Backstage is a Ballet Science bonus series featuring short reflections on lessons learned as a professional ballerina, and how biomechanics and research later helped explain them. Quick insights at the intersection of studio experience and science.

I went from spending my days in a ballet studio to a biomechanics lab. While those worlds may seem completely different, getting a PhD taught me some surprising lessons... not just about science, but about my body, learning, failure, and performance.

In this video, I share five things I learned from getting a PhD as a former professional ballerina, and how those lessons completely changed how I think about ballet training and movement.

In this episode, I talk about:

• Why discipline is not the same as understanding
• How failure is part of the learning process, not a verdict
• What biomechanics taught me about adaptability and anatomy
• Why mental load and cognitive fatigue matter in dancers
• Why ballet and science don’t compete... they belong together

If you’re a dancer, a student, or someone navigating a nonlinear career path, I hope this video reminds you that unconventional journeys aren’t a weakness... they’re a strength.

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