Healthy Dancers' Clinic Consultation

Oriana is a Bay Area native from San Jose, CA. Oriana’s dance background is rooted in cultural styles; it evolved in high school when she began learning jazz, joined the color guard, and started exploring other genres. Now, she primarily engages in contemporary dance. After receiving her Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology at San Jose State University, she earned her doctoral degree in physical therapy from Samuel Merritt University in Oakland, CA. She has completed an orthopedic residency program and is currently engaged in an orthopedic manual therapy fellowship with Agile Physical Therapy, practicing in Fremont, CA.

Dr. Karah Charette is a physical therapist, Pilates instructor, yoga teacher, and dancer from Buffalo, NY originally. She attended Hobart and William Smith Colleges, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Biology and Dance. She received her Doctorate in Physical Therapy from Columbia University. Karah now owns her own practice called Bodyful Physical Therapy and Wellness in the Bay Area. She is a specialist in pelvic health physical therapy. A dancer for more than 20 years, Karah believes in the power of movement and its connection to expression and the human experience.

There is no one-size-fits-all approach because health is as individual as your fingerprint. I’m here to help you feel lighter and brighter in your body. I want people to leave feeling they play a big role in their own healing because that’s my own experience. After I sustained an injury as a professional dancer, chiropractic treatment was the only lasting relief I found. And that’s why I became a doctor myself. In practice since 1997, I see clients from teens to retirees in both San Diego and San Francisco. 

After earning a BFA in Dance Performance and a minor in Kinesiology from Chapman University, Nick moved to the Bay Area and attended the World School of Massage, earning his CMT in 2019. As a dancer, he was attuned to his body during training which allowed him to more easily tap into the sensation and experience of others on the table. He works with a mix of modalities, including Swedish and Deep Tissue massage, as well as therapeutic bodywork that integrates techniques borrowed from structural footwork, craniosacral therapy, vibrational healing massage therapy, and myofascial release with an eye toward postural alignment and kinetic chains.

Before becoming a physical therapist, Dr. Noe performed professionally as a contemporary ballet dancer in NYC and Miami. Her own choreography has been presented at La Mama Theater NYC, SUNY-Purchase Buffalo, and the Colony Theater in Miami. During her time as a dancer, she sustained an injury that would inspire her to pursue a career in physical therapy. After receiving her Doctorate in Physical Therapy from Florida International University, she completed 2 years of Residency and Fellowship training in Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy from the Ola Grimsby Institute. Additionally, she completed Didrik Sopler’s nutrition for healing course work as part of her continuing education. Dr. Noe utilizes skills developed during her years of training and practice to enhance traditional physical therapy approaches, expanding the limits of holistic care. She is excited about treating patients who struggle with injuries, helping them to get back to doing what they love to do.