When news of Erik Dalton’s death on January 11 spread throughout the manual therapy community, one thing was clear—this curious, generous, artistic innovator was highly revered. Mourners shared personal memories of Erik, with the dominant theme being how much his work changed their careers, and how much he contributed to the profession’s body of knowledge.
As we reflect on Erik’s legacy, it’s hard to know where to begin. Do you start by recounting his time as a drummer with the Flying Burrito Brothers in the ’70s and his Disneyland date with actress Elizabeth Taylor? Or do you start by drawing a timeline from the first workshop Erik presented in his garage in 1994 to the global reach Dalton Myoskeletal and his Myoskeletal Alignment Techniques (MAT) courses have today? Or, maybe you start at the end, sharing that after doing two of the things he loved most—teaching what would be his last workshop a month earlier and playing drums at a local pub the night before—Erik died on his 81st birthday, while swimming morning laps at his Costa Rican home.
No matter where we start, the chapters of Erik Dalton’s life are indeed prolific and altogether worthy of a man who will forever have his stamp on the manual therapy profession.
Yes, That Kind of Rock Star
There are too many stories to recount about the young musician who once shared the stage with Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix and opened for performers like Marvin Gaye. The faded pictures bring us back to those days, where working as a musician also helped him pay for his graduate studies.
Music was even Erik’s pathway to meeting Dr. Ida Rolf—an introduction that would change his career trajectory. The story goes that it was the drummer from Joplin’s band who told Erik about “this lady” who was helping him with his recurring pain. When Erik met Dr. Rolf, who was lecturing at the nearby Esalen Institute, he was instantly drawn to her work. After completing the 10-session protocol himself, Erik knew this was his path.
An Evolution of Practice
With degrees in philosophy and clinical psychology from the University of Oklahoma, Erik completed his certification in Rolfing and would soon count Philip Greenman, Serge Gracovetsky, and Vladimir Janda as influencers on his work, in addition to Dr. Rolf.
But music never stopped influencing him either. “Erik always said ‘bodywork is rhythm,’ and you could see it in his work, his body mechanics, and how he taught,” says Nate Fay, an educator at Dalton Myoskeletal who taught alongside Erik in Costa Rica over the years and most recently in December 2024. “Erik always believed that seminars should be like a rock show with music, lights, and keeping them ‘fun, fun, fun.’ It was at his Oklahoma City workshop that he and I formed our duo group, Rhythmic Touch, and opened the seminar with a 5-minute live music performance, all while talking about how touch affects the brain. Only Erik could do this!”
Generosity of Spirit
Behind the scenes, Dalton constantly reached out to his contemporaries, discussing a recent article, engaging in thoughtful debate, asking the deep questions. He called many of those contemporaries “little brother,” and everyone was proud to earn that moniker. “Erik brought our big little community together in ways that nobody could,” Fay says.
Kim Miller, director of education at Dalton Myoskeletal, presented 10 workshops a year with Erik over a 12-year span before taking her director role. As Erik’s work evolved in those early years, Miller says her own work became better. “As Erik developed Myoskeletal Alignment Techniques, I began using them on my clients. I had noticed patterns of pain with my clients and the techniques were exactly what I needed to develop a skill set that addressed those issues. As Erik continued to tweak MAT and grow, so did I.”
What the Future Holds
The body of work Erik created will continue to be taught and new therapists will continue to be trained under the MAT certification. Heading up that effort is the Dalton Gang, which includes educators who’ve been studying and teaching with Erik for years, as well as his daughter, Adrienne Kesinger, MD, and son-in-law Jason Kesinger. Adrienne, who remembers assembling Erik’s workshop books and VHS tape sets as a teenager, says her father embraced her choice to become a doctor, and now she’ll use that background to continue sharing his work. Her husband, Jason, who holds master’s of science and doctorate of pharmacy degrees, will come on board to help manage the business and says they understand the importance of the work ahead: “Erik was well loved and we are committed to preserving and protecting his legacy.” Says Dalton Gang senior educator Tammy Mccue, “We will make Erik proud!”
For more information on Myoskeletal Alignment Techniques, visit erikdalton.com.
