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Nancy Dail, President & Founder
Downeast School of Massage
The Waldoboro
Business Association
promotes mutual support for our
members, encourages business
growth in our community, and
recognizes the importance of the
quality of life in our community. |
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When Nancy Dail became a certified massage therapist in 1974 she had no idea that it
would lead to her becoming a pioneer in the field of massage therapy.
Within a few years, she would be asked to teach her first four students and she became
instrumental as one of the leaders that developed the certification, accreditation and the
licensing of massage therapy schools throughout the United States. "It was both exciting
and very hard work that took years," she says, "but it was important that high standards
be developed and teaching competencies created so that massage therapy, which was then
in its infancy, could grow into the important field that it is today."
Nancy also found transitioning from massage therapist to a massage therapy teacher came naturally
to her. "I enjoyed teaching and found that helping students and advancing their understanding
of the modalities of massage therapy was very rewarding."
The original four students, who today still are practicing, were called the "Basement Graduates"
since classes were held in the basement of Nancy’s home. Today 30 years later, the Downeast
School of Massage has graduated more than 1,000 students in 41 classes and is located on 100
acres in a large 8,000 square foot building overlooking a scenic pond. The school also has
a store that is open to the public offering massage therapy supplies, books and items including
a DVD that Nancy produced. "The DVD called 'The Gift of Touch' was something that I thought
about for some time. I decided to go ahead and produce it as a teaching tool to help students
advance their understanding of various aspects of massage therapy and provide information for
others that were interested in knowing more about it." The video was filmed at the Downeast
School of Massage and presents clearly demonstrated step-by-step instructions for each part
of the massage with menu options that allow you to watch each step separately.
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In addition to teaching, Nancy has also been busy writing a textbook due to be published
in January of 2010 by McGraw-Hill. "Structural Kinesiology for Manual Therapies: A
Multi-Dimensional Approach" offers chapter by chapter details of how muscles balance
one another and how that knowledge is used in specific massages." This book allows me
to express my dimensional massage philosophy that I have been developing for over 35
years and build on the premise that science is the foundation of your art. Like any
manual therapy, massage therapy should have a sound foundational structure of
science."
Nancy not only feels strongly about massage therapy but also about the town of Waldoboro. She
is a descendant from one of the original families in Old Broad Bay. Nancy and her husband Bill
Dail bought their land from her grandfather's milk man - Thurlow Ludwig who was a blueberry
baron on Route 220 north. "We fell in love with the land" says Nancy, "and went to the tax
maps in town and found that Thurlow owned the property. When we went to see him, he said 'I
know who you are, I used to be Crosby Waltz's milk man.' That was it for him. He wanted to
see that we raised a family on his land. He used to deliver a flat of blueberries on his old
John Deere tractor every year to us."
Nancy and her husband have three children and their two daughters have become massage therapists.
Their son is soon to graduate from UNH majoring in psychology.
Nancy's connection to the community means that she finds it is essential to give back to the
local community. She spent a number of years as a volunteer with the Waldoboro Ambulance
Service. Nowadays, she's arranges for the Downeast School of Massage to sponsor free massages
for children, pregnant women and geriatric patients. In addition the school also has days
when the general public can make appointments to obtain a massage from the schools's students
at a nominal cost. "I want to be certain that anyone that is interested can experience
massage therapy."
As if she isn't busy enough as a teacher, writer and organizer, Nancy is also a frequent speaker
at professional seminars where she discusses the fact that massage is part of a holistic
approach to healthcare that is being recently redisovered by traditional American physicians.
She has seen her school grow into a major role providing highly-qualified competent graduates
that become a resource for enhanced complementary care.
Another aspect of her community service finds this energetic woman was an active member of
the Waldoboro Business Association's board of directors. "The WBA is a place for all
the local businesses to network and advise one another on methods to make our businesses
more sucessful," says Nancy. "And sucessful businesses strengthen the local economy and
the communities they serve. The Downeast School of Massage brings many people from other
areas to Waldoboro where they stay in local b&bs, go to local restaurants and patronize
local stores. I'm very glad that the success of our school means that there is a
positive effect on the local economy."
The school's scenic location and it's three separate meeting/ banquet rooms can be rented
for events in its capacity as the Downeast Meeting & Banquet Facilities (www.downeastmeeting.com). |
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