcing to Listening: Rolfing® and Somatic Intelligence
The real transformation was not just physical – it was relational. Rolfing helped me shift from “How do I make my body do this?” to “What does my body tell me about how this movement wants to happen?”
This changed:
- how I warm up
- how I recover
- how I deal with intensity
- how I manage old habits and fatigue
My body became less of an object and more of a collaborator. A new attitude settled in - one of curiosity rather than pressure.
I started to treat my body with more respect, listening to it more, and that helped me alleviate discomfort or pain that I would have had otherwise.”
Clarity, Creativity and Ease: The Wider Effects of Rolfing®
The more organised and spacious my body felt, the more my emotional landscape shifted too. I experienced more clarity in rehearsals, more presence in performance and a quieter sense of internal support in daily life at that time.
What surprised me most was how quickly buoyancy and openness appeared - not just physically, but mentally.
What took my attention was the feeling of space and buoyancy in my body and my mind.”
The change wasn’t about doing more. It was about listening differently.
Why Rolfing® Can Support Dancers Long-Term
Rolfing Structural Integration continued to shape the way I trained and cared for myself during my dance career and helped me navigate the long-term demands of a dancer’s life.
Rolfing can help dancers develop a deeper relationship with:
- body awareness
- structural organisation
- efficient movement patterns
- responses to stress and overload
Even after leaving the stage, this work has remained relevant in how I understand and care for my body. It offered me a way of staying connected to myself - not just as a dancer, but as a human being moving through the world.
My Body as a Companion – Thanks to Rolfing®
Learning to view my body as a companion reshaped my approach to movement and to my dance career at the time - and it continues to influence my life today. Rolfing® Structural Integration played a meaningful part in that transformation, offering a way of working with fascia, perception and movement that continues to support my path.
Author: Certified Advanced Rolfer®, Rolf Movement™ Practitioner Judit Ruiz Onandi - Ireland
Editing: Sabine Becker
Photo Credit: Nikola Kostic (dancing photos), Kerstin Mauersberger (Rolfing photos)
Visit Judit Ruiz Onandi’s website
Learn more
If you want to explore Rolfing® Structural Integration as a dancer:
- What is Rolfing® Structural Integration?
- Find a Rolfer®
- Rolfing and movement education
- This is how you can become a Rolfer®
FAQ:
- What can Rolfing® Structural Integration offer dancers?
Rolfing can help dancers explore body awareness, structural organisation and movement efficiency by working with the body’s fascial system.
- How is fascia relevant for professional dancers?
Fascia influences coordination, adaptability, balance and responsiveness - qualities dancers rely on for technique and long-term resilience.
- How does Rolfing differ from physiotherapy or osteopathy?
While physiotherapy and osteopathy often address specific areas, Rolfing works with whole-body organisation, supporting an integrated sense of movement.
- Can Rolfing help dancers feel more connected in their movement?
Rolfing can help dancers sense more internal space, clearer weight transfer and greater overall coherence in movement patterns.
- Why do some dancers turn to Rolfing during their careers?
Dancers often explore Rolfing when they want a deeper understanding of their bodies, new movement pathways or support during demanding career phases.
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