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Have you ever suffered an injury that threatened your ability to perform? If so, how did you recover?

One time on stage, I did a jump where I had to land on one foot, at an incline. I landed in a way that made my ankle roll. My calf seized up, went into spasm and wouldn't let go. I literally hopped off stage. After finding dancers to fill in my roles, our chiropractor came up to stage level to work on me. I had microtears in my calf muscle and we had to work to release it. I was out of the show for about a week.

There were two challenges: the physical challenge of getting my calf muscle back to normal, and the mental challenge. As a dancer, I was nervous about jumping on it again. So, I would compensate with my other leg. Our chiropractor did some manual therapy. I also had massage and physical therapy with strengthening exercises. I used a wobble board for proprioception, the Pilates jump board to jump without gravity and a trampoline to assist the jumping. It took a little while longer for my brain to readjust, gain confidence and not be nervous about it.

Can you share your health and wellness philosophy with us?

I believe in the whole mind-body-spirit connection. To have fulfillment in each of these areas is essential for growth and overall wellness.

• The spiritual aspect is the most important. I am a Christian and my faith in God is my foundation. It has changed my perspective on how I view and live life. This gives me peace, hope and security like nothing else.
• The mind aspect encompasses my emotional side. Relationships are a priority. Because I am coming from a place of being content and fulfilled from my spiritual side, I can focus on loving and caring for others. I put my energy into having healthy, satisfying relationships with my husband, family and friends. Investing in others turns out to be a double blessing, because not only does it bless the ones you are investing in, but it also in turn blesses and fills you.
• The body aspect pertains to my physical health. Having a healthy body becomes an  overflow of the other two. I want to take care of myself because I see it all as a gift, so that I can be there for the people I love, and of course, do the things I want to do, and have the career I have. As well as performing in the show, I exercise about five times a week, trying to have a balance between cardio and strength training. For me, that means taking Pilates for strengthening my whole body and yoga for flexibility and focusing my mind. I take different styles of dance class, from ballet to jazz, modern and hip-hop. I take aerobics classes like step and cardio kickboxing. Sometimes I even lift weights. Varying my routine and cross-training are very important to keep my mind interested and maintain balance in my body.
• In terms of diet, my philosophy is everything in moderation. I try to eat organically as much as possible and consume fewer processed foods. I eat a variety of vegetables, fruits, grains and proteins. I don't follow any extreme diets, like cutting out carbs or eating just protein. I also allow myself to have dessert. If I never allow myself the foods I crave, I'm sure I'll binge on them at some point. So, I allow all things in moderation and then I am satisfied.
  It is no surprise that I am a dancer. When I dance, each part of the mind - body - spirit connection is being filled. That's why I am so passionate about it and chose it for my career.

Do you take vitamins, herbs or other supplements?

I take liquid potassium, glucosamine, chondritin, omega-3 essential fatty acids and a multivitamin. Before the show, I'll take Emergen-C or Airborne as a little pick me up if I need it. I also believe in drinking lots of water and getting plenty of rest. Sometimes we push ourselves so much, we don't listen to our bodies and get the rest we need. If I need it, I'll even lie down and close my eyes at work on a break; it refreshes me.