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.

When I tell people that I went to college while dancing professionally as a ballerina, the reaction is almost always the same: How did you make that work?

In this video, I break down the five strategies that enabled me to balance school with a professional ballet career, including what my daily schedule looked like, the sacrifices it entailed, and what I learned along the way.

In this video, you’ll learn:

• How I structured early morning, daytime, and late-night classes
• Why I treated ballet like a non-negotiable job
• How I adjusted my course load during soloist and principal seasons
• The sacrifices no one talks about (socially and emotionally)
• Why managing energy, not just time, is critical for dancers
• How protecting the body made everything else possible

I’m Caroline Simpkins, a former professional ballerina with a PhD in biomechanics and the creator of Ballet Science, where I help bring science into the studio to support dancers of all ages.

If you’re a dancer balancing school, work, or another demanding passion (or thinking about how to structure your next chapter), I hope this gives you a realistic and encouraging perspective.

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